Born: April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia
Died: July 4, 1831, in New York, New York
James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States (1817-1825). He is perhaps best known for establishing the foreign policy principle that came to bear his name, the Monroe Doctrine. He is also the person for whom Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia, was named. Liberia is an African country founded by freed American slaves. Monroe, a slave owner, supported their repatriation (return to their place of origin) to Africa.
Before becoming president, Monroe spent many years in public service, both domestically and overseas, and was the first president to have been a U.S. senator. Although he studied law under Thomas Jefferson, he was not as brilliant as some other leading members of the Revolutionary generation. But his contemporaries liked and admired him for his sensible judgment, his honesty, and his personal kindness. Like his fellow Founding Fathers and fellow Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, he died on July 4, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the nation's official birthday.