James Monroe: 15 Facts About the Fifth President of the United States

James Monroe: 15 Facts About the Fifth President of the United States

Born in 1758 in Virginia, James Monroe served as the fifth president of the U.S. from 1817 to 1825. He was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and lawyer who also became a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. He fought under George Washington, studied law with Thomas Jefferson, and is forever remembered for his famous Monroe Doctrine. Moreover, he is the one who expanded the US territory through the acquisition of Florida from Spain. With that in mind, let’s have a look at some of the facts about this well-known fifth president of the United States.

1. Monroe enlisted in the 3rd Virginia Regiment in 1776

Harris & Ewing Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1776, James Monroe left his studies at William & Mary University in Virginia in order to enlist in the 3rd Virginia Regiment. This was during the revolutionary war where he as noted earlier, he served under George Washington. He fought in major battles in the northeast and ended up wounded at the Battle of Trenton where he carried shrapnel in his shoulder for the rest of his life.  He never returned to William & Mary but instead finished his training with Jefferson, who was the then governor of Virginia. Nevertheless, William & Mary is always proud to claim him as their former student.

2. He moved to Albemarle County, Virginia just to be near his friend and mentor, Jefferson Thomas

Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is not every day that you move to another county just to be near a friend and a mentor. Monroe did this move to be near Thomas Jefferson, his friend, and long-time mentor. In addition to his colleague, James Madison, whose home is also in Virginia. This actually means that three of the first five U.S presidents came from Central Virginia and were actually friends.

3. Monroe and his wife, had a very close relationship

Louis Semé, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

James Monroe and his wife Elizabeth Kortright, had a particularly close relationship that was quite admirable. The only other state couple who have demonstrated such a relation were Barrack and Mitchelle Obama. Monroe would always be accompanied by his wife and their two daughters Eliza and Maria on nearly all official travels including even diplomatic travels and assignments in France and Great Britain.  In fact, while at an assignment in France, the couple even went ahead to attend Napoleon the first coronation in Notre Dame Cathedral.

4. James Monroe had a strong interest in the American West and its importance in expanding the United States

Bureau of Engraving and Printing & Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

James Monroe played a significant role in the negotiation of the Louisiana Purchase for the Jefferson administration but this is not so widely known. In 1803, she was sent to France by Jefferson in order to help out Robert Livingston with the negotiations for the port of New Orleans. Robert told Monroe, “All eyes, all hopes are now fixed on you.”  At this time, he found Napoleon strapped for cash and willing to send an entirety of the Louisiana territory and hence took advantage of a deal that would end up doubling the size of the nation.

5. He used a mule to Madrid to negotiate for the Florida territory

Harris & Ewing Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Monroe’s negotiations for the Florida territory did not happen overnight. The trip was ultimately unsuccessful but fifteen years later,  he was able to see a successful acquisition of the territory. This was during his first presidential term in 1819 when he signed the Adams- Onis Treaty. He took this journey by the use of a mule from Paris t Madrid. This must have been quite a journey to say the less.

6. His first presidential term was termed ‘the Era of Good Feelings’

Museum of Lake Minnetonka, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When James Monroe assumed office, his term came to be popularly known as the ‘era of good feelings.’ During this period of national unity, the federalist party collapsed and the country got to witness a transitory one-party government. In 1820, he had no opposing candidates and was re-elected with all but one electoral vote.  This was actually the last time the U.S. saw a candidate with such an unserious opposition. He was actually the only president apart from Washington to do so.

7. Monroe was the first president to travel by way of steamboat

Museum of Lake Minnetonka, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

James Monroe came to also be widely known as the first president to ever travel by steamboat.  This occasion occurred when he was on his goodwill tour to the Southern States. On that note, he actually also took a tour to the Northern states and this made him the first president since Washington to travel so widely among the states. He was greeted with parades, very classy dinners, and grand events upon his arrival. In fact, Charleston, South Carolina barbequed an ox to honour his visit.  

8. He held more elected public offices than any president before and after him

After Clyde O. DeLand, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

By the time Monroe’s term was coming to an end, he had already served his country for 50 years by holding more elected offices compared to other presidents before and after him. He actually even held two offices in James Madison’s (fourth president of the U.S.) presidential cabinet at the same time. The positions were Secretary of State and the Secretary of War. He was the only person in history to have held two cabinet positions all at once.

9. One of Monroe’s presidential portraits was painted by Samuel Morse, the inventor of the Morse Code

Samuel Finley Breese Morse, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

One of the famous Monroe’s presidential portraits was painted by the famous Samuel Morse. This was the person who invented the Morse code, an invention that proved to come in handy, especially in the spy business. Anyway, before Morse invented the code, he was an established artist and that’s how he came to paint the portraits that were good enough to be hung in the white house. Fun fact: He also painted John Adams in the former president’s old age.

10. Monrovia, Liberia was established during Monroe’s administration

blk24ga, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Monrovia, Liberia was a capital established by the American Colonization Society during Monroe’s administration. It was founded in 1821 as a destination for freed slaves, most of whom were generations removed from their African ancestors. It came to be the only foreign capital in the world t be named after a U.S president.

11. The Monroe Doctrine came to be recognized 30 years later

Bureau of Engraving and Printing & Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The foreign policy that has Monroe’s name, came to be known and recognized as ‘The Monroe Doctrine‘ 30 years after it was delivered. During his annual message to Congress in 1823, Monroe warned Europe and basically the rest of the world, to stay out of the Americas (North and South America) for the purposes of acquisition, or else the U.S. would intervene. This came to later be known as the Monroe Doctrine and it constitutes a firm statement of early U.S. foreign policy.

12. James Monroe was very old-fashioned in choosing his clothing

Popular Graphic Arts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Monroe was actually very old-fashioned in his fashion choice. When it came to choosing his attire, he was quite traditional. In fact, he was the last president in his era to dress in the revolutionary war era fashion. By that time it was considered outdated and hence earned the nickname, ‘The Last Cocked Hat.’  It used to be quite conspicuous at the time that in 1825,  during Monroe’s last New Year’s Day, one guest who met him wrote,

“He is tall and well formed. His dress plain and in the old style, small clothes, silk hose, knee-buckles, and pumps fastened with buckles. His manner was quiet and dignified…”

13. He was  considered the last of the founding fathers after his death

Gilbert Stuart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Coincidentally, Monroe died on July 4th, 1831, on Independence Day.  What’s even weirder, Jefferson and Adams died on the same day five years earlier. After his death, he was considered the last of the founding fathers, and on the 100th anniversary of his birth, his body was moved from New York and his body was laid to rest at Hollywood Cemetry in Richmond.

14. James Monroe didn’t have a close relationship with George Washington

Gilbert Stuart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

As much as Monroe served under Washinton for a while and even his political career started there, the two men weren’t really close. They had a fallout after Washinton sent Monroe to France as an ambassador yet he was his former lieutenant. Later on, George Washington fired Monroe because he criticized the Jay Treaty. For that reason also, Monroe didn’t see eye to eye with Alexander Hamilton, the designer of this treaty.

15. Monroe had help writing the Monroe Doctrine

USCapitol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The doctrine has come to be associated with Monroe as he was the brain behind it. However, he did have some help with it. John Quincy Adams was a major driving force behind the doctrine and Monroe got to introduce the doctrine with his annual message to Congress in 1823. As noted earlier, the doctrine was majorly focused on protecting America’s soil.

James Monroe managed to go down in history as a benevolent leader and that is why his term is remembered as one of the good ones.