James Monroe

James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States. He took office on March 4, 1817, and served two terms as a very popular president. Overseeing the “Era of Good feelings,” Monroe's presidency was marked by a period of peace, national expansion, and the absence of party politics.

Early years

James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia , on April 28, 1758. His parents, Spence and Elizabeth Jones Monroe, had a six-hundred acre plantation. Upon his father's death in 1774, Monroe and his younger siblings fell under the guardianship of his mother's brother, Joseph Jones (1727–1805). Jones was one of the most influential leaders in Virginia at the time and introduced Monroe to the world of politics.

Encouraged by his uncle, Monroe left home to attend William and Mary College in the colonial capital of Williamsburg, Virginia, in June 1774. While there, Monroe quickly became distracted by political activity. The long conflict between the king of England and the American colonists was reaching its climax. Inspired by the revolutionary cause, Monroe left college in the spring of 1776 and enlisted in the Third Virginia Infantry.

Within months of his enlistment, Monroe became a lieutenant and was fighting with George Washington (1732–1799), commander of the Continental armies, in New York . During his two and a half years of military service, Monroe participated in some of the American Revolution 's (1775–83) most historic events. He won fame and promotion to major for his heroism in aiding Washington's advance at Trenton, one of the most pivotal moments in the revolution, which turned the tide in favor of the American patriots. Though he became an aid to one of Washington's generals, Monroe preferred to be in the field, so he left his position and sought to raise his own regiment in Virginia in 1779.

Unable to raise his own regiment, Monroe returned home, where his uncle introduced him to the governor of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826). The meeting was the start of a long friendship for the two men, a friendship that inspired Monroe's lifelong career in politics. At Jefferson's encouragement, Monroe returned to William and Mary in 1780 and began to study law. When the capital of Virginia was moved later that year, Monroe left school again to follow his mentor Jefferson to Richmond, Virginia.

Entering politics

After two years of studying law under Jefferson's guidance, Monroe turned to politics. In 1782, he won an election to the Virginia legislature, the House of Burgesses . The following year, Monroe became a delegate to the Continental Congress, the forerunner of today's U.S. Congress, where he served until 1786. (See Continental Congress, First and Continental Congress, Second .)

While in New York at the Continental Congress, Monroe met his wife, Elizabeth Kortright (1768–1830). They were married on February 16, 1786, and lived briefly in New York. When Monroe's congressional term ended in October, they returned to Virginia where they soon had their first child, Eliza. It would be more than a decade before they had two more children, a son who died as an infant and another daughter, Maria. The family eventually settled on an estate in Virginia near what became Washington, D.C. At home in Virginia, Monroe combined an active law practice with management of his plantation and part-time membership in the state legislature.

After four years in private life, Monroe was called back into active politics with his election to the U.S. Senate in 1790. Monroe had voiced concerns in the state legislature about the government set forth by the U.S. Constitution . He objected to what he considered to be excessive power granted to the Senate and the president. He became a leader in the Senate and a founding member of the newly developing Democratic-Republican Party , which acted to balance the Federalist Party (the majority party at the time, which favored a strong federal government) in Congress and the overly powerful executive branch. He served in this capacity until 1794.

Over the next twenty years, Monroe would hold a number of political appointments interspersed with returns to private life on his plantation. From 1794 to 1796, he served as ambassador to France under President Washington. He went on to serve three successful terms as governor of Virginia from 1799 to 1802.

At the end of Monroe's last term as governor, President Jefferson sent Monroe to France as a special envoy. The treaty that Monroe negotiated with French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) gave the Louisiana Territory, more than 800,000 square miles of land extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, to the United States. Upon completing that mission, Monroe was appointed ambassador to England, a post he held from July 1803 until his return to private life in the United States in December 1807.

The commercial treaty that Monroe negotiated with Britain in 1806, which did little to resolve the problem of impressment , the British practice of seizing U.S. sailors and forcing them to serve in the British navy, caused a temporary strain in his friendships with Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison (1751–1836). The break did not last long, however, and Madison, now president, appointed Monroe to be secretary of state in 1811. Monroe served in that capacity until 1817, when he became president.

Presidency

James Monroe easily won the 1816 election for president. The Federalist Party was fading, and no new party had yet risen. Those who challenged his nomination were from the same political party and far less experienced. Monroe was reelected in 1820 in an election in which he was unopposed.

Monroe's two terms of service have been called the “Era of Good Feelings” due to the general peace and stability that the nation enjoyed. Without competition from another party in the political system, Monroe's administration was able to accomplish much. Monroe and Congress spent much of their time on issues involving the admittance of new sates, territorial expansion, and the role of the federal government in establishing these new areas.

Monroe's presidency was marked by two major issues. The first involved the role of slavery in the nation. Expansion of the United States sparked a crisis between the northern and southern states that nearly caused some states to leave the Union. The debate centered on the expansion of slavery into new territories. “The Missouri Compromise” was reached after two years of debate, providing what would be a temporary solution. It established a boundary separating slave and free territories in the new parts of the country.

An international crisis was the second major issue of Monroe's presidency. Seminole Indians staged raids against the United States from the Spanish territory of Florida . In pursuing the aggressors, U.S. general Andrew Jackson (1767–1845) invaded and seized Spanish forts. Monroe quickly returned the properties to avoid war with Spain. The events triggered negotiations that resulted in the United States's acquisition of Florida.

Monroe is perhaps best remembered for establishing a model of foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere for the United States. Called the Monroe Doctrine , it set forth three basic principles as guidelines for American involvement in foreign affairs. First, Monroe announced to Europe that the United States would oppose further colonization in the New World. Second, he promised that the United States would not intervene in European quarrels unless a nation's rights were endangered. Third, Monroe insisted that Europe must not interfere with the independent republics that had been established in the Western Hemisphere. While the United States lacked the power to enforce the Monroe Doctrine, it has since evolved into a guiding force in U.S. foreign policy.

Later years

Monroe retired from politics when he left the presidency in 1825. He returned to the life of a country gentleman in his home in Virginia. Monroe busied himself by becoming a board member for the University of Virginia and by enjoying his friendships with Jefferson and Madison. In 1830, Elizabeth Monroe died. Monroe's own health quickly began to deteriorate, and he moved to New York to live with his youngest daughter. He died in New York on July 4, 1831.