If colleges had had yearbooks when James Monroe attended William and Mary, he would not have been voted Most Likely to Assert. He was presentable—tall and sturdy—and capable, but he lacked the obvious ambition of the likes of Alexander Hamilton, his near age peer, or the declamatory power of a Patrick Henry, a Monroe mentor in Virginia politics. Monroe succeeded by getting things done in a modest and sometimes unassuming manner.
This is merely a footnote to Brands' (as usual) great essay. When he writes that Monroe was a William & Mary grad, it brought back pleasant memories of the two years (1967-69) I taught there. I loved the school and town (Williamsburg), but alas, I was there on a sabbatical replacement contract for a tenured faculty member. When she returned, I had to move on. I remember things like watching the colonial fife and drum corps march and fire period weapons, the excellent seafood in the area, etc. The only negative was having to drive 30 miles to Yorktown for Mexican food. LOL
Monroe is an irony in our history. He opposed the Constitution, preferring like Patrick Henry to retain the Articles of Confederation. Henry drrew the first Virginia congressional districts inder the Constitution and pitted his ally, Monroe, against Constitutionalist Madison, but Madison won anyway. Monroe went on to become the only president under the Constitution who actively opposed it.
As an aside, Monroe did have a distinguished career in the Revolutionary War.
You once noted at a book presentation about the advent of the "imperial presidency" which I think you attributed to actions undertaken by Teddy Roosevelt. But perhaps the acorn of the tree of imperial presidency was planted with the Louisiana Purchase, sprouted a bit more with the Monroe Doctrine?
Monroe was unique among the Presidents in that he died in poverty. Unlike many of the others, he wasn't able to use his status to increase his wealth once he left office.
Grant didn't die in poverty but came quite close! As HW Brands noted in his bio "The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace" Grant lost a good deal of money on a business venture that went bad. Several prominent people literally bought Grant a house in New York putting the house in Grant's wife's name.
This is merely a footnote to Brands' (as usual) great essay. When he writes that Monroe was a William & Mary grad, it brought back pleasant memories of the two years (1967-69) I taught there. I loved the school and town (Williamsburg), but alas, I was there on a sabbatical replacement contract for a tenured faculty member. When she returned, I had to move on. I remember things like watching the colonial fife and drum corps march and fire period weapons, the excellent seafood in the area, etc. The only negative was having to drive 30 miles to Yorktown for Mexican food. LOL
Monroe is an irony in our history. He opposed the Constitution, preferring like Patrick Henry to retain the Articles of Confederation. Henry drrew the first Virginia congressional districts inder the Constitution and pitted his ally, Monroe, against Constitutionalist Madison, but Madison won anyway. Monroe went on to become the only president under the Constitution who actively opposed it.
As an aside, Monroe did have a distinguished career in the Revolutionary War.
You once noted at a book presentation about the advent of the "imperial presidency" which I think you attributed to actions undertaken by Teddy Roosevelt. But perhaps the acorn of the tree of imperial presidency was planted with the Louisiana Purchase, sprouted a bit more with the Monroe Doctrine?
The roots indeed run deep.
Monroe was unique among the Presidents in that he died in poverty. Unlike many of the others, he wasn't able to use his status to increase his wealth once he left office.
Grant didn't die in poverty but came quite close! As HW Brands noted in his bio "The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace" Grant lost a good deal of money on a business venture that went bad. Several prominent people literally bought Grant a house in New York putting the house in Grant's wife's name.