research paper
xxx11111
JamesMonroeFinalDraft.docxShrestha 9
Adit Shrestha
Professor Braden
HIST-1301-71003
10-15-2017
James Monroe
James Monroe (April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831) was the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. Served the office as the last president among the Founding Fathers and from the Virginian dynasty, Monroe preserved his identity as one of the patient, honest and well-executing manager throughout his tenure; making his two-term administration being called as the ‘Era of Good Feelings.' Serving in various roles in the United States government he was also a war hero with tales to tell.
Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia Monroe was one of the five children of Spence Monroe and Elizabeth Jones. His father, Spence Monroe, was a prosperous planter and carpenter while his mother belonged to wealthy Welsh immigrant family[footnoteRef:1]. But after the demise of his parent his maternal uncle Joseph Jones became his surrogate father. Jones enrolled him in College of William and Mary in Williamsburg and also introduced Monroe to Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and George Washington. This indulgence led him toward the access of politics directing him to attend the highest office in the United States. [1: Walid Kefali, American and British Civilizations Teacher at khenchela university Follow, "(Milestones in american_history)_edward_j.__jr._renehan-the_monroe_do...," LinkedIn SlideShare, July 24, 2015, , accessed October 15, 2017, https://www.slideshare.net/WalidKefali1/milestones-in-americanhistoryedwardjjrrenehanthemonroedoctrinethecornerstoneofamer. ]
Monroe was a teen revolutionary; only after a year and a half of his enrollment, Monroe dropped of college and joined 3rd Virginia Regiment in the Continental Army. James was ranked as lieutenant under Captain William Washington. After completion of his training, Monroe was called to the north in New York and New Jersey campaign. From there, under the command of Washington, Monroe was led across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. The young Monroe suffered a severed artery and almost had a near death incident at the surprise attack on a Hessian encampment. Monroe was ranked as captain for his bravery in the battle. After his wounds healed, Monroe recruited his own company of soldiers returning to Virginia. Monroe fought in Brandywine and Germantown battle, served the army in hash winter of Valley Forge. He also led a scouting party for General Washington at the battle of Monmouth, New Jersey. Then in 1778, Monroe resigned from his position in the army and returned to Williamsburg.
In Williamsburg, Monroe studied law under Thomas Jefferson, the then governor of Virginia. This tutorage began a deep personal and professional relationship with the later. In 1782 he joined his first public office after getting elected in the Virginia state assembly. After which in 1783 he served in Continental Congress till 1786. During his tenure at Congress, then meeting in New York, Monroe met Elizabeth Kortright – daughter of a wealthy New York merchant. In 1786 he courted Elizabeth and moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia retiring from the Congress.
After the retirement, Monroe began practicing law but could not leave politics. First in the state assembly and then in the state convention in 1787[footnoteRef:2]. Monroe joined the anti-Federalists opposing ratification of the new constitution because it lacked a bill of right. But, after Virginia narrowly ratifying the Constitution he began supporting the Constitution paving the way for a new government. [2: CARLA HALL | TIMES STAFF WRITER, "Sidney Williams' Unusual Route to Ambassador Post : Appointments: His nomination has drawn some critics. But his biggest boost may come from his wife, Rep. Maxine Waters.," Los Angeles Times, February 06, 1994, , accessed October 15, 2017, http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-06/local/me-19843_1_sidney-williams. ]
In 1790, Monroe ran for the Congress. He ran against James Madison. The election did not go quite in his favor. He lost the election by 332 votes. But continuingly he got elected to the US Senate after the demise of Senator William Grayson, Monroe served the remainder of Grayson’s term. During his time in the U.S. Senate, he strenuously opposed the Federalist-controlled government of President George Washington[footnoteRef:3]. The era of U.S. politics began polarizing. The then Secretary of State Jefferson and Secretary of the Treasury Hamilton of Federalist started diverging the politics. Monroe supported Jefferson in opposing Hamilton’s stable central government and high executive. But as French Revolutionary Wars began dominating U.S. foreign policy during the 1790s as both British and French raids threatened U.S. trade with Europe, the country still parted into two fractures as a supporter of Jefferson and Hamilton supported two sides of the war. Defenders of Jefferson, including Monroe, supported the French revolution while Hamilton’s supporters sympathize Britain. Never the less, in 1794 President George Washington appointed Monroe as U.S. minister to France. [3: "Biography of OU President David L. Boren," President Boren, , accessed October 15, 2017, http://www.ou.edu/web/about_ou/borenbio.html. ]
In France, Monroe achieved several early diplomatic successes. He addressed National Convention where he received standing applause for this speech celebrating republicanism. He succeeded in making diplomatic protection of U.S. trade from French attacks. But the Federalists were aggravated by Monroe’s sympathies toward the French. They believed that Monroe was not representing the government accurately. Then in late 1796 Washington recalled Monroe. Monroe returned to the United States and published a defense of his support of France and criticizing Washington and his administration. Monroe resumed his career as a lawyer yet pursued politics.
