Factions, Foreign Missions, and the Quest for Respect: Monroe Pre-Presidency Part Two
Year(s) Discussed: 1787-1819
This episode tracks James Monroe’s "fits and starts" through early American political history, from his courageous dissent at the Virginia Ratification Convention to his pivotal role as a leadership figure in the burgeoning Democratic-Republican faction.
We delve into the immense personal and financial costs of his public service, including his challenging diplomatic missions to Europe, his tenures as governor of Virginia, and his years in the Madison administration.
Listen to learn how this future U.S. President navigated intense political rivalries and heavy family burdens to secure his place among the nation's founding elite to become the 5th chief executive.
Sources can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com.
Special thanks to Ethan of the Play History YouTube channel for providing the opening quote for this episode!
- Ammon, Harry. James Monroe: The Quest for National Identity. Charlottesville, VA and London: University Press of Virginia, 1999 [1971].
- Brown, Stuart Gerry, ed. The Autobiography of James Monroe. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2017 [1959].
- Gorman, Megan. All the Presidents’ Money: How the Men Who Governed America Governed Their Money. New York and Nashville: Regalo Press, 2024.
- Landry, Jerry. The Presidencies of the United States. 2017-2026. https://www.presidenciespodcast.com.
- Monroe, James. “To Thomas Jefferson, 27 July 1787,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-11-02-0556. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 11, 1 January–6 August 1787, ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1955, pp. 630–632.] [Last Accessed: 31 Mar 2025]
- VornDick, Barbara. Eliza’s True Story: The First Biography of President Monroe’s Eldest Daughter. Charlottesville, VA: Barnes & Noble Press, 2024.
Featured Image: "Coronation of Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine in Notre-Dame de Paris, December 2, 1804" by Jacques-Louis David and Georges Rouget [c. 1805-1807], courtesy of Wikipedia
