Newt Gingrich (3:10)
On this episode of Newts World. The lives of these men are essential to understanding the American form of government and our ideals of liberty. The Founding Fathers all played key roles in securing American independence from Great Britain and in the creation of the government on the United States of America now the Life of James Monroe. You know Little is known about James Monroe childhood. He was born on April 28, 1758 to Spencer Monroe, whose relatives fought alongside Charles I in the English Civil wars before being captured and exiled to Virginia in 1649. His mother, Elizabeth Jones Monroe, was the sister of Judge Joseph Jones, a prominent Virginia politician. At the age of 11, James Monroe attended a school run by Reverend Archibald Campbell. He attended school with John Marshall, who later became the Chief justice of the United States. When James Monroe was in his mid teens, both of his parents passed away. His father died in 1774 and his mother probably died earlier than that, but there was no actual date for her death. After this, James and his siblings shared an inheritance of land and some slaves. James and his two brothers, his sister was already married, became wards of their uncle, Joseph Jones. His uncle, Joseph Jones encouraged James Monroe to continue his education, which led Monroe down to the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. However, the Revolutionary War interrupted his education. While at the College of William, Mary Royal Governor Dunmore had fled the capital of Williamsburg fearing that his family was in danger. After he left, James Monroe and a few classmates helped loot the arsenal at the Governor's palace, escaping with 200 muskets and 300 swords, which they then gave to the Virginia militia. By the winter of 1776, Monroe left school and joined the Virginia Infantry. Monroe at this point was 18 years old and slightly more than 6 foot tall. He became an officer in the Continental army and joined General Washington's army in New York. During the war, Monroe fought in the battles of Trenton, Monmouth, Brandywine and Germantown. He was severely wounded at the Battle of Trenton as he was shot in the shoulder as he led a charge against enemy cannon. After recovering, he became a staff officer for General William Alexander. While there, he met and briefly worked alongside Alexander Hamilton, Charles Lee, Aaron Burr, and the Marquis de Lafayette. By the end of his service, Monroe had reached the rank of major. However, because there were already so many majors in the army, he had little chance to command his soldiers in the field and decided to resign from the continental army in 1779. Now, upon the urging of his uncle, Monroe cultivated a friendship with Thomas Jefferson, a friendship that would become valuable for Monroe's career. Jefferson, of course, was a giant both of Virginia politics and of national politics. Co author of the Declaration of Independence, Ambassador of France, Governor of Virginia, a remarkable person, maybe one of the two or three smartest people ever to serve in the presidency, and a man who had enormous nationwide relationships. He actually, with the help of Madison and Aaron Burr, invented the Democratic party, which is today the longest surviving political institution in the world. Now, Jefferson was a figure who would be remarkably helpful to Monroe. He encouraged Monroe to study law, allowed him to use his own personal library whenever he wanted to. Monroe wrote to Thomas Jefferson in letter on September 9, 1780. Your kindness and attention to me in this and a variety of other instances has really put me under such obligations to you that I fear I shall hardly ever have it in my power to repay them. At Jefferson's urging, Monroe purchased property near Monticello in February of 1789. The two houses were so close that they could see each other from their front porches. I should mention, by the way, that when you're told that Jefferson allowed Monroe to borrow books and to read from his library, it's worth remembering Jefferson probably had the largest library in the United States. In fact, Jefferson would ultimately sell the library, and it became the base for the Library of Congress. So he was really opening up to Monroe a huge world of knowledge and a real opportunity. And because books back then were very expensive, the fact that he trusted him enough to loan him books said a great deal about their relationship. Because Jefferson helped him, Monroe continued to study. And in 1782, after studying law under Jefferson, Back then, you didn't go to some fancy law school, you found a practicing lawyer and you worked for them. And so he studied law under Jefferson, and in 1782, he passed the bar exam. He was elected to the Virginia assembly in 1782 and served in the Council of State, advising the governor. In 1783, he was elected to the Continental Congress. While there, he cultivated a friendship with James Madison, whom Jefferson introduced him to. Remember these three Virginians live very close to each other and together they do an enormous amount to shape the United States as we know it today. Monroe strongly opposed John Jay's negotiations with Don Diego de Guarqui and the J. Gardiqui Treaty of 1786 because it would have granted Spain control over the Mississippi river for 25 years. Monroe and James Madison's strong opposition to the treaty helped defeat it while helping secure its popularity in the west, which lasted throughout his political career. People in the west did not want the Spanish to have control of the Mississippi because they were going to ship goods down that river and it was central to their economic future. In 1787, while in New York, Monroe met his wife, Elizabeth Courtright, whose father lost his wealth during the Revolutionary war. She was 16. Monroe was 26. They married a year later on February 16, 1786. In 1788, Monroe was elected to the Virginia convention to ratify the Constitution. But Monroe voