famous proponents: Thomas Paine, George Washington, John Adams, James Monroe.
Thomas Paine- In his work "common sense" Thomas Paine spoke out against alliances with other nations. This is considered one of the first, if not the first, mention of isolationism in American politics.
George Washington- In his farewell address after stepping down from the presidency after two terms George Washington acknowledged his opinions on isolationism. Washington believed that Americans should stay neutral in both foreign affairs, and in their own political parties, but that is a different road entirely.
John Adams- John Adams avoided siding with either France or Britain during the French Revolution. A move that was supported by his political elite equals, but ended up losing him his next election bid. The American public has supports taking sides in conflicts, and as a result politicians will either act on it, or get out of the way.
Containment: After Pearl Harbor and World War 2's success people felt guilty for appeasing Hitler beforehand.
President Truman is one of the more famous examples of containment in united states government. His statements against the USSR contributed to the onslaught of anti-communist sentiments in American and also helped to start McCarthyism. The whole Cold-War is a large example of Containment.
Disengagement: Occurred as a reaction to the failures in Vietnam, considered "new isolationism"
The exact opposite of containment. Supporters of disengagement wanted to get out of Vietnam and want America to have a much smaller impact in foreign affairs that do not concern itself.
Human rights: 1990's. Prevention of genocide is a major component of this, it has been applied unevenly however, as genocides still occur.
The current major favorite of the Foreign Policy Elite. Human rights activists try to stop genocides and injustices against humanity. They have a heavy focus on Africa, but there are many who also focus on the issues in South America and many other developing nations.
