Apr 23, 2026
In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, host Kelly McFarland
sits down with presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky, executive
director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount
Vernon, to explore one of the most consequential partnerships in
American foreign policy history: James Monroe and his Secretary of
State, John Quincy Adams.
They dig into the origins of the Monroe Doctrine, why Adams
famously turned down a British alliance offer, and what it actually
meant to declare the Western Hemisphere off-limits to European
imperial expansion in 1823. From the Adams-Onís Treaty to the Greek
War of Independence, this conversation reveals just how much of
early American foreign policy was shaped by Adams' extraordinary
global experience — and why his vision remains remarkably relevant
today.
Topics covered:
- The Monroe-Adams partnership and the post-War of 1812
landscape
- The Adams-Onís Treaty and the acquisition of
Florida
- The origins and three components of the Monroe
Doctrine
- Why did Adams reject the British alliance offer Adams'
famous July 4th address: "America does not go abroad in search of
monsters to destroy"
- John Quincy Adams' presidency and his forward-thinking
approach to Latin American alliances
- Why the Monroe Doctrine keeps coming back — and why context
matters
Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on
20 April, 2026.
Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the
Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and
candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats
and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding
support from the Carnegie Corporation of New
York.
For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn and
Instagram @gudiplomacy
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