James Monroe

author

James Monroe

1758–1831

A Revolutionary War veteran who became the fifth president of the United States, he is best remembered for shaping early American foreign policy with what became known as the Monroe Doctrine. His long public career also included service as governor of Virginia, secretary of state, and secretary of war.

1 Audiobook

State of the Union Addresses

State of the Union Addresses

by James Monroe

About the author

Born in Virginia in 1758, James Monroe left college to join the American Revolution and was wounded at the Battle of Trenton. After the war he studied law under Thomas Jefferson, beginning a political life that would carry him through some of the most important moments of the early republic.

Monroe served as a diplomat, senator, governor of Virginia, secretary of state, and secretary of war before becoming president in 1817. His presidency is often linked with the so-called "Era of Good Feelings," but it also brought major challenges and lasting decisions, including the Missouri Compromise, the Adams-Onís Treaty that added Florida to the United States, and the 1823 statement later called the Monroe Doctrine.

After two terms in office, he retired to Virginia and later spent time in New York, where he died in 1831. Though sometimes overshadowed by other founders, Monroe played a central role in defining the young nation’s place at home and abroad.