Biography of JAMES MONROE
JAMES MONROE, was born 28 April 1758 in Monroe's Creek, Westmoreland,
County, Virginia. He was educated privately and was graduated from
William and Mary College. On 16 February 1786 at Trinity Episcopal
Church in New York, New York, he married Elizabeth Kortright, who was
born 30 June 1768 in New York, New York, a daughter of Captain Lawrence
Kortright and Hannah Aspinwall. She died 23 September 1830 in Oak Hill,
Loudoun County, Virginia. She was buried first at Oak Hill, but in 1903
was re-interred beside her husband in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond,
Virginia.
The professional career of James Monroe:
1775 Second Lieutenant of the 3rd Virginia Regiment.
1776 1st Lieutenant - he saw action under General Washington at the
Battle of Harlem Heights (where he was wounded), White Plains,
and Trenton (where he was again wounded).
1776 promoted to Captain in December of that year.
1777 aide-de-camp to Major-General William Alexander; the self-
styled Earl of Stirling. Saw action at the Battles of
Brandywine and Germantown.
1777 promoted to Major in November.
1778 saw action at the Battle of Monmouth.
1780 was appointed Military Commissioner to the Southern
Revolutionary Army with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
1782 was a Member from King George County to the Virginia House of
Delegates and Member of the Executive Council.
1783-1786 Virginia Delegate to the Continental Congress.
1786 admitted to the Virginia Bar.
1787-1788 Member of the Virginia Assembly.
1788 Member of the Virginia Convention ratifying the United States
Constitution.
1788 unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of
Representatives (being defeated by James Madison).
1790-1794 United States Senator from Virginia.
1791 Member of the Commission revising laws of Virginia.
1792 Member of the Committee investigating Alexander Hamilton's use
of public money.
1794-1796 United States Minister to France.
1799-1802 Governor of Virginia.
1803 In January, United States Envoy Extraordinary to France to
negotiate the Louisiana Purchase.
1803-1807 In April of 1803 appointed United States Minister to
Britain.
1803-1807 United States Envoy Extraordinary to Spain.
1806 Commissioner settling differences between the United States
and Britain.
1808 unsuccessful presidential candidate.
1810-1811 Member of the Virginia Assembly.
1811 from January to March Governor of Virginia.
1811-1814 United States Secretary of State
1814 from January to February 1814 ad interim United States
Secretary of War; also from 3 to 27 September of that year.
1814-1915 from September of 1814 full United States Secretary of War.
1815 from February to March, United States Secretary of State.
1817-1825 5th President of the United States.
Major Acts and Treaties during his administration:
Flag Act (1818)
Adams-Onis Treaty (Spain) (1819)
Slave trade act (1820)
1826 Regent of the University of Virginia.
1829 Chairman of the Virginia Constitutional Convention.
James Monroe was also the author of the following works:
Observations Upon the Proposed Plan of Federal Government (published in 1788)
A View of the Conduct of the Execution in the Foreign Affairs of the United
States (published in 1797).
The Writings of James Monroe, seven volumes (published between 1898 and 1903)
Papers of James Monroe, edited by S.M. Hamilton (published in 1904)
The Autobiography of James Monroe, edited by Stuart G. Brown and Donald G.
Baker (published in 1959)
James Monroe died 4 July 1831 in New York, New York, and was initially
interred in Marble Hill Cemetery there. He was later re-interred in
Hollywood Cemetery along side his wife in 1858.
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Biography of ELIZA KORTRIGHT
ELIZABETH KORTRIGHT was born 30 June 1768 in New York, New York. She
and her siblings were educated at home. He family, the Kortrights, were
leaders of New York society. The black haired, blued-eyed Elizabeth was
the darling of the social set and traveled extensively through Europe.
At a social function, Elizabeth met the delegate to the Continental
Congress from Virginia, James Monroe. After a courtship, they were
married 16 February 1786 at New York's Trinity Episcopal Church. The
couple honeymooned on Long Island, and had two daughters and a son who
only lived two years. Elizabeth was an intelligent, quiet, reticent
person, who some thought aloof. She was a painter and could speak
fluent French. She accompanied her husband when he took up posts as
ambassador to France, England, and Spain. She charmed and impressed
host countries. In 1795 while in France, she went to Le Petit Force
prison in the official United States coach with the purpose of calling
on the wife of Madame Lafayette, Adrienne de Noallies. The French were
impressed with Elizabeth's brave action and Adrienne and her children
were freed the following day. Upon their return from Europe,
Elizabeth's health was not very good and they did little entertaining or
visiting. The new Secretary of State and his family were almost virtual
unknowns to Washington. When Monroe was elected president in 1817,
Elizabeth was suffering from a bad case of rheumatism. Although an
elegant hostess, she changed the rules of society to ones that did not
sit well with the public. She desired privacy and set her own schedule,
not following what the public wanted. Her receptions were very stiff
and formal and she received guests sitting on a raised platform. The
practice of calling on ladies and returning their calls was discontinued
by the First Lady. Any called received were accepted, however. These
duties were usually delegated to daughter Eliza Hay. When daughter
Maria was married, Washington society was again offended. Due to her
mother's ill health, Eliza decided the affair should be "New York
style," very private and very small, with no one outside family and
close friends invited. Society decided to retaliate by refusing to
attend receptions where this eldest daughter was the hostess. Elizabeth
was also known for her fashion sense, but was criticized for using
cosmetics. She was glad to leave the White House after eight years.
Living in London when her husband was ambassador to the Court of St.
James possibly contributed to contracting rheumatic fever. The disease
worsened in her later years, and she experienced a series of violent
seizures. She once fell into the fireplace at their Virginia estate,
Ash Lawn, and was badly burned. On 23 September 1830 Oak Hill, Virginia, she died of
complications from the disease at the age of sixty-two. Her husband was
so distraught at her death that he burned all of their letters to each
other. Elizabeth was buried in Hollywood Cemetery near Richmond
Virginia.
Paletta, Lu Ann. The World Almanac of First Ladies. New York: Pharo
Books, 1990. 16-18.
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Notes and Sources
1. Riker, James, Revised History of Harlem (City of New York), Its
Origins and Early Annals. New York: New Harlem Publishing Company,
1904. 563-569.
2. Ibid., p. 426-430.
3. Riker, David M., Genealogical and Biographical Directory to Persons
in New Netherland from 1613 to 1674. CD-ROM. Cambridge: The
Learning Company, 1999. 1549.
4. Ibid., p. 228.
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