“Our country may be likened to a new house. We lack many things, but we possess the most precious of all - liberty!” - James Monroe. James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on April 28, 1758. His family came from a Scottish background and were farmers (biography.com). James was the oldest out of seven children. His life took an unexpected turn whenever his father died. Instead of taking over the estate, Monroe went to Virginia’s College of William and Mary. He only stayed for a few months before he dropped out to join the American Revolution (biography.com). He was wounded severely during the Battle of Trenton. He shot in the shoulder and the wound was almost fatal. Whenever he recovered, he was promoted to captain (britannica.com). …show more content…
The two became quite close during the war (biography.com). He soon joined the Continental Congress and met Elizabeth Kortright in New York. He courted her and married her in 1786. The young couple moved back to Virginia and Monroe became involved in an Anti-Federalist group (biography.com). In 1792, Monroe, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic-Republican party (history.com). For a short time, Washington appointed Monroe to Minister to France. Until, Some controversy stirred up over Jay’s treaty. Washington released James of his office and he went back to politics in Virginia (history.com). Later, he helped Jefferson with the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson appointed Monroe to minister of Great Britain. Sadly, the two men had a disagreement about a treaty. Monroe had a fallout with Jefferson and Madison. Still upset about the rough treatment, Monroe ran against Madison for President in 1808. He lost, but was asked to become secretary of state (history.com). All of the hard feelings were gone and the three men became colleagues again. During the War of 1812, Monroe assisted Madison and was promoted to secretary of war. The previous owner, John Armstrong, resigned because of the burning of Washington D.C. …show more content…
The U.S. economy was suffering. Monroe started to exert the foreign policy. Future president John Quincy Adams was Monroe’s secretary of state at the time. Adams helped him immensely with the Monroe Doctrine (history.com). It was published on December 2, 1823. The Monroe Doctrine stated that the Americas had to be free from any European colonization. Also, that any interference with independent countries in the Americas would be considered a hostile act towards the United States of America (biography.com). Monroe continued to expand the United States westward across the continent. Five states entered the Union while Monroe was president. The states were Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, Maine, and Missouri (history.com). James was also president during the Missouri Compromise. This happened when they added both Maine and Missouri as a state. The government and people did not want to upset the balance between the free states and the slave states. So, while they added Missouri as a slave state, they also added Maine as a free state
Monroe’s father, Spence Monroe, was of Scottish descent, and his mother, Elizabeth Jones Monroe, of Welsh descent. The family were owners of a modest 600 acres (240 hectares) in Virginia. At age 16 Monroe entered the College of William and Mary but in 1776 left to fight in the American Revolution. As a lieutenant he crossed the Delaware with General George Washington for what became the Battle of Trenton.
Jefferson’s best friend and closest ally, James Madison, was appointed Secretary of State. Madison supervised the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson and Madison were very similar in both their political and private lives. Albert Gallatin was named Secretary of Treasury and vowed to decrease the debt that had been incurred by the Federalists. He did this by decreasing money spent by the armed services and reduced the size of the government.
Randolph served in this position till 1794. In 1794, Randolph succeeded Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State. He was only in this position for a year because of being wrongly accused of selling U.S. government secrets to France. In 1795, Edmund Randolph resigned from secretary of state and politics. He returned to his life in Virginia as lawyer and away from the public eye.
His most famous piece of legislature, the Monroe Doctrine, came at a time when Eurasia was in a state of turmoil. In 1821, the Russian Tzar, Alexander I, declared that any territory above the 51st parallel would belong solely to Russia. This was an enormous threat for the sovereignty of the young United States since Russia colonized and governed Alaska since 1784 and had begun expanding southward toward the Oregon territory. Moreover, the Tzar banned any foreign ships from coming closer than 115 miles off the coast of the “Russian America”. and claimed a monopoly on fur hunting, fishing, and all trading in that region.
