James Monroe

James Monroe (April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831) was the fifth President of the United States. Many cities have been named Monroe.

Early life
Monroe was born in Virginia. His father died at age 16. At age 18, he joined the Continental Army. He later studied law with Thomas Jefferson.

He married Elizabeth Kotright in 1789.

Political life
Monroe was an anti-federalist; he did not want the United States Constitution to pass. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1790. He helped form the Democratic-Republican Party with Jefferson and James Madison.

Monroe was Governor of Virginia from 1799 - 1802.

Monroe went to Paris to help negotiate the Louisiana Purchase, and later became Ambassador to Great Britain.

Monroe was Madison's Secretary of State and Secretary of War.

Presidency
Monroe was president from 1817 to 1825. With his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Monroe got Spain to give the United States Florida. Monroe and Adams also created the Monroe Doctrine, which was a policy that said that the United States did not want Europe to be involved in the Western Hemisphere anymore.

Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise. The compromise was to delay the slavery issue in the United States. Monroe was the last president to have fought in the American Revolutionary War and the last one to be a founding father of the United States.

Post-presidency
Monroe retired to Virginia. After his wife's death he moved to New York where he died on July 4, 1831 of tuberculosis.

Other websites

 * James Monroe's White House biography