The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness

I have embarked on an intellectual/historical trek that involves reading every US Presidential biography. Thus far, I have read: Ron Chernow WASHINGTON: A LIFE David McCullough JOHN ADAMS Jon Meacham THOMAS JEFFERSON: THE ART OF POWER Duane Ostler JAMES MADISON: AMERICAN PROPHET. Harlow Giles Unger’s THE LAST FOUNDING FATHER: JAMES MONROE AND A NATION’S CALL TO GREATNESS Currently, I have begun Harlow Giles Unger’s JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. Although I have been enjoying the exploration of lives of our presidents, I must note that the quality of writing and the spinning of the narrative to place a positive light on the president vary a great deal. Unger stands above the other authors in his effort to create an unbiased portrait of the presidents. In terms of placing a positive writing spin, Ostler (Madison) and Meacham (Jefferson) are the guiltiest. How can a person uncover positive spins? Answer: reading the other biographies that address the same situation. When you have three explanations of a presidential policy position, a person’s eyes are finally opened to reality. In terms of presidents, Monroe is perhaps the most underrated. Historically, he used his presidential influence (even violating the Constitution) to give birth to the “Era of Good Feelings.” Within this time frame, we find the longest period of peace and economic prosperity within American history. Monroe had a firm grasp on Congress and his Cabinet in a manner that promoted cooperation and inhibited egocentrism. As soon a Monroe left office, our national government fell prey to individuals who pursued self-aggrandizement over the needs of the nation. No President before or since Monroe had the ability to mobilize individuals. One hundred years later, Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country.” Monroe could have easily made this exact same statement. Although Kennedy believed this, he was never able to get the population to embrace the action. On the other hand, Monroe never made such a statement, but he was able to implement the action within Congress and the American population. The sinister dimension of Monroe’s presidency is his history on slavery. He accepted Jefferson’s slavery position (slavery is a necessary evil) and hope it would end. Actually, with Monroe’s incredible political skills, he might have been able to end slavery and prevented the Civil War. However, his financial investment in slavery was immense. He made efforts to procure freedom slaves by purchasing land for them in Africa, but those he freed and sent were the trouble-makers: those who were most likely to revolt. He wanted to keep the docile slaves on the plantations. He was a bit of a pseudo abolitionist. Even with his dark side revealed, Monroe must be considered one of the most politically skillful presidents that use his influence for the best interest of the nation.

Mr. Unger sets the bar high for his subject when on the Acknowledgments and Dedication page he describes; "...James Monroe as the most significant Founding Father after George Washington". He goes on to produce a very thorough ~400-page biography of our fifth President - full of things we may have known, but now detailed and well retold, as well as many things we (the average reader) did not know about the man, his remarkable career and his family. The author's observation (page 2) that, "Washington's three successors - John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison - were mere caretaker presidents who left the nation bankrupt, its people deeply divided, its borders under attack, its capital city in ashes" - rouses the reader's interest, establishes the tone and encourages the read to come. What does come - despite the rhetoric - is delivered in a very even-handed and professional manner. I did not find the unfairness or bias detected by other reviewers here. The style and conclusions at times can be zealous, but certainly not unsupported, or implausible. By example, Mr. Unger offers a full spectrum of possibilities in his explanation for the rift between Monroe and his colleagues Madison and Jefferson (page 199) through the presentation of a number of historian's conclusions. In the end Mr. Unger suggests human foibles and pride as the cause for the breakup. Despite the author's high-admiration for his subject - the reader is often left wondering whether or not pure happenstance is as much a factor as heroics in many of the enormous events of the era. Was the Louisiana Purchase the legitimate "catch" of Mr. Monroe, or Mr. Livingston... or would Napoleon Bonapart have virtually "handed" the prize to any American envoy that President Jefferson might have sent? Mr. Unger suggests Mr. Monroe - but does not convince. Other matters of character or judgement are left quietly unexplored. For example, the damning Reynolds Dossier - a packet of proofs that ultimately destroy Alexander Hamilton are left for safekeeping with Mr. Jefferson, by Mr. Monroe. The dossier is subsequently shown to the press. Mr. Unger clearly believes Monroe above duplicity, but leaves the issue unexplored, except of course for the obvious deception of Mr. Jefferson. Could Mr. Monroe really have been "above" politics even at that most partisan of times? In the end, a number of events akin to the examples above make the reader feel that the author has set the bar too high for his subject, but no-matter Mr. Unger's research and skill with the written word make the book a very worthwhile and enlightening read. -----kindle edition----- Generally well done with the expected hyperlinks. There are numerous portraits and maps that are worthwhile to the read. The maps especially are somewhat tortured by the resolution of the kindle. The book does have hardbound page number locations which are displayed (page bottom) from the menu & toolbars display (tap page top). The index - which can be a very valuable tool in a biography - is worthless. It contains neither page number nor hyperlink - merely a shell of what should have been, despite the full price extracted for an e-book by the publisher, Da Capo Press. e-Book publication quality, ★★☆☆☆.

