author
James Monroe
1758–1831
A soldier of the Revolution and a key figure in the early republic, he became the fifth president of the United States and gave his name to the Monroe Doctrine. His life bridges the fight for independence and the young nation’s first big steps onto the world stage.
1 Audiobook
State of the Union Addresses
by James Monroe
About the author
Born in Virginia in 1758, James Monroe left the College of William & Mary to join the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He was wounded at the Battle of Trenton, and that early military service helped shape his reputation as one of the generation of leaders who carried the new nation from revolution into government.
Monroe went on to a long public career that included service as a governor of Virginia, a diplomat, a U.S. senator, and secretary of state. From 1817 to 1825, he served as the fifth president of the United States, a period often linked with the so-called Era of Good Feelings.
He is especially remembered for the Monroe Doctrine, announced in 1823, which warned European powers against further interference in the Western Hemisphere. As the last U.S. president who was also a Founding Father, Monroe remains an important figure in the story of the early United States.