Virginians still had confidence in Monroe; they elected him as Virginia’s governor in 1799. He served the post until 1802 working to clean Virginia’s rivers, improving the state school system, and erected state capital buildings. He also called out the state militia to suppress Gabriel’s Rebellion, a slave rebellion, executing Gabriel and 27 other for treason. Monroe rallied and continuingly supported Jefferson for the presidential electoral run of 1800. Jefferson successfully became the president of the United States, and Monroe emerges as one of Jefferson’s likely successor.
In 1803 President Jefferson successfully convinced Monroe to resume his diplomatic career. Monroe was sent to France where he assisted Ambassador Robert R. Livingston. There they successfully negotiated the Louisiana Purchase. Initially set out to acquire West Florida and the city of New Orleans even at the cost of war with French, but when French foreign minister offered to give out entire Louisiana for $15 million Monroe and Livingston agreed to it; the purchase became known as the Louisiana Purchase. Although only being allowed $9 million for the purchase of New Orleans and West Florida President Jefferson strongly supported Monroe’s action. This purchase of Monroe doubled the territory of the United States.
Upon completion of his duties in France, Monroe was appointed as the U.S. minister to Great Britain. Set out with the primary objective to convince the British to cease their attacks on U.S. ships and stop forcing U.S. sailors into service in the British Navy. Monroe found little success as Jefferson was in the wrong term with the British minister to the United States. Jefferson also offered Monroe to attend the office of Louisiana’s governor, but Monroe rejected this offer and continued his diplomatic career as minister to Great Britain.
With little success in allying with the Great Britain, Monroe returns to Virginia in 1807 where he received a warm reception. While many approached Monroe to run for the 1808 presidential election. But Monroe refused actively campaign for the presidency as Jefferson allegedly supported Madison over him. Madison became the fourth president of the United States of America[footnoteRef:4]. Monroe got elected to the Virginia legislature in 1810 and again became the governor a year later, but in the November of that year, he resigned from his post to join Madison’s cabinet as secretary of state. As secretary of state Monroe confronted the crisis with Great Britain. Great Britain still was attacking U.S. ships and captivating U.S. sailors. Madison and Monroe were left with only the option of war against the Great Britain. In 1812 Congress declared war against Great Britain, giving the name ‘War of 1812’. The battle continued till 1814 during which Monroe also served the office as secretary of war in addition to secretary of state. [4: Melissa Romero, "James and Dolley Madison House Lists for $3.2M," Curbed Philly, May 09, 2016, , accessed October 15, 2017, https://philly.curbed.com/2016/5/9/11638828/james-dolley-madison-house-for-sale. ]
After one term of Madison, Monroe got elected as the President of the United States in 1816 as the Democratic-Republican candidate. Monroe defeated his counterpart from Federalist party, Rufus King, by the considerable margin. Monroe won in 183 out of 217 electoral, winning in every state but Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Delaware. This election of 1816 fractured Federalist party as Monroe won with over 80 percent of the electoral vote and became the last president during the First Party System era of American politics. As a president, Monroe determinately worked out to ease the partisan tensions which led him to tour the country. This action of his was well received among the civilians. He reduced the political pressure and brought out the sense of “oneness” that spread across the nation. To gain the national trust, he went on a long tour. During his tour in Boston in 1817, a newspaper recognized his endeavor marking it as the beginning of “Era of Good Feelings”. Federalist Party began losing its grasp on the national politics with only remains of its influence in Delaware and few localities. This pressed out a relieve valve in Democratic-Republican Party as it lacked determined opposition.