James Monroe, as the last founding father to serve in the White House truly does close an era of history. Unfortunatley both he and Elizabeth Monroe have been largely overlooked by history to our detriment since there is much to learn from this family. As a young man Monroe joined the revolutionary cause and fought bravely for this country, surviving a life threatening wound. Following in Washington's footsteps he didn't accept payment for his service. This would set the stage for a lifetime of financial sacrifice in his country's service. His political career included serving as a foreign diplomat, senator, and as a governor that forever changed the role of Governor of Virginia, and finally Preisdent of the United States. Unger portrays Monroe as an affable man who knew how to nurture relationships, queit until pushed by passion to act boldly even disregarding the Constitution at times, politically astute, a true unifer as he destroyed the two party political system for a time, and a visionary who successfully increased the land mass of the country and set forth the famous Monroe Doctrine. Elizabeth Monroe is portrayed as a fascinating, beautiful, highly educated and courageous woman. Thier marriage and dedication to each other rival John and Abigail Adams. Unger does an incredible job of completely telling the story of James Monroe and providing important details where they belong. For those who find biographies fraught with too much detail that will not be an issue here. Those who want a complete understanding of the subject will find it with Unger.

The author wrote the book in a way that is very interesting and historically sound. There is probably a lot more information available for the subject, but I think if you need a starter on the President, this would be my choice.

James Monroe, the last founding father is probably the least known and understood of those who created the concept of the United States. I admit, my knowledge of Monroe was his drafting of the Bill of Rights in the US Constitution and the "Monroe Doctrine." Unger does a very good job of chronicling Monroe's life. Unlike other Founding Fathers, he was not from a wealthy family. He did have a good education, and basically apprenticed with Washington and Jefferson. As a politician, he was a true centrist and followed his conscious to the extent that the Constitution permitted. He was a decorated and wounded war hero, a member of the Continental Congress, Governor of Virginia, Secretary of State, Secretary of War, and the fifth President of the United States. He was responsible for extending the boundaries of the United States to the Pacific Ocean. It was during his time working under James Madison where he flourished. During the War of 1812, Madison proved how dysfunctional he was as a leader and a President. Madison's Secretary of War was ineffective, and after a protracted period, he appointed Monroe to that position. Through a series of strategic moves, he bottled up the British and made them realize they would eventually bankrupt Great Britain if they continued to pursue the war. During the last year or so of Madison's Presidency, Monroe had the reigns of the country. When he ran, he won by a landslide. His time as President was not without controversy, but he achieved more than any other President up to his time, and more than most have since. Along with expanding the boundaries of the country, he presided over a period of unprecedented growth in personal income and GDP. And, he was responsible for the Monroe Doctrine. Interestingly, I don't think he knew the future impact of this statement. Delivered in the Inaugural Address to his second term, the Monroe Doctrine was delivered as three sentences at the start, and a few more throughout. Yet, the simple statement made that warned European powers not to interfere with the Western Hemisphere has a strong impact even to this day. His failure as a President was one of his greatest successes. Because of his popularity and his ability to bring people together, he caused the Federalist Party to fall apart, leaving only the Democrat-Republicans. The elimination of the second party allowed personal power to go unchecked in Congress. Personal ambitions allowed people to assert their own beliefs over that of everyone else. Monroe lost his ability to control the rest of government because there were no parties to keep people in check. While there is much criticism to this day of the two party system in the United States, the merging into one party is clearly not a solution. It would be a very interesting experiment in government to introduce a third political party in the United States to see how a third voice at the table would impact the decisions made by the people, and the government. In all, this was an enjoyable book to read.

Still early in my journey to read a biography of each of out U.S. Presidents lead me to Unger's biography of James Monroe. It serves well for a Monroe novice like me but even I was troubled by the lack of objective analysis presented here. One problem is that there is little acknowledgement of important events prior to Monroe taking office, most glaring is the perfunctory mention of the Louisiana Purchase. I realize this is a biography of Monroe but I didn't feel that it was given proper context or importance relative to the foreign policy that became the Monroe Doctrine. The same could be said about his treatment of John Quincy Adams who is widely regarded as the best Secretary of State in U.S. history. Most glaringly is that he treats Adams as little more than a caddy in terms of the defining moments in the Monroe Administration: The Transcontinental Treaty and The Monroe Doctrine. This interpretation by Unger seems dubious at best. If he gives short shrift to JQA on those achievements he lets him off the hook, or makes no mention at least, of how his Secretary of State and successor became President through the "Corrupt Bargain". Unger does recall the 1824 Presidential Election but does not mention the controversial arrangement by which JQA won the election. Monroe's perspective on this event is relevant given the importance of JQA in the Monroe Administration. Finally, the hagiographic treatment of Monroe presents problems when juxtaposed against modern interpretations of Native Americans and Slavery. According Unger, the Native Americans were enemies or an obstruction that needed to be cleared as we expanded from sea-to-shining sea. The imperialistic displacement of Native Americans, as well as Monroe's indifference toward slavery may have made him a man of his time but not above it on those domestic policy issues. Unger's book serves much better in providing a detailed timeline of the life and career of our 5th President. The view of his personal life was particularly illuminating. Despite his importance in American public life, he had many challenges at home too such as losing a child and financial debt that he incurred in service to our country. Also, his wife battled chronic illness that made it difficult to uphold the onerous social requirements that often come with the job of First Lady. The recall of these events and his true friendship and loyalty to Marquis de Lafayette take the man off the pedestal and allow us to know him on a more intimate level. 8/2015

History always seems to repeat. Certainly true with the Monroe era as it is today. With presidents such as Monroe we are able to celebrate 250 years as a nation. They are so few in our history and are always void of political greed. They for the good of and advancement of the Country.

