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James Monroe Born: April 28, 1758 in Westmoreland County, VA Died: July 4, 1831 in New York City, New York Political Party: Democratic Republican Terms: 1817-1821 and 1821-1825 Vice President: Daniel D. Tompkins (1817-1825)

Were James Monroe to receive a grade for his presidency, he would receive a B+. He would get a B+ because the United States prospered during his two terms and he was able to deal with difficult situations concerning foreign and domestic policy.

The main goal of James Monroe as president was to eliminate party rivalry and create more evident unity between the states. To promote nationalism and unity, Monroe went on three goodwill tours including one through the northern states, one through the Chesapeake Bay area, and one through the South and the West. Monroe did everything he could to support the "Era of Good Feelings." Monroe believed the elimination of party rivalry would place free government on a solid footing.

Monroe had a relatively good relationship with Congress. Democratic-Republicans were the majority so Congress and Monroe had similar views and opinions. Due to their similar views, Monroe backed Congress on its decisions and there were no vetoes. Also, Congress passed most of the legislature Monroe issued.

The action of Monroe and his administration that had the most positive outcome was the Missouri Compromise. Missouri wanted to join the Union as a slave state but this threatened to disrupt the legislative balance between the North and the South. Congress issued a compromise that allowed Maine to be admitted into the Union as a free state and Missouri to be admitted into the Union as a slave state. The compromise also called for slavery in the western territories of the Louisiana Purchase above the 36/30' north latitude line to be prohibited. Monroe worked in support of the compromise and signed the bill. This action was positive because it expanded the Union while keeping an even legislature as well as barring slavery from certain areas.

An action of Monroe and his administration that had the most negative outcome was the change toward more conservative policies by the Second Bank of the United States. This caused the Panic of 1819. Banks failed, mortgages were foreclosed, manufacturing and agriculture were impaired, and there was an increase in unemployment rates. William Crawford, Secretary of the Treasury, proposed a policy to relax payment terms on mortgages for land purchased from the federal government. Monroe supported Crawford's policy. Although the country soon rebounded from this depression, it is still an action that had a negative outcome.

The decision made by the president that influenced future administrations was the Monroe Doctrine. In James Monroe's annual message to Congress was a warning to the European powers that came to be known as the Monroe Doctrine. In it, Monroe warns the European powers not to interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere, that the United States would not tolerate further colonization, and the powers were obligated to respect the Western Hemisphere as the United States' sphere of interest. The Monroe Doctrine was invoked in 1865 when the United States government supported Benito Juarez through diplomatic and military pressure. This support allowed Juarez to revolt against the Emperor Maximilian who had been put on the throne by the French government. Another example of future administrations using the Monroe Doctrine was in 1962 under President John F. Kennedy. The Monroe Doctrine was invoked when missile-launching sites were built in Cuba by the Soviet Union. A naval and air quarantine was placed around the island until the Soviet Union agreed to withdraw the missiles and dismantle the site.

After Monroe's presidency, the country was better off than it had been before. Due to successes in his presidency such as the Missouri Compromise and the Monroe Doctrine, Monroe deserved a high grade. However, situations such as the Panic of 1819 brought down his grade. Throughout his presidency, Monroe played a crucial role in foreign and domestic affairs and helped the country prosper, which is why he received a grade of B+.

Bibliography

"American President: James Monroe." //Miller Center of Public Affairs//. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. . "The American Revolution - (James Monroe)." //The American Revolution - (Home)//. Web. 28 Sept. 2010. . "James Monroe." //The White House//. Web. 28 Sept. 2010. . "Our Documents - Monroe Doctrine (1823)." //Welcome to OurDocuments.gov//. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. .