James Monroe was the fifth US president and founder of the Monroe Doctrine. He served in various government roles before becoming president and emphasized partisanship. During his presidency, five states joined the Union and Florida was acquired. The Monroe Doctrine stopped further colonization in America. Monroe worked to fortify borders and improve infrastructure. After his presidency, he settled at the University of Virginia and later moved to New York City. He died in 1831 and was buried in Richmond, Virginia. Monroe’s legacy includes adding territory and creating five new states.
As the fifth president of the United States and founder of what has come to be known as the Monroe Doctrine, James Monroe contributed greatly to the nation’s rich first-century history. Here is some information about James Monroe and what he accomplished during his lifetime.
Born on April 28, 1758, Monroe entered politics early, holding various roles in the government of Virginia. He became fast friends with Thomas Jefferson and helped serve the federal government in various capacities. During the War of 1812, James Monroe served as Secretary of War, and later was Secretary of State under President James Madison. His own presidency is marked by an era in which Monroe sought to emphasize partisanship among the nation’s political parties, which has led to his administration being often referred to as the era of good feeling.
There were a series of successes during James Monroe’s tenure as American president. A total of five states – Alabama, Illinois, Mississippi, Maine and Missouri – joined the Union during his years in office. Monroe also added a lot of territory to the United States during his time as President of the United States, most notably the acquisition of Florida. His most famous achievement is commonly referred to as the Monroe Doctrine, which essentially made it known that further colonization of European countries in America was not welcome and would be considered an act of aggression. While the impact of the declaration was primarily felt in the United States, the action was supported by England and further colonization efforts ceased.
Of the presidents up to that point, James Monroe was the leader of those seeking to fortify the country’s borders and improve the young nation’s infrastructure. Although the original plan was changed due to the financial panic of 1819, the country was a little better prepared to face invasions than in previous years. In addition, internal strife marked the last few years of the administration, fading some of the good feelings of his early days as president.
Following his tenure, James Monroe settled at the University of Virginia, where he served on the Board of Visitors until 1830. During that year, Monroe’s wife Elizabeth died, and James Monroe made the decision to move to New York City and living under the care of his daughter. It was in that city that Monroe died of heart failure and died on July 4, 1831. Originally buried in New York City, his body was taken to Richmond, Virginia in 1858 and interred in President’s Circle at Hollywood Cemetery.
While not the best known of American presidents, James Monroe has served his country well, both in terms of expansion and also in efforts to improve travel conditions and protection from invasion within the country. His legacy includes adding territory to the fledgling country, as well as creating five new states to join the Union. Although he was not always successful in the goals he set for his two terms as president, James Monroe showed grace in all situations and never gave up trying to better the nation he loved.
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