Fifth president. Two terms. Served as an officer in the Revolutionary War under Washington. Became governor of Virginia and ambassador to France, Spain and England. Negotiated the Louisiana Purchase between the United States and Napoleon, thereby doubling the size of our country. Secretary of state under Madison and became acting secretary of war during the War of 1812 against the British. As president, he worked closely with his secretary of state John Quincy Adams and general Andrew Jackson to wrest control of Florida and the Oregon Territory from Spain, thereby establishing territorial security for the nation. His most lasting achievement was delivering the Monroe Doctrine during his seventh annual address to congress, which declared the entire Western Hemisphere off limits to future colonization by European countries. As presidential biographies go, I found "The Last Founding Father" by Unger to be well written and easy to read, complete with maps. It was a bit skimpy in parts, but I feel it hit all the main points.

First biography I have managed to find on this US President. Well constructed and written, factual and concise. A founding father who resides amongst the unknown presidents but should be higher in the pentheon of great presidents.

great book reading

Excellent read of an interesting life well lived

A marvellous book to read in one shot. It let me discover the impressive personnality of this man I now find great. Very well written

This is not a good biography of James Monroe, but not completely useless, as long as you already know something about the period: it fills in some information which biographies of Monroe’s contemporaries might leave out, but you really need to have read those biographies first, or other studies of the time, to make sure you spot the exaggerations and wild interpretations. For instance, Unger describes John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison as “mere caretaker presidents who left the nation bankrupt, its people deeply divided, its borders under attack, is capital city in ashes.” This astonishingly cavalier and blinkered judgement left me a little breathless: Adams, for all his failings, resisted huge pressure for a war with France which might have proved disastrous, and certainly would have been costly; Jefferson shifted the nation to a much clearer republican basis than Washington or Adams ever could; and Madison, though arguably his greater contribution was in framing the constitution and the Bill of Rights, was nonetheless the President who brought an end to forty years of hostility with Britain. But Unger isn’t interested in giving a balanced and nuanced view of his subject and those around him. He wants to write a hagiography. So credit for the Louisiana purchase goes to Monroe, for his role in the negotiations in Paris, not to his boss, the then Secretary of State James Madison, or to his boss’s boss, the then President, Thomas Jefferson; on the other hand, credit for the acquisition of Florida from the Spanish, usually referred to as the Adams-Onis treaty, doesn’t go to the Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams for whom it is named, but to the President, James Madison. However, Unger does give a well-paced narrative of Monroe’s life and, in particular, quotes extensively from the writings of others to back up some of his statements, making them easier to believe. These provide colour to the account and I’m grateful to Unger for including them. For instance, he quotes John Quincy Adams on Monroe’s second inaugural, that had to be held indoors because of heavy rain: "… a great crowd of people were assembled and the avenues to the hall of the house were so choked up with persons pressing for admittance that it was with the utmost difficulty that the President made his way through them…" Monroe was, as Unger makes clear, a much-loved President who “created an era never seen before or since in American history – an “Era of Good Feelings” that propelled the nation and its people to greatness.” He’s right to conjure up the atmosphere of this happy period, though not so right to play down the stultifying effect it had on politics: Monroe was the last President elected unopposed, a testament to his popularity as Unger affirms, but also evidence of a political system that had withered and lost the benefit of an active opposition, holding power to account. The reaction would be radical and intense, when Andrew Jackson came to office and brutally ended the complacency that had come before. It’s also a little overstated to say that the nation emerged from Monroe’s presidency “great”. Unger, inevitably, attributes all the credit for enunciating the Monroe Doctrine, according to which no European nation should in the future go empire-building in the Americas, entirely to the President. John Quincy Adams, it seems, played no part in it despite being Secretary of State: “the assertion that Adams authored the “Monroe Doctrine” is not only untrue, it borders on the ludicrous…” (Unger really can’t bear Adams: he even reduces his diplomatic experience to five years in St Petersburg “with his friend the Czar”, ignoring his time in the Netherlands, Prussia or Britain – the latter hardly an insignificant appointment). He fails to point out that the Doctrine, at the time it was announced in 1823, was more of an aspiration than a policy the US could enforce. By the 1840s, the US was beginning to emerge as a force to reckon with on the world stage; and she was a true world power militarily, if not always recognised as such, only after the Civil War. So there’s a lot to mislead in this biography, but with a few nuggets that give it life and make it worth reading – but only if one has read enough previously to be able to distinguish between them.