Monroe, James 1758-1831
5th President of the USA

Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, he served in the American Revolution, and was elected to the assembly of Virginia and in 1783 to Congress, where he sat for three years. As a member of the US Senate (1790-94) he opposed Washington and the Federalists; the government recalled him in 1796 from the post of Minister to France. He was Governor of Virginia (1799-1802), and in 1803 helped to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase. The next four years were spent in less successful diplomacy at London and Madrid. In 1811 he was again Governor of Virginia, from 1811 to 1817 Secretary of State, and from 1814 to 1815 also Secretary of War. In 1816 he was elected President of the USA, and in 1820 was re-elected overwhelmingly. His administration (1817-25) was a time of peaceful prosperity that became known as the 'era of good feeling'. He signed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, recognized the Spanish American republics and promulgated in a message to Congress (1823), the 'Monroe Doctrine', embodying the principle that 'the American continents ? are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European power', though existing colonies were not to be interfered with.

Bibliography: William P Cresson, James Monroe (1973)