(1758–1831). The fifth president of the United States was James Monroe. During his two terms the country expanded westward and enjoyed growing national wealth. In foreign affairs Monroe oversaw a period of peace. He is best known for proposing the Monroe Doctrine, a warning to European nations against intervening in North and South America. This statement continues to influence the foreign policy of the United States. Early lifeJames Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on April 28, 1758. He was one of five children of Spence and Elizabeth Monroe. At age 16 James enrolled at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. His studies were interrupted, however, by the American Revolution. In 1776 Monroe left school to serve as a lieutenant in a Virginia regiment. He spent four years in the Army, reaching the rank of major. After his military service Monroe began to study law under Thomas Jefferson, then governor of Virginia. The two men developed a lifelong friendship. Career in politicsMonroe was elected to the Virginia legislature in 1782. From 1783 to 1786 he served in the Continental Congress. There he supported the right of free navigation on the Mississippi River, which was then controlled by Spain. He also tried to secure for Congress the power to regulate commerce. Monroe married Elizabeth Kortright of New York City in 1786. It was a happy marriage. They had two daughters, Eliza Kortright and Maria Hester, and a son who died in infancy. In 1786 Monroe retired from the Congress and began practicing law. In 1790 he was elected to the United States Senate. As a senator, Monroe strongly opposed President George Washington's administration. Nevertheless, Washington named him minister to France in 1794. Diplomatic serviceMonroe displeased Washington during his time in France. The source of the problem was a treaty that John Jay had made with the British that regulated trade between Britain and the United States. Monroe did not like the treaty and criticized it while in France. Angered by this behavior, Washington recalled Monroe in 1796. Monroe was elected governor of Virginia in 1799. In 1803 Jefferson, now the president, persuaded him to resume his diplomatic career. Jefferson sent Monroe to France to work with Robert R. Livingston in arranging for the purchase of French lands at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The French leader Napoleon surprised them by offering to sell all of the huge area from the Mississippi west to the Rocky Mountains. Monroe and Livingston quickly bought the vast territory. This deal came to be known as the Louisiana Purchase. Monroe returned to the United States in 1807. In 1811 he again was elected governor of Virginia. Later that year, however, he gave up that office to become secretary of state under President James Madison. In 1814–15 he also served as secretary of war. PresidencyMonroe was elected president in 1816. He received 183 electoral votes to 34 for Rufus King of the Federalist Party. Monroe was reelected in 1820 with only one electoral vote cast against him. Monroe's calm and prosperous administration has been called the Era of Good Feeling. Domestic affairsIn domestic policy Monroe stayed close to the Constitution. He told Congress that the Constitution did not permit the federal government to sponsor internal improvements. However, he suggested constitutional amendments and signed bills that helped build roads, canals, and bridges. Monroe had to face the difficult issue of slavery when Missouri applied for statehood in 1817. At that time the country had a balance of 11 free states and 11 slave states. The North did not want another slave state, and the South did not want a state opposed to slavery. While the country debated the slavery question, Maine requested statehood as well. In 1820 Congress agreed that Missouri should be admitted as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This settlement is known as the Missouri Compromise. Foreign policyIn foreign affairs Monroe got Britain to limit the size and number of its armed ships on the Great Lakes. In 1819 Spain agreed to turn over control of Florida to the United States. Most important of all was the proclamation of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823. This policy stated that the two American continents were no longer open to colonization by any European power. It also declared that the United States would resist any attempt by a European nation to intervene in the affairs of any country in the Western Hemisphere. The Monroe Doctrine remains a keystone of United States foreign policy. RetirementAfter his second term ended in 1825, Monroe retired to Oak Hill, Virginia. In 1826 he became a member of the governing board of the University of Virginia. Monroe later moved to New York City. He died on July 4, 1831. |