April 28
James Monroe Born in Virginia
Summary
James Monroe was born on April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He attended the College of William and Mary but left during the American Revolution to join the Continental Army, where he was wounded at the Battle of Trenton. After studying law under Thomas Jefferson, Monroe entered public service and held an unusually broad range of offices, including legislator, U.S. senator, governor of Virginia, diplomat to France and Britain, secretary of state, and secretary of war. He was elected the fifth president in 1816 and reelected in 1820. His presidency coincided with the period often called the Era of Good Feelings and included the acquisition of Florida from Spain. In 1823, his administration issued the policy later known as the Monroe Doctrine, opposing further European colonization or political intervention in the independent nations of the Americas.
Why It Matters
Monroe's career connected the Revolutionary generation with the expanding United States of the early nineteenth century. The Monroe Doctrine became a durable reference point in U.S. foreign policy toward the Western Hemisphere, while the acquisition of Florida and settlement of territorial disputes helped shape national borders. His presidency also illustrates both the temporary decline of organized party competition and the persistence of sectional tensions.
Related Sites
- America 250 Atlas: A presidential profile placing James Monroe within United States history.
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Sources
- James Monroe: Life Before the Presidency, Miller Center, University of Virginia. Accessed 2026-08-25.
- MONROE, James, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed 2026-08-25.