Monroe achieved in preserving and furthering the liberty Americans strived for, as well as expanding the size of the U.S. By signing the Florida Purchase Treaty, Monroe managed to gain Spanish Florida as well as setting a larger border by signing the Treaty of 1818. In addition to broadening America’s border’s, James’s legendary Monroe Doctrine boosted America’s freedom and stature to a great extent. The Monroe Doctrine made a great change to America’s foreign policy - it declared an end to European nations colonizing or interfering with states in North or South
Then, he tied against Aaron Burr, so the House of Representatives had voted Jefferson into office. They created a 12th amendment changing the way of electing a president to avoid this problem from occurring again. Thomas was a delegate of the Second Continental Congress, and became the first secretary of state, although he never fought in the American Revolution because he was in France. He was also asked
However, Monroe wanted to protect the newly independent Spanish colonies. Any act of colonization in the Americas by a european power would be seen as an act of aggression for the United States but it was not an official law. The Monroe Doctrine was good because it made sure America did not get controlled by other countries. Florida was an enslaved state who was controlled by Spain and by controlling Florida they were free and because of that slaves were going to Florida because they had a free state.
He soon became a delegate to the first and second Continental Congress where he led the movement for independence. During the revolutionary war, he served diplomatic roles in France and Holland and helped the treaty of peace. In 1785 to 1788, he was the minister of the court of St. James. He returned to be elected Vice President under George Washington.
James Knox Polk was born November 2, 1795, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Polk was most known for successfully defeating the Mexicans in the Mexican War. Polk was also the 11th president of the United States. When Polk was young, he lived in North Carolina with his father, Samuel Polk, and his mother, Jane Polk. James was the oldest of his nine siblings.
Jefferson had 50 years of service towaards the new country of the United States. Some of jeffersons accomplhiments other then the expansion of the country and being presiden were: Govenor of Virginia, Founded university of Virginia, wrote declaration of independance, contributed to the louisana purchase, and many other notable things to the
On April 28th, 1758 in Westmoreland County, the fifth president of the United States, James Monroe, was born. Monroe had a mother and a father, Spence and Elizabeth Monroe. Spence was an affluent planter who also practiced carpentry as a hobby. Both of his parents married in 1752 and they had several children. His parents died when he was a teenager, leaving him part of the family farm.
They used their power in the Senate to prevent statehood from Maine which was trying to disjoint from Massachusetts. After years of debate, Henry Clay composed political agreements called the Missouri Compromise set to admit Maine (separating from Massachusetts) as a Free State in 1820 and Missouri as a Slave State in 1821. Also in the agreement accepted that slavery would be banned in future admissions to the Union above the Missouri Compromise line (N of latitude 36 30’) except Missouri. This compromise maintained a balance in the Senate between the North and South.
JAMES MONROE Biographical Information Date and Place of Birth: April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia Family: Father Spence Monroe, Mother Elizabeth Jones Monroe, Married to Elizabeth Monroe, 3 Children Education: Campbelltown Academy, College of William & Mary Early Career: Soldier in the 3rd Virgina Regiment in the Continental Army Previous Political Offices Held: Member of the Continental Congress, United States Senator, minister to France, minister to England, governor of Virginia, Secretary of State, Secretary of War Interesting Facts: He was the first president to travel by steamboat, the United States issued a postage stamp in his honor in 1954, he died on the same day as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams five years later Date
At the beginning of his presidency, Monroe signed the Treaty of 1818 with Britain to establish the boundary between Canada and the United States at the 49th parallel. Without the Treaty of 1818, the United State’s relationship with Britain wouldn’t be as
The Monroe Doctrine was the Idea of the fifth president Of the United states James Monroe. It was passed on December 2, 1823, in the 7th annual message to congress. The policy was designed to show the separation of the New World from Europe. The Monroe doctrine stated that the Western Hemisphere could no longer be colonized by European countries and they were independent. It also stated that the United States will not interfere in any business of the Europeans or its European colonies.