James Monroe

James Monroe was an American politician, revolutionary, and the fifth President of the United States of America. He was also one of the founding fathers of his country. Serving from 1817 to 1825, he was the last president of the Virginia dynasty and played an instrumental role in ushering what is regarded as the ‘Era of Good Feelings’. A native of the Colony of Virginia, Monroe grew up in a planter family, When the American Revolution War broke out in 1775, he dropped out of college to serve in the Continental Army. After the war ended, Monroe studied law under Thomas Jefferson for three years and then was instated as a delegate in the Continental Congress. A staunch anti-federalist, Monroe actively resisted the ratification of the United States Constitution. In 1790, he became a senator in the first United States Congress and subsequently joined the Democratic-Republicans. He served as the Governor of Virginia and later as the ambassador to France, garnering valuable experience as a statesman, administrator, and a diplomat. During the War of 1812, Monroe worked in the Madison administration as the Secretary of State and the Secretary of War. He was elected the President a year after the war ended in 1816, without any opposition from a fractured Federalist Party. He was a well-loved president during his tenure and has been assessed as an above average president by most historians. His presidency saw the conclusion of the first period of American presidential history before the Jacksonian democracy and the Second Party System era started. As with most of the founding fathers, Monroe kept slaves in his plantation. In later life, he encountered financial problems and had to sell a significant portion of his properties to pay off his debt. He passed away in 1831 in New York at 73 years of age.