President James Monroe (President Mini Episodes)

In this mini-episode of Check This Out!, hosts Amy and Cece dive into the life and legacy of James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States. 

Listeners learn that Monroe was born in Virginia, and began his public service in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He is one of only three U.S. Presidents who fought in the war, alongside Washington and Jackson. After the war, he transitioned into politics, serving in various roles.

Monroe's presidency from 1817 to 1825 is described as the "Era of Good Feelings," marked by political unity and relative peace following the War of 1812. Key issues during his leadership included the First Seminole War, the Missouri Compromise, and the economic turmoil of the Panic of 1819. A significant highlight is the Monroe Doctrine, a policy established to deter European interference in the Americas, solidifying Monroe's lasting impact on U.S. foreign policy.

Monroe's contributions firmly shaped the trajectory of American identity. Tune in to learn all about James Monroe's journey and influences in shaping America!

Transcript

Cece Welcome to Check this out! Podcast for kids 

Amy And their grownups.  Where we explore interesting people, places, ponderings and past moments from history  that shape the world around us.  

My name is Amy Contreras, and I’m Cece.  

Today’s episode is another mini-episode on….

Cece: The first 7 presidents of the united states! 

Thats right, in this quick episode you’re going to get to learn all about President James Monroe.  

James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States!  Can you tell me who our first 4 presidents were? 

Cece: George Washington

Yes

Cece: John Adams

Cece: Thomas Jeferson 

You’re doing great!  And James Madison was the 4th president.  So James Monroe came after all those guys!  

Cece: I’m excited to learn more.  

Me too!  James Monroe served as 5th president of the United States from 1817 to 1825.

But first let's talk a little bit about his life before the presidency!  He was born on April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, He was the son of a wealthy planter and was educated at the College of William & Mary. His parents died when he was in his teens and he received a generous inheritance.  

Check this out! 

Much like the Virginia born presidents before him George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, James Monroe was an enslaver.  James Monroe owned between 75-250 enslaved people during his life.  

Cece: Got it 

James Monroe began his public service in the Continental Army during the American Revolution against the British.  

Check this out! 

James Monroe is one of only 3 US Presidents who fought in the revolutionary war.  George Washington, James Monroe, and Andrew Jackson all served in the continental army.  

Cece: He sounds really brave 

He sure was! He fought in several important battles during the Revolutionary War including Trenton, Monmouth, Brandywine, and Germantown.  During the battle of Trenton he was badly injured. The good news is he recovered and his role shifted to more political through the end of the war.

Cece: here's a fun fact 

James Monroe crossed the Delaware river with George Washington for the attack on the british that would eventually become known as the battle of Trenton.  

Cece: I learned something new today!  

After the war, Monroe studied law with Thomas Jefferson as his advisor and began a career in politics.  

Cece: That is cool 

James Monroe eventually was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and served as a delegate to the Continental Congress.

Cece: He had a lot of jobs!   

I’m not even done telling you about all the jobs he had before he served as president.  

Cece: Here are just a few

• Monroe was the U.S. Minister to France, where he played a role in negotiating the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
• He served as the Governor of Virginia twice 
• He served as the secretary of state under 4th president James Madison 
• He also served as the secretary of war under Madison 
• And he practiced law!  

Cece: Wow! 

I know! Oh and I forgot to mention, he married his wife, Elizabeth, in 1786 and they had 3 children, but one died as a baby. Now that we know all about his time leading up to the presidency, let’s get into his time as president. 

He was elected 5th president in 1816 and he served 2 terms.  His time as president is looked back on as both calm and prosperous for the United States. 

Cece: What does that mean? 

Prosperous is a fancy word for successful or filled with wealth.  

Cece: That makes sense.  

James Monroe's presidency is sometimes referred to as the "Era of Good Feelings," because it was a period of political unity and calmer foreign affairs after the War of 1812.

Cece: I remember hearing about that 

Yea! We talked about the war of 1812 in the episode on James Madison.  

While his time as president was mostly calm there were still a few big moments to highlight.  

• He had some big issues to deal with when it came to states, slavery, and indigenous people.  For example
  • While he was president, the First Seminole War (1817–18) took place because runaway blacks were escaping to Seminole territory in Florida. 
  • Monroe authorized the united states acquisition of the Floridas from Spain (1819–21) 
  • The Missouri Compromise happened in 1820 which created a law to balance slavery in the US.  Missouri was admitted to the US as a slave state and Maine was admitted as a free state. This law helped maintain the balance of power between slave and free states.

Cece: I want to check out more about that 

You should! 

• Two years into his presidency, Monroe faced an economic crisis known as the Panic of 1819. 
• AND in 1823 the Monroe Doctrine was shared while he was speaking to congress, which has made a lasting impact on the foreign policy of the US.

Cece: Tell me everything 

One of his most important legacies is The Monroe Doctrine.  It warned European countries like Britain, France, and Spain against trying to colonize or interfere in the Americas.  This doctrine didn’t allow European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere.  

Monroe worked closely with his secretary of state John Quincy Adams on it.  Basically the doctrine made sure that only the US could occupy the land that is now the United States and that if European countries tried the US would take it as an act of aggression or war.  

Cece: Ohhhhh 

So even though it was “the era of good feelings” Monroe was still a busy president.  

He and his wife both loved France and all things french.  They redecorated the white house after it had been damaged in the war of 1812. The Monroes spent lots of money on fancy french furniture, silverware, and various objects imported from France.  

Monroe left the presidency in 1825, but had acquired large debts through travel and ignoring his personal affairs while president.  After retiring he went back to congress and asked for funds to reimburse himself, twice.  He was given 2 payments of $30,000.  

While James Monroe is sometimes overlooked as a president when compared to the first 4, his contributions to establishing American policy and national identity have had a lasting impact.  The Monroe Doctrine still influences foreign policy in the US today.   

He passed away on July 4, 1831.

We’d love to tell you more about 5th president James Monroe, but we promised you an episode that was short and sweet! 

So with that….

Cece: Thanks for listening, See you next episode 

Our sources for this week are: encyclopedia britannica, the smithsonian, UVA miller center 

https://millercenter.org/president/monroe 

https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/james-monroe 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Monroe 

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/knowing-the-presidents-james-monroe 

https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-enslaved-households-of-president-james-monroe