President James Monroe

James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States from 1817 to 1825. James Monroe was born on 28 April 1758 in Virginia but his parents died when he was a teenager, leaving him part of the family farm. In 1774 he went to College to study but he became interested in politics and even befriended fellow students who were supporting the spirit of the revolution.

He left College to join the Third Virginia Regiment in 1776. Due to his commitment and leadership attributes it did not take him long to be promoted to lieutenant. He was actively serving with the result that he was even seriously wounded during a skirmish. His leadership qualities did not go unnoticed and he was promoted to the rank of colonel.

His ambition was to be a Field Commander but he was not able to obtain such a position and disillusioned, he left the Regiment and returned to Virginia to study law. He enrolled in 1780 and he was privileged to study under Thomas Jefferson. They became lifelong friends and Thomas Jefferson was also his mentor and had a major role in James Monroe’s intellectual and political development.

The result was that in 1782 he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. His abilities, commitment and dedication ensured that his political road to the top was open and in 1783 he was elected to the Confederation Congress until 1786. In 1790, he was appointed to the U.S. Senate. As a member of the Senate, he allied himself with Madison and Thomas Jefferson, his close personal friends, against the Federalist faction.

In 1816, he was elected President, and re-elected in 1820. He began his administration with a goodwill tour, and this actually started the Monroe "Era of Good Feelings." It was called this because after the turmoil preceding his election, the country went into a peaceful and relative quiet period of political stability and tolerance. It was a transitional period in which the nation's democratic institutions and capitalist economy were taking form. National identity was growing which was evident by the westward movement and the construction of roads and canals. People everywhere started to see themselves as Americans. Roads were built to tie together the nation's commerce. They were considered a national priority and were often funded by Congress, whose members understood that an improved flow of commerce in any section of the country would also benefit their own constituencies. Political debates even became mature and constructive between political rivals. 

James Monroe consistently and successfully pursued a policy that served both to protect the United States from European interference and to foster unhampered growth of the nation and its economy. This gave rise to the well-known Monroe Doctrine. The doctrine was based on the principle that the United States would not tolerate new colonies in the western hemisphere or interference by outside powers in the internal affairs of nations in the western hemisphere. According to him it was constitutionally illegal to involve the country in the affairs of other nations, especially militarily.

James Monroe was a man of good intelligence, sound judgment, and highest integrity. In more than 40 years of public service, he never deviated from his believes and efforts in doing what he considered his public duty.