James Monroe's End Up With The Grade Of B.

Imagine living in 1816 where, with the Federalist Party in shambles, it’s almost guaranteed the Democratic-Republican Party will reign supreme. Enter James Monroe, former Governor of Virginia and Democratic-Republican Party candidate, shocking nobody with his 183 to 34 electoral votes victory. Unlike his unusual win, Monroe was an average president whose presidency had both ups and downs. Based on this information and his work in the categories of foreign policy, domestic issues, and slavery, I would give him a grade of B. But first, let’s break down how he ended up with this grade.

Pre-Presidency

Let’s first look at how Monroe’s presidency came to be in the first place. Monroe began his work in public service in 1782 as a part of the Virginia

One of which is considered his greatest legacy. This would be The Monroe Doctrine. In 1823 Monroe created the Monroe Doctrine which warned European nations that the U.S. would not tolerate colonization in the Western Hemisphere. This document had four key points stating that the U.S. would not interfere in international affairs, would recognize the already formed colonies in the Western Hemisphere, that the Western Hemisphere would be closed to colonization, and that any attempts to oppress nations would be viewed as hostile acts towards the United States. Although this policy was meant to aid concerns at the time, it soon became a major part of U.S. foreign policy and is still used to this day. The Monroe Doctrine alone makes his grade an A+. This is due to its importance and continuing impact on the U.S. Monroe had other achievements in foreign policy as well including the U.S.'s acquisition of Florida and the settlement of boundary issues with Britain. The U.S.’s acquisition of Florida began in 1815 but did not get resolved until Monroe was in Office. Monroe was Secretary of State when the negotiations began. It was resolved with the Onis-Adams Treaty of 1819 where the U.S. bought Florida for five million dollars and Spanish Sovereignty of Texas was recognized. Monroe's ability to aid in solving disputes with other countries as well as expanding U.S. territory further justify his current grade of an

This was the first major depression to hit the United States since the 1780s. It was largely caused by declining imports and exports as well as decreasing agricultural prices. This caused unemployment rates to skyrocket and increased bankruptcies and foreclosures. Many people ridiculed Monroe for his lack of action during this time of economic uncertainty, but he believed that depressions were normal for a new economy and that they would rebound soon. Economic depressions impact people from all walks of life so Monroe’s inaction earns him a C for this specific issue, bringing his overall grade down again to a