James Monroe

Born on April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the famous James Monroe accomplished many great things in his life. He crossed the Delaware with George Washington and studied under Thomas Jefferson. He was the 5^th President and the last Founding Father.

Born to Spence Monroe and Elizabeth Jones Monroe in Westmoreland County, Virginia in 1758, James was the last President in the “Virginia Dynasty” (which was named so because 4 out of the first 5 Presidents were born in Virginia.) Spence was a Scottish planter and carpenter, and Elizabeth a well-educated woman for their time, but nevertheless a housewife. She tutored James at home for a while, then in 1769 to 1774 he went to Campbelltown Academy.

After his father’s death in 1774, James enrolled at Virginia’s College of William and Mary, intending to study law, but dropped out a few months in to fight in the American Revolution. He joined the Continental Army, became an officer in 1776, and fought under George Washington in the Battle of Trenton, where he was severely injured.

After the war, James studied law with Thomas Jefferson. In 1782, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, and from 1783 to 1786 he was a member of the Continental Congress, who were then meeting in New York. While there, he met Elizabeth Kortright. They married on February 16^th, 1786.

He left to practice law, and eventually became a Senator, from 1790 to 1794. Afterwards, he was sent to France as a minister until Washington summoned him back to the States. He was elected governor of Virginia, 1799-1801, and again in 1811. He negotiated the Louisiana purchase in 1803. James Monroe accomplished many things in his career before 1816.

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were both backing James Monroe up in the Presidential election of 1816. Rufus King was the other candidate, from the federalist party, who had very little support. Monroe won, with 183 out of 217 votes cast.

He was re-elected in 1820, although he had no opponent, so there really was no campaign. He received all the votes, except one cast by William Plumber for John Quincy Adams.

The time during Monroe’s Presidency was called “The Era of Good Feelings.” The federalist party played hardly any part in either election, so no partisan politics really existed.

While in office, Monroe had to deal with many things, such as our countries first depression. At the time called a Panic, it began in 1819 and lasted until 1821. Monroe made moves to try and ease this Panic.

The two biggest developments that happened during his Presidency were The Missouri Compromise and the Monroe Doctrine. The Missouri Compromise was issued in 1820, and it stated that Missouri was a slave state, and that Maine was a free state. It also states that the rest of the Louisiana Purchase above Lat. 36 degrees and 30 minutes was free territory. The Monroe Doctrine was issued in 1823,which stated that America would from then on be freed from all foreign interference in the countries affairs. Europeans weren’t allowed to colonize anywhere in the new world, and any other interference would be considered a hostile act upon the States.

After his Presidency, Monroe retired to Oak Hill, Virginia. When his wife died, he moved to New York City. He died on July 4^th, 1831.

The War of 1812

The war of 1812 was America’s first war as a nation. They fought hard in many battles, and although they war ended in a “status quo antebellum” (state existing before war) , meaning that all territory won in battles was given back and it was as if the war didn’t happen, America still considered it a victory because it showed Britain that they were serious and could stand their ground.

This war decided how much pull America would have in foreign affairs and trade. President Jefferson wanted to find a way to keep shipping goods to foreign countries, but not be involved in foreign wars. As Britain and France were at war with eachother, neither wanted American ships to bring goods to the other country, and both sides would stop American cargo ships to search them. These encounters could get violent, so in 1807 Jefferson issued the Embargo Act, restricting American goods to America only. Goods weren’t to be sent to any foreign country at all. This was done in an effort to make Britain and France realize that they needed American shipments and that they couldn’t just seize cargo ships and attack sailors.

The plan backfired. America lost money, and goods rotted in ships on the docks. Before Jefferson left the office, he signed a bill that canceled the Embargo Act. James Madison, Jefferson’s successor in Presidency, tried to continue shipments to Britain and France without being involved in the war, but the encounters on the ships became more and more violent, and the American people got angrier and angrier. Something had to be done.

