num_pages: 738
description: The extraordinary life of James Monroe: soldier senator diplomat and the last Founding Father to hold the presidency a man who helped transform thirteen colonies into a vibrant and mighty republic.Monroe lived a life defined by revolutions. From the battlefields of the War for Independence to his ambassadorship to France in the days of the guillotine to his own role in the creation of Congress's partisan divide he was a man who embodied the restless spirit of the age. He was never one to back down from a fight whether it be with Alexander Hamilton with whom he nearly engaged in a duel (prevented ironically by Aaron Burr) or George Washington his hero turned political opponent. When the British sacked the capital in 1814 it was Monroe by now secretary of state who rallied troops and volunteers to America's defense reliving old glories. Yet even in temperament he was capable of radical change as displayed when he was elected the fifth president of the United States. The last of his generation to wield such power this fiercest of partisans instead sought to bridge divisions and sow unity calming turbulent political seas and inheriting Washington's mantle of placing country above party. Over his two terms he transformed the United States strengthening American power both at home and abroad. Critically acclaimed author Tim McGrath has delved into an astonishing array of primary sources many rarely seen since Monroe's own time to conjure up this remarkable portrait of an essential American statesman and president.
language: None
title: James Monroe: A Life
publisher: Dutton