James Monroe

James Monroe

Democratic-Republican Party

Prior offices

President of the United States

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Personal

Profession

Politician, Lawyer

James Monroe (b. April 28, 1758 in Westmoreland County, Virginia) was the fifth president of the United States. He served from 1817 to 1825 and died on July 4, 1831, at the age of 73.^[1] He was the final Founding Father to serve as president.^[2]

Monroe was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. His vice president was Daniel D. Tompkins.^[1]

In the State of the Union Address to Congress on December 2, 1823, Monroe established a policy that became known as the Monroe Doctrine. The policy declared that the United States was the dominant power in North and South America and that the continents were not open to further European colonization. The policy also said that any interference from Europe in the Americas would be considered a hostile act.^[3]

Prior to serving as president, Monroe served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, the Continental Congress, and the United States Senate. He served as an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.^[1]

Biography

Timeline of events

Below is an abbreviated outline of Monroe's professional and political career:^[1][4]

• 1758: Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia
• 1776: Became an officer in the Continental Army
• 1782: Elected to the Virginia House of Delegates
• 1783-1786: Served in the Continental Congress
• 1790: Defeated by James Madison in a bid to win a seat in the United States House of Representatives
• 1790: Elected to the United States Senate
• 1794: Appointed minister to France by President George Washington
• 1799: Elected governor of Virginia
• 1803: Helped negotiate the Louisiana Purchase
• 1803-1807: Served as minister to Great Britain
• 1808: Defeated by James Madison in the presidential election
• 1811: Elected governor of Virginia for a second time
• 1811-1817: Served as James Madison's secretary of state, which included serving as secretary of war from 1814 to 1815
• 1817: Elected president of the United States
• 1819: Negotiated the purchase of Florida
• 1820: Signed the Missouri Compromise
• 1820: Re-elected president of the United States
• 1823: Established the policy that became known as the Monroe Doctrine
• 1831: Died on July 4 at the age of 73

Before the presidency

Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on April 28, 1758, to Spence Monroe and Elizabeth Jones Monroe. He attended Campbelltown Academy from 1769 to 1774 and went on to enroll at Virginia's College of William & Mary. He dropped out of college in order to join the American Revolution. He became an officer of the Continental Army in 1776 and was wounded at the Battle of Trenton.^[1]

Monroe began studying law in 1780 under Thomas Jefferson. He was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1782 and served in the Continental Congress from 1783 to 1786. He was defeated by James Madison in 1790 in a bid for a seat in the United States House of Representatives, but he was elected to the United States Senate by the Virginia State Legislature that same year.^[1][4]

Monroe was appointed the minister to France by President George Washington in 1794, and he was elected governor of Virginia in 1799. In 1803, by request of President Thomas Jefferson, Monroe returned to France to help negotiate the purchase of the Port of New Orleans, which turned into the purchase of the entire Louisiana Territory. That purchase doubled the size of the United States.^[1][4]

Monroe next served as minister to Great Britain. He ran for president in 1808 but was defeated by James Madison. He became governor of Virginia for the second time in 1811, but he did not finish the term as he was appointed Madison's secretary of state that same year. In addition to serving as secretary of state, he served as secretary of war from 1814 to 1815, during the War of 1812.^[4]

Presidency

Monroe was sworn into office on March 4, 1817, and was the first president to have the ceremony outdoors and give a public inaugural address. The beginning of Monroe's presidency was described at the time as the "Era of Good Feelings," by a Boston newspaper. His election occurred during an economic boom and followed the ending of the War of 1812 with a favorable peace treaty for the United States.^[1][4]

In 1819, Monroe expanded the borders of the United States by purchasing Florida for $5 million from Spain. The expansion, combined with diminished trade with Europe and speculation in public lands, caused financial troubles. The following four-year economic downturn was known as the Panic of 1819.^[4]

By Monroe's presidency, northern states had banned slavery, but southern states supported it. Monroe made these two sides official in 1820 when he signed the Missouri Compromise, which outlawed slavery in the Louisiana Territory above the 36°30′ parallel with the exception of Missouri.^[4]

In his State of the Union Address on December 2, 1823, Monroe established what became known as the Monroe Doctrine. It declared that the United States was the dominant power in North and South America and that the continents were not open to further European colonization. The policy also said that any interference from Europe in the Americas would be considered a hostile act.^[3]

Post-presidency

Monroe retired to Virginia after leaving office. He helped preside over a new state constitution in 1829. He moved to New York City in 1830 to live with his daughter following the death of his wife. Monroe died on July 4, 1831.^[4]

Personal

Monroe married Elizabeth Kortright on February 16, 1786. They had two daughters as well as a son who died in infancy.^[1][4]

Elections

1820 presidential election

President of the United States, 1820
Party	Candidate	Vote %	Electoral votes
Democratic-Republican	James Madison Incumbent	99.6%	231
Independent	John Quincy Adams	0.4%	1
Total Electoral Votes			232

1816 presidential election

President of the United States, 1816
Party	Candidate	Vote %	Electoral votes
Democratic-Republican	James Madison	84.3%	183
Federalist	Rufus King	15.7%	34
Total Electoral Votes			217

State of the Union addresses

Every year in office, the president of the United States addresses Congress on the present state of affairs as well as the administration's goals for the coming year.^[5] Following are transcripts from Monroe's State of the Union addresses.

• 1817
• 1818
• 1819
• 1820
• 1821
• 1822
• 1823
• 1824

See also

• James Madison
• John Quincy Adams
• Virginia
• Federal judges nominated by James Monroe

External links

• James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library website
• Official White House biography
• C-Span vidoe on the Monroe presidency

Footnotes

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