James Monroe

Every American president takes an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, and each term can shape the nation and the wider world for years afterward. This biography for young readers traces the life of James Monroe, starting with his boyhood in Westmoreland County, Virginia. It explains his schooling at the College of William and Mary and the early years of his career as a lawyer.

The book also looks at Monroe's family and private life, along with his retirement, which he spent in Virginia, where he served as a regent of the University of Virginia, and in New York. His service in the Third Virginia Regiment during the American Revolution is described, including the time he crossed the Delaware River with General George Washington.

Monroe's public career receives wide coverage. Readers learn about his seats in the Virginia House of Delegates, the Council of State, and the Continental Congress, and about his posts as minister to France, governor of Virginia, and minister to Great Britain. The book also covers his role in signing the Louisiana Purchase and his time as secretary of state and secretary of war under James Madison during the War of 1812.

The final section focuses on Monroe's own presidency as a Democratic-Republican, including the First Seminole War, the Missouri Compromise, and the Monroe Doctrine. Photographs and primary source documents appear throughout, with a timeline, fast facts, and sidebars to organize key information. A quick-reference chart of every U.S. president is also included.