JAMES MONROE

1758-1831

5th President (1817-1825)

Biographical Data
Religious Views
Quotations
References, Links, & Further Reading

Education: College of William and Mary

Occupation: lawyer

Political Affiliation: Democratic-Republican

Organizational Affiliation(s): Mason

Religious Affiliation: Episcopalian

Summary of Religious Views:

Franklin Steiner, in his book The Religious Beliefs Of Our Presidents, categorized Monroe among "Presidents Whose Religious Views Are Doubtful." Indeed, Monroe was very close-mouthed about his religious views -- almost nothing on that subject can be found in his speeches or writings.

David L. Holmes, in his article "The Religion of James Monroe," summarizes Monroe's views this way: "James Monroe seems to have been an Episcopalian of deistic tendencies who valued civic virtues above religious doctrine."

Views on Religion & Politics:

Quotations:

James Monroe left almost no documents or speeches pertaining to religion, so there are no quotations from Monroe here.

References, Links, & Further Reading: Books, Articles, Links

Books

Works by James Monroe

ed. by Stanislaus Hamilton, The Writings of James Monroe, 7 vol., G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1898-1903; reprint, AMS Press, 1969; Vol. I Vol. II Vol. III Vol. IV Vol. V Vol. VI Vol. VII
ed. by Stuart Gerry Brown, The Autobiography of James Monroe, Syracuse Univ. Press, 1959

Biographies

Harry Ammon, James Monroe: The Quest for National Identity, McGraw-Hill, 1971; reprint, 1990
Harry Ammon, James Monroe: A Bibliography, Meckler, 1991
W. P. Cresson, James Monroe, Univ. of North Carolina Press, 1946; reprint, 1986
Noble E. Cunningham, Jr., The Presidency of James Monroe, Univ. Press of Kansas, 1996
Gary Hart, James Monroe, Times Books, 2005
Ernest R. May, The Making of the Monroe Doctrine, Harvard Univ. Press, 1975
Dexter Perkins, Hands Off: A History of the Monroe Doctrine, rev. ed., Little Brown, 1963
Lucius Wilmerding, Jr., James Monroe, Public Claimant, Rutgers Univ. Press, 1960

Articles

David L. Holmes, "The Religion of James Monroe," The Virginia Quarterly Review, Autumn 2003, pp.589-606
Arthur Scherr, "James Monroe on the Presidency and 'Foreign Influence': from the Virginia Ratifying Convention (1788) to Jefferson's Election (1801)," Mid-America, Vol. 84, Nos. 1-3, 2002, pp. 145-206
Arthur Scherr, "Governor James Monroe and the Southampton Slave Resistance of 1799," Historian, Vol. 61, No. 3, 1999, pp. 557-578

Links

Works by James Monroe

James Monroe: Historic Speeches (Presidential Rhetoric)
James Monroe: Selected Works (Humanities Web)
James Monroe -- selected speeches & writings (Hypertext on American History)
James Monroe letters for the years 1815 thru 1830 (familytales)
First Inaugural Address (AMDOCS)
Second Inaugural Address (AMDOCS)
The Monroe Doctrine -- from Seventh Annual Message to Congress
Views of the President of the United States on the Subject of Internal Improvements (The Founders' Constitution)

Biographical Sites

James Monroe [alternate site] (POTUS)
James Monroe (White House)
MONROE, James, 1758-1831 (Biographical Directory of the US Congress)
James Monroe (USA Presidents)
James Monroe (American President)
James Madison and James Monroe, by John N. Pearce (James Madison University)
The Monroe Doctrine (Library of Congress)
James Monroe (Ash Lawn-Highland)
Who Served Here? James Monroe (Historic Valley Forge)
James Monroe (Medical History of the Presidents of the United States)
Ash Lawn-Highland

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