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2023 MrNussbaum.com is a copyright of the Nussbaum Education Network,LLC.

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Mr. Nussbaum - President 2 - John Adams - Presidents Series

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This is a full biography on John Adams. It is part of our presidents series.

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James Madison drafted the Bill of Rights, and was known as “The Father of the Constitution.” Ironically, he was a slave owner.

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This is a full biography on James Monroe. It is part of our presidents series.

Early Life

James Monroe was born on April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia . He attended the College of William and Mary before joining the Continental Army, where he was wounded at the Battle of Trenton in 1776. It is Monroe who is depicted holding the flag in the famous painting of Washington crossing the Delaware . The image is also depicted on the back of the New Jersey state quarter. After the war, he practiced law in Fredericksburg and married Elizabeth Kortright in 1786.

Numerous Important Political Positions

Monroe's political career moved quickly in the new nation. He participated in the Continental Congress from 1783 to 1786 and was elected as a Virginia Senator in 1790. From 1794-1796, he served as Minister to France during the French Revolution. From 1799-1802, he served as Virginia's Governor and he served as Minister of the Court of St. James (Ambassador to England) from 1803 to 1807 in Thomas Jefferson's administration. During the Madison administration, Monroe served at various times as Secretary of State and Secretary of War.

Monroe as Minister to France

President During the Era of Good Feeling

In 1816, James Monroe was elected America's fifth president. His presidency lasted two terms from 1817-1825 and was referred to as The Era of Good Feeling because of the relative lack of political bitterness between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republican Party. The "good feeling," however, was short-lived as a painful economic depression swept through the country as a result of the Panic of 1819. That same year, Congress became locked in a bitter debate over the admission of Missouri as a slave state that finally ended with the Missouri Compromise in 1820. As part of the compromise, Missouri was admitted as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

James Monroe Postage Stamp

The Monroe Doctrine

Monroe is probably best known for the Monroe Doctrine, a document largely written by John Quincy Adams. The document outlined America's foreign policy stance and proclaimed neutrality in European affairs. It also condemned European colonization and declared that such colonization in North and South America was a direct threat to the United States.

The Third of the First Five Presidents to die on July 4th

After his second term in office ended in 1825, Monroe lived at Monroe Hill on the campus of the University of Virginia. The current campus served as Monroe's farm from 1788 to 1817, when he sold it to the university. Racked by debt, he lived a humble existence before moving to New York City after the death of his wife in 1830. He died on July 4, 1831, of tuberculosis and heart failure, becoming the third president to die on July 4. He was originally buried in New York City but now lies in Richmond, Virginia. In 1824, the capital city of the African nation of Liberia was renamed Monrovia in his honor. It is the only foreign capital named after a US president.

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President 5 - James Monroe Biography - Presidents Series

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This is a full biography on James Monroe. It is part of our presidents series. James Monroe was born on April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia . He attended the College of William and Mary before joining the Continental Army, where he was wounded at the Battle of Trenton in 1776.

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When James Monroe became president after the election of 1816, he brought much experience to his new role.

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This is a full biography on Thomas Jefferson. It is part of our presidents series.

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was born April 13, 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia. When he was 14, he inherited his father's estate and slaves. Soon after, Jefferson attended the College of William and Mary where he studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy. In 1767, Jefferson was admitted to the Virginia Bar and practiced law. Jefferson remained influential at the College of William and Mary throughout his life and helped institute the nation's first student honor code.

In 1769, when he was just 26, Jefferson was elected to the Virginia House of Representatives. In 1772, Jefferson began building his home, Monticello. That same year, he married Martha Wayles Skelton. The couple would eventually have six children.

As a member of the Second Continental Congress, Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence with help from Benjamin Franklin and others. In 1779, he was elected as governor of Virginia. Although he resigned in 1781, during his term as governor, Jefferson wrote the famous statute on religious freedom. Jefferson's writings also formed the basis of the Ordinances of 1784, 1785, and 1787. From 1785-1789, Jefferson served as minister to France. In 1789, George Washington appointed him secretary of state.

Due to political differences concerning the role of the government with other cabinet members, Jefferson resigned as secretary of state in 1793. After serving in Washington's cabinet, Jefferson and James Madison founded the Democratic-Republican Party. Jefferson soon ran for president but was defeated in 1796 by John Adams. Nevertheless, he was appointed vice president. Although Jefferson and Aaron Burr received equal electoral votes for presidency, Jefferson was elected president by the House of Representatives in 1800. During Jefferson's term, both the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition occurred. Jefferson served two presidential terms. He later established the University of Virginia. He died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Coincidentally, John Adams died the same day.

Thomas Jefferson is remembered as one of the most brilliant men to ever inhabit the White House, whose views on individual freedom, religion, and education still influence today. In fact, the establishment of the University of Virginia reflected Jefferson's views about the role of religion in education-it was the first university in America to be centered around a library rather than a church. Jefferson believed in the strict separation of church and state (national affairs, including education, should not be influenced by a dominant religion). Jefferson was also an accomplished surveyor, author, architect, and agriculturalist.

Today, buildings, cities, counties, corporations, and monuments bear Jefferson's name. He is honored on the United States two-dollar bill and nickel.

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President 3- Thomas Jefferson - Presidents Series

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This is a full biography on Thomas Jefferson. It is part of our presidents series. Thomas Jefferson was born April 13, 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia. When he was 14, he inherited his father's estate and slaves. Soon after, Jefferson attended the College of William and Mary where he studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy.

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President 1 - George Washington Biography - Presidents Series

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This is a full biography on George Washington. It is part of our presidents series.

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Introduces John Adams’ administration which started off with a crisis, potential war with France. Adams avoided war by sending a peace mission to France and began a relationship that would give America the opportunity for the Louisiana Purchase a few years later.

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Reads quotes from Thomas Jefferson’s inauguration, and discusses aspects of his presidency. The segment romanticizes the First Barbary War between the United States and the four Barbary States.

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President 4 - James Madison Biography - Presidents Series

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This is a full biography on James Madison. It is part of our presidents series.