James Monroe

by Daniel Coit Gilman

James Monroe is a biography written by Daniel Coit Gilman in 1911. The book provides a detailed account of the life and political career of James Monroe, who served as the fifth President of the United States from 1817 to 1825. Gilman explores Monroe's early years, including his upbringing in Virginia and his education at the College of William and Mary. The book also covers Monroe's military service during the American Revolution, his role in negotiating the Louisiana Purchase, and his efforts to expand the United States' territory through the acquisition of Florida. Additionally, Gilman delves into Monroe's presidency, including his foreign policy initiatives and his efforts to promote national unity. The book is a comprehensive and insightful look at the life of one of America's most important historical figures.With A Bibliography Of Writings Pertinent To The Monroe Doctrine.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

326 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1983

About the author

1831-1908

Reviews

[George]

The nice thing about the presidents starting with Monroe and going up through to Lincoln will be the fact that I know absolutely nothing about them. So everything is new to me. It seems as though Monroe is definitely in the category of underrated presidents, but this is probably due to the effectiveness of his administration and a lack of any real trying thing happening during his presidency.
This biography by Gilman has been in constant reprint since its publication over one hundred years ago. The reason for that is, I guess, that Monroe is a forgotten president and so there isn't much of a demand for biographies on him in the way their is a demand for biographies on Washington. Even though I am sure that some of the scholarship or knowledge that Gilman uses has fallen out of favor with mainstream scholarship I still found this to be a good biography on forgotten fifth. It's date of publication is also interesting as it reveals another purpose on writing biographies, but I'll get to that later.
This biography of Monroe paints a man who was consistent, patriotic, partisan, but not that bright. At least when compared to his predecessors in the presidency who were all intellectual tyrannosaurs. A good example of this is the thing that made him most famous, "the Monroe Doctrine," which would set US foreign policy for the next 100 years and still ripples, wasn't even his idea. It was was John Quincey Adams' but Monroe just signed on. Monroe wasn't stupid by any means, but he wasn't a thinker, he was doer. Perhaps this is what made him so well liked. Outside of Washington, who ran unopposed, Monroe still has the largest victory margin of anyone running for the office of president.
The cool thing, from a historical perspective, when it comes to this book is the special attention it gives to the Monroe doctrine. This book comes at a time when the US is leaving its cocoon and becomes a bigger player on the world stage. Written just a few years before Teddy Roosevelt's presidency and his expansion of the American Empire, this book shows that Monroe was an incredibly important president because everyone was swimming in his wake. It devotes a whole chapter to the Monroe doctrine and its influence at the time. It shows how biographies are themselves locked by time. Today, people would care less for the Monroe doctrine and more about the slaves that Monroe owned (largely unmentioned in this book.) This isn't bad, but it shows that legacy is a fickle thing and is as subject to the changes of the time as it is to the importance of decisions made in the moment.
Overall this is a good book and isn't bad as a biography. Chances are if your local library has any book on Monroe this would be one of them and it is not a bad way to get acquainted with president number five.

[Matt]

James Monroe, published in the late 1800's, provides a fairly detailed look into the man, husband, statesman, and slave owner. Often referred to as the last founding father, James Monroe's political career took him from local Virginia government to the Presidency. He spent a large amount of time abroad as an ambassador in Great Britain, Spain, and France. Described by many as of average intelligence, Monroe's life and work was largely overshadowed by his predecessors. This book provides insight into Monroe's involvement in The Monroe Doctrine, The Louisiana Purchase, The Missouri Compromise, and many other issues of the day. Not a bad book.

[Tom]

This is called a short Biography of James Monroe. It is actually a short synopsis of a short Biography.