James Monroe: Last of the Founding Fathers

James Monroe was an American statesman, diplomat, and military officer who served as the fifth President of the United States from 1817 to 1825. He was the last of the Founding Fathers to serve as president, and his two terms coincided with the “Era of Good Feelings,” a period of relative national unity following the collapse of the Federalist Party. Monroe’s most enduring legacy is the Monroe Doctrine, a declaration that shaped U.S. foreign policy for nearly two centuries.

Key Biographical Information

Detail	Information
Full Name	James Monroe
Born	April 28, 1758, Westmoreland County, Virginia, U.S.
Died	July 4, 1831 (aged 73), New York City, U.S.
Political Party	Democratic-Republican Party
Presidential Term	March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1825
Previous Roles	U.S. Senator; Governor of Virginia (multiple terms); Minister to France, Britain, and Spain; Secretary of State; Secretary of War
Significance	Last Founding Father President; Author of the Monroe Doctrine; President during the Era of Good Feelings

Revolutionary War Service and Early Politics

Revolutionary War: At the age of 18, Monroe left the College of William & Mary to join the Continental Army and fought under General George Washington. He was severely wounded at the Battle of Trenton in 1776, an event that earned him distinction and military rank.
Mentor Thomas Jefferson: After resigning his commission, he studied law under then-Governor of Virginia Thomas Jefferson, forging a lifelong personal and political alliance.
Constitutional Debate: As a delegate to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, Monroe was an Anti-Federalist, opposing the ratification of the U.S. Constitution because it lacked a Bill of Rights. He later strongly supported the resulting amendments.
Diplomat and Minister: He served in the U.S. Senate before accepting key diplomatic posts. As Minister to France, he was instrumental, alongside Robert Livingston, in negotiating the pivotal Louisiana Purchase in 1803, nearly doubling the size of the United States.

Road to the Presidency

Madison’s Cabinet: Following a brief rivalry, Monroe reconciled with James Madison. He served as Madison’s Secretary of State (1811–1817) and, during the difficult final stages of the War of 1812, he also served simultaneously as Secretary of War, demonstrating his dedication and administrative competence.

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Election of 1816: With the Federalist Party in decline, Monroe easily won the 1816 election and was re-elected in 1820 with all but one electoral vote—the closest any president has come to a unanimous electoral victory since Washington.

The Monroe Presidency (1817–1825)

Monroe’s administration is known for fostering a strong sense of national identity and asserting U.S. power on the continent.

Domestic Policy: Uniting the Nation

Era of Good Feelings: This term was coined during Monroe’s presidency and reflected a period of intense nationalism and the virtual non-existence of political opposition at the national level. Monroe actively sought to unite the nation, undertaking extensive goodwill tours.
Missouri Compromise (1820): The facade of unity was shattered by the crisis over slavery when Missouri applied for statehood. The compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while prohibiting slavery in the remainder of the Louisiana Purchase territory north of the $36^\circ 30'$ parallel. This marked the first major sectional crisis over slavery.
Panic of 1819: The nation was struck by a severe economic depression, the first major financial crisis in U.S. history, leading to bank failures and high unemployment.

Foreign Policy: Expanding Borders

Adams–Onís Treaty (1819): Through the skillful negotiation of Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, the U.S. acquired Florida from Spain and settled the western boundary of the Louisiana Purchase, extending the U.S. border all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Rush-Bagot Treaty (1817): Established the demilitarization of the Great Lakes and significantly improved relations with Great Britain.

The Monroe Doctrine (1823)

Monroe’s most celebrated policy was delivered during his annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823, in which he asserted two fundamental principles:

Non-Colonization: The American continents were henceforth closed to future colonization by any European powers.
Non-Intervention: The U.S. would not interfere in the internal affairs of European nations, and in turn, European nations were warned against interfering with the newly independent republics of the Western Hemisphere.

The doctrine became a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere, establishing a distinct sphere of influence for the United States.

Legacy and Liberia

Virginia Dynasty: Monroe was the last of the four Virginian presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe) who held office for the nation’s first 32 years.
Liberia Connection: Monroe was a member of the American Colonization Society. In recognition of his support for the colonization of freed slaves in Africa, the capital city of the Republic of Liberia was named Monrovia in his honor.