In February 1819, the House of Representatives had presented a bill to admit Missouri Territory in the Union. During the proceedings, Congressman James Tallmadge Jr. of New York offered the Tallmadge Amendment, which prohibited the introduction of slaves into Missouri. The debate lasted for three days, but the House of Senate rejected the amendment. On January 26, 1820, a bill was passed allowing Missouri into the union as a slave state and conceding Maine as a free state into the Union. Following in December Alabama, a slave state, got admission into the Union which equalized the number of open states and slave states in Union. These numbers began raising series of complicated question about the Union and its policy regarding slaves. So, the House of Senate passed an amendment which excluded slavery from Louisiana Territory except with the cutoff points of the proposed state of Missouri. This passed legislation became to be known as the Missouri Compromise. This compromise did reduce the tension among the states. Monroe with an intention to solve out the slavery crisis proposed his plan. He offered to return slaves to Africa which led to the founding of Monrovia, Liberia – the only foreign capital to be named after U.S. president. But his act to abolish slavery the United Stated only did very less[footnoteRef:5]. [5: "James Monroe and Slavery," Presidential History Geeks, , accessed October 15, 2017, https://potus-geeks.livejournal.com/149459.html. ]
Monroe during his tenure formed a greater alliance with its other counterparts. The Rush-Bagot Treaty with Great Britain, signed in 1817, regulated naval armaments on the Great Lake and Lake Champlain and also demilitarized the border between the United States and British North America. Another treaty with Great Britain in 1818 fixed the present Canada – United States border from Minnesota to the Rocky Mountains in the 49th parallel. Similarly, the Russo – American Treaty of 1824 set the southern limit of Russian sovereignty on the Pacific coast of North America. His diplomacy and diligence brought the greater sense of peace in the U.S. as the nation had fewer enemies to look after.
While trying to solve the slavery crisis and ease out the international political tension, Monroe faced a border crisis in Florida. The territory was still owned by Spain, but the Spanish did a very less to control. By 1818 border incursions were common. The Spanish government with only a minor military presence in Florida could not restrain Seminole warriors. Seminole Indians were raiding white settlements. In response, Monroe sent troops to the region under the command of General Andrew Jackson. Jackson and his forces defeated numerous Seminoles and also seized the Spanish territorial capital of Pensacola. With the capture of Pensacola, the Union established the control over the entire territory. This undeclared war against Seminoles turned out to work against the Spanish and Monroe faced criticism from his fellow congressmen. The United States began negotiations with the Spain, and on February 22, 1819, the Spain and the United States signed the Adams-Onis Treaty which brought back the Florida to the United States.
Monroe made his lasting contribution to U.S. foreign policy with a statement to Congress in 1823. The announcement came in response to the threat that European powers would help Spain reclaim its recently lost colonies in North and South America. Monroe made four essential points in which he claimed: The United States would not interfere in the political affairs of Europe; the United States recognized and would not interfere with existing colonies in Latin America; the Western Hemisphere was closed to future colonization, and any country in the Americas would be considered a hostile act against the United States. This doctrine was one of the leading document in the American history, and the following president followed the path began by Monroe.
Work Citation
Walid Kefali, American and British Civilizations Teacher at khenchela university Follow. "(Milestones in american_history)_edward_j.__jr._renehan-the_monroe_do..." LinkedIn SlideShare. July 24, 2015. Accessed October 15, 2017. https://www.slideshare.net/WalidKefali1/milestones-in-americanhistoryedwardjjrrenehanthemonroedoctrinethecornerstoneofamer.
CARLA HALL | TIMES STAFF WRITER. "Sidney Williams' Unusual Route to Ambassador Post : Appointments: His nomination has drawn some critics. But his biggest boost may come from his wife, Rep. Maxine Waters." Los Angeles Times. February 06, 1994. Accessed October 15, 2017. http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-06/local/me-19843_1_sidney-williams.
"Biography of OU President David L. Boren." President Boren. Accessed October 15, 2017. http://www.ou.edu/web/about_ou/borenbio.html.
Romero, Melissa. "James and Dolley Madison House Lists for $3.2M." Curbed Philly. May 09, 2016. Accessed October 15, 2017. https://philly.curbed.com/2016/5/9/11638828/james-dolley-madison-house-for-sale.
"James Monroe and Slavery." Presidential History Geeks. Accessed October 15, 2017. https://potus-geeks.livejournal.com/149459.html.
