Happy Birthday James Monroe
On April 28, 1758 (259 years ago today) James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States, was born in his parents' house located in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Today the site is marked and is one mile from the unincorporated community now known as Monroe Hall, Virginia. Monroe, who served two terms as President, from 1817 to 1825, was the last president who is considered to be a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty.
This year, 2017, also marks the two hundredth anniversary of the Monroe presidency, which began on March 4, 1817.
Monroe's father died when James was 16 years old, which gave the future president the responsibility of being the head of the family at an early age. He fought in the American Revolutionary War, serving with George Washington's army. He was wounded in the Battle of Trenton from a musket ball to his shoulder. He studied law under Thomas Jefferson from 1780 to 1783, and later served as a delegate to the Continental Congress. As an anti-federalist delegate to the Virginia convention that considered ratification of the United States Constitution, Monroe opposed ratification, claiming it gave too much power to the central government. He opposed James Madison in that battle, but the two men became perhaps the best example of how political differences of opinion need not ruin a friendship. Monroe took an active part in the new government, and in 1790 he was elected to the Senate of the first United States Congress. He later served as the Governor of Virginia and rose to national prominence as a diplomat in France, when he helped negotiate the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. During the War of 1812, Monroe held the critical roles of Secretary of State and later also as Secretary of War in the cabinet of President James Madison.
Facing little opposition from the fractured Federalist Party, Monroe was easily elected president in 1816, winning over 80 percent of the electoral vote. As president, he bought Florida from Spain and sought to ease partisan tensions, by embarking on a tour of the country, in which he was well received. With the ratification of the Treaty of 1818, under the successful diplomacy of his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, the United States extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific, gaining harbor and fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest. The United States and Britain jointly occupied the Oregon Country. Nationalism surged, partisan fury subsided and the "Era of Good Feelings" enveloped the nation until the Panic of 1819 struck and dispute over the admission of Missouri in 1820 drew the country into a debate between slave and free states (leading to the Compromise of 1820). Monroe won near-unanimous reelection. (One elector cast a vote for John Quincy Adams because he believed that the honor of unanimous election should be reserved for George Washington.)
Monroe supported the founding of colonies in Africa for free African Americans that would eventually form the nation of Liberia. Its capital, Monrovia, is named after him. In 1823, he announced the United States' opposition to any European intervention in the recently independent countries of the Americas with the Monroe Doctrine, which became a landmark in American foreign policy.
Following his retirement in 1825, Monroe was plagued by financial difficulties. He died in New York City on July 4, 1831, becoming the third president to die on the fourth of July. In my view, James Monroe ranks high on the list of underrated presidents, possibly at the top of that list.
By coincidence, I happened to visit the James Monroe Museum located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, two days ago. I took a few pictures that I put behind the cut below.
Monroe is one of my favorite presidents even though he is probably less known than he deserves to be. He is considered to be "the last founding father." There is much to admire about his life. Orphaned at age 16 and left to care for 3 younger siblings, he joined the Revolutionary War at age 16 and fought in George Washington's army in about four battles. He was wounded at the Battle of Trenton when a musket ball severed an artery, but had happened to meet a surgeon on the way to the battle, and as luck would have it, the surgeon knew how to stop the artery from bleeding out, saving his life. Monroe went on to have a remarkable career, becoming an ambassador to France (where he saved the Marquis de Lafayette's wife from the guillotine) and England, a congressman, senator and three term governor of Virginia, Secretary of War during the War of 1812, Secretary of State, and a two term president. As president he tried to promote harmony by touring the nation, including the areas where he was least popular, and trying to ignore the notion of political parties. It was called the Era of Good Feelings. He even tried to right some of the wrongs of slavery by using his own money as part of a program to purchase slaves and return then to their home. The African nation of Liberia even named their capital city after him (Monrovia). Yes, he wasn't as progressive as the abolitionists like John Adams, but at least he had some recognition of this terrible wrong that was a part of his nation. Monroe must have been an honest man because he died broke, of all days, on the fourth of July.
Here are a few pictures from his museum. It's a small one storey building (formerly three smaller buildings that were joined together), run by volunteers history buffs, who are very excited because this weekend they are celebrating his birthday (which falls on Friday) and have even hired a James Monroe impersonator.
1. This is the building that used to be Monroe's law office and is now his museum.
2-3. Monroe was quite a good looking man. He was tall and athletic, with dimple in his chin that resembled a young Kirk Douglas. He aged well too.
4. Monroe was quite a spiffy dresser. He stuck to the old style Revolutionary War style of dress (knee breeches and long stockings) even after it went out of style. This year is the 200th anniversary of his Presidency (which began on March 4, 1817), so the museum decided to unpack some of his and his wife's clothing that they had stored, to put on display.
