Other Interesting Facts and Trivia:
- James Monroe fought with General Washington at the Battle of Trenton and survived the difficult winter at Valley Forge. As a lieutenant, Monroe crossed the Delaware River with Washington on December 25, 1776. He was wounded at the Battle of Trenton and carried a bullet in his shoulder the rest of his life.
- Monroe studied law with Thomas Jefferson.
- Monroe became a senator, governor and diplomat. He helped Jefferson buy the Louisiana Territory.
- Monroe was James Madison's secretary of state and secretary of war.
- Five states joined the Union while Monroe was president. Missouri asked to enter the nation as a slave state. Congress reached an agreement called the Missouri Compromise. Missouri was admitted as a slave state, and Maine joined the Union at the same time as a free state. Western territories, north of Missouri's southern border would be free.
- Monroe died on the anniversary of the nation's birth - July 4, 1831. Two other presidents also died on July 4th - Adams and Jefferson.
- Monroe bought the land that is now Florida from Spain. After that, in 1823, he created the policy of the Monroe Doctrine. It stated that the U.S. would stay out of Europe's business if Europe stayed out of the U.S.'s business. Europe could no longer start any new colonies in North or South America. |
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