The presidency of James Monroe began on March 4, 1817, when James Monroe was inaugurated as President of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1825. Monroe, the fifth United States president, took office after winning the 1816 presidential election by an overwhelming margin over Federalist Rufus King. Monroe was the last president called a Founding Father of the United States, and also the last president of the 'Virginia dynasty', a term sometimes used to describe the fact that four of the nation's first five presidents were from Virginia. James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library University of Mary Washington. Retrieved February 25, 2017.