Empire of Liberty

Definition

The Empire of Liberty is a term coined by Thomas Jefferson to describe the United States' responsibility to spread freedom and democracy throughout the world.

Analogy

Think of the Empire of Liberty like a gardener who believes that their unique type of flower (in this case, democracy) is so beautiful and beneficial that they feel it's their duty to plant it in every garden around them.

Related terms

Manifest Destiny: This is the 19th-century doctrine or belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Monroe Doctrine: A principle of US policy, originated by President James Monroe in 1823, that any intervention by external powers in the politics of the Americas is a potentially hostile act against the US.

American Exceptionalism: The theory that the United States is inherently different from other nations, often associated with superiority and an obligation to spread its values globally.