The public career of James Monroe (April 28, 1758-July 4, 1831) ranged from distinguished service in the Revolutionary War to two presidential terms. In between, he served in virtually all branches of local, state, and national government, including diplomatic postings abroad.
Although he aspired to be a prosperous farmer and lawyer, Monroe repeatedly sacrificed financial gain to answer calls to serve. Over the course of almost 50 years, he was a member of the Virginia Council of State; Congress of the Confederation; Fredericksburg Common Council; Virginia Ratifying Convention for the U.S. Constitution; and Virginia House of Delegates. He also was a U.S. Senator; U.S. Minister to France (twice), Great Britain, and Spain; Governor of Virginia (four terms); and U.S. Secretary of State and (for a time simultaneously) Secretary of War. He finished his long public service career as President of Virginia’s Constitutional Convention in 1829.
Monroe’s two terms in the White House (1817-1825) occurred during a period of growth and transition for the United States. Five states joined the Union (Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois, Maine, and Missouri). The U.S. population grew by 71%, to nearly 12,000,000. During his presidency, Monroe made extensive tours of northern and southern regions of the country (1817 and 1819) to such acclaim that contemporaries called his administration the “Era of Good Feelings.” He signed the Missouri Compromise to deal with the growing sectional divide over slavery (1820); granted diplomatic recognition to emerging South American Republics (1823-24); and issued the Monroe Doctrine, declaring the western hemisphere closed to further European intervention (1823).
To date, no person elected President of the United States has had a longer or more varied résumé of public service.
For more on James Monroe’s legacy, visit these sites:
James Monroe: Impact and Legacy
by Daniel Preston, Editor of the Papers of James Monroe (retired)
Miller Center, University of Virginia
https://millercenter.org/president/monroe/impact-and-legacy
James Monroe: The 5th President of the United States
The White House
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/james-monroe