5. A statue of Monroe he diplomat in Paris that I thought was pretty cool.
For those of you who happen to be in the area of Fredericksburg, Virginia this weekend (sadly I will no longer be in this area), the James Monroe Museum is the place to be.
This year, 2017, also marks the two hundredth anniversary of the Monroe presidency, which began on March 4, 1817.
Monroe's father died when James was 16 years old, which gave the future president the responsibility of being the head of the family at an early age. He fought in the American Revolutionary War, serving with George Washington's army. He was wounded in the Battle of Trenton from a musket ball to his shoulder. He studied law under Thomas Jefferson from 1780 to 1783, and later served as a delegate to the Continental Congress. As an anti-federalist delegate to the Virginia convention that considered ratification of the United States Constitution, Monroe opposed ratification, claiming it gave too much power to the central government. He opposed James Madison in that battle, but the two men became perhaps the best example of how political differences of opinion need not ruin a friendship. Monroe took an active part in the new government, and in 1790 he was elected to the Senate of the first United States Congress. He later served as the Governor of Virginia and rose to national prominence as a diplomat in France, when he helped negotiate the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. During the War of 1812, Monroe held the critical roles of Secretary of State and later also as Secretary of War in the cabinet of President James Madison.
Facing little opposition from the fractured Federalist Party, Monroe was easily elected president in 1816, winning over 80 percent of the electoral vote. As president, he bought Florida from Spain and sought to ease partisan tensions, by embarking on a tour of the country, in which he was well received. With the ratification of the Treaty of 1818, under the successful diplomacy of his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, the United States extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific, gaining harbor and fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest. The United States and Britain jointly occupied the Oregon Country. Nationalism surged, partisan fury subsided and the "Era of Good Feelings" enveloped the nation until the Panic of 1819 struck and dispute over the admission of Missouri in 1820 drew the country into a debate between slave and free states (leading to the Compromise of 1820). Monroe won near-unanimous reelection. (One elector cast a vote for John Quincy Adams because he believed that the honor of unanimous election should be reserved for George Washington.)
Monroe supported the founding of colonies in Africa for free African Americans that would eventually form the nation of Liberia. Its capital, Monrovia, is named after him. In 1823, he announced the United States' opposition to any European intervention in the recently independent countries of the Americas with the Monroe Doctrine, which became a landmark in American foreign policy.
Following his retirement in 1825, Monroe was plagued by financial difficulties. He died in New York City on July 4, 1831, becoming the third president to die on the fourth of July. In my view, James Monroe ranks high on the list of underrated presidents, possibly at the top of that list.
By coincidence, I happened to visit the James Monroe Museum located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, two days ago. I took a few pictures that I put behind the cut below.
Monroe is one of my favorite presidents even though he is probably less known than he deserves to be. He is considered to be "the last founding father." There is much to admire about his life. Orphaned at age 16 and left to care for 3 younger siblings, he joined the Revolutionary War at age 16 and fought in George Washington's army in about four battles. He was wounded at the Battle of Trenton when a musket ball severed an artery, but had happened to meet a surgeon on the way to the battle, and as luck would have it, the surgeon knew how to stop the artery from bleeding out, saving his life. Monroe went on to have a remarkable career, becoming an ambassador to France (where he saved the Marquis de Lafayette's wife from the guillotine) and England, a congressman, senator and three term governor of Virginia, Secretary of War during the War of 1812, Secretary of State, and a two term president. As president he tried to promote harmony by touring the nation, including the areas where he was least popular, and trying to ignore the notion of political parties. It was called the Era of Good Feelings. He even tried to right some of the wrongs of slavery by using his own money as part of a program to purchase slaves and return then to their home. The African nation of Liberia even named their capital city after him (Monrovia). Yes, he wasn't as progressive as the abolitionists like John Adams, but at least he had some recognition of this terrible wrong that was a part of his nation. Monroe must have been an honest man because he died broke, of all days, on the fourth of July.
Here are a few pictures from his museum. It's a small one storey building (formerly three smaller buildings that were joined together), run by volunteers history buffs, who are very excited because this weekend they are celebrating his birthday (which falls on Friday) and have even hired a James Monroe impersonator.
1. This is the building that used to be Monroe's law office and is now his museum.
2-3. Monroe was quite a good looking man. He was tall and athletic, with dimple in his chin that resembled a young Kirk Douglas. He aged well too.
4. Monroe was quite a spiffy dresser. He stuck to the old style Revolutionary War style of dress (knee breeches and long stockings) even after it went out of style. This year is the 200th anniversary of his Presidency (which began on March 4, 1817), so the museum decided to unpack some of his and his wife's clothing that they had stored, to put on display.
5. A statue of Monroe he diplomat in Paris that I thought was pretty cool.
For those of you who happen to be in the area of Fredericksburg, Virginia this weekend (sadly I will no longer be in this area), the James Monroe Museum is the place to be.