War Hawks were those in favor of engaging in the war. The War Hawks were the new, younger generation of America, wanting to fight for their freedom like their forefathers did in the Revolutionary War. This group was led by people such as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, who persuaded Madison to ask Congress for a Declaration of War in June 1812.

In 1813, the majority of battles won were won by America, until August when the British stormed DC and burned the White House, The War Office, And the Treasury. They retreated soon after.

In September, there were two American victories. One at Lake Champlain, which cut British interference off to North, and the other in Baltimore at Fort McHenry, which was bombed and attacked for a whole 25 hours, and which also was what inspired Francis Scott Henry to write what is now our country’s national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner.”

It is now 1814. Talk of peace begins around August in Europe, as American victories at Plattsburg and in Baltimore had convinced Britain that peace was best. On Christmas Eve, 1814, The Treaty of Ghent was signed, ending the war. Except the war didn’t end.

People had to sail across the ocean to get word to both American and British troops in America that a treaty had been signed, and that the war was over. This took weeks, weeks during which the unofficial last battle of the war was going on.

This last battle was The Battle of New Orleans, in which American troops were led by Andrew Jackson. They were led well, with British casualties amounting to 2,000 compared to America’s 13 dead.

While the war was officially over, it was still tense between America and Britain. But America had established that it was a force to be reckoned with, and that they won’t back down.

The Declaration of Independance

“When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” The first paragraph of The Declaration of Independence. It basically states that when it comes to people severing political bonds, as they had come to, they must tell the whys of it in the name of decency.

After the Olive Branch petition failed and King George III declared them to be in full rebellion, the colonists continued to look for a way to be free of taxes the didn’t agree to pay and no representation in Parliament. Most wanted to avoid war, but the King was openly hostile to them, acting as if they had no rights, passing laws that affected them without even an attempt to get their consent, refusing their petitions without reading them, and assembling armies to attack them, so looking for another way out, Thomas Paine published his pamphlet Common Sense.

Common Sense summarized the abuse the King had inflicted upon them, and stated that the colonists had an absolute right to throw British rule off or secede because of Britain’s dictatorial rule. Even Abigail Adams, John Adams wife, thought they should secede. After she heard the King’s refusal, she wrote a letter to her husband saying, “Let us separate, they are unworthy to be our Brethren. Let us renounce them and instead of supplications as formerly for their prosperity and happiness, Let us beseech the almighty to blast their councils and bring to nought all their devices.” (Read the full letter here: http://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/abigail-adams-letter-to-john-adams-november-12-1775.html )

Influential people and writings such as I just mentioned convinced the colonists that a war and declaring independence was justified. But, a little known fact is that Congress sent one last letter to the King on December 4^th, 1775. In it they reaffirm their loyalty to the King, their wish to avoid war, and their belief that it was the kings ministers that are doing them wrong and it wasn’t the King himself. They sent it to their courier in England, but of course it accomplished nothing and the King retaliated with an act on December 23^rd that would end all trade to the colonies, starting March 1^st, 1776.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. He was a young and not a very connected member of the Continental Congress in 1775, but he became good friends with the very important John Adams. John made sure Thomas was made part of the committee that wrote the Declaration, and tasked him with writing the first draft. Benjamin Franklin and the others changed a few words, and Congress deleted about a quarter of it, but the majority of it is Jefferson’s original work.

The Declaration is made up of multiple parts, the first of which called the preamble. This is basically introducing the Declaration and giving a prologue to their grievances. Next is the body, which lists all the grievances the colonists have with the King (Not Parliament). Last, the conclusion, a summary afterwhich the delegates signed their names. (Here you can see all their signatures: http://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/declaration-of-independence-signatures.html )

The Declaration was officially passed by the Continental Congress on July 2^nd, 1776. It was a long process, as people didn’t think they were ready to make such a large step, but the majority vote by the Continental Congress was in favor of it. The document was made public on the 4^th, now nationally known as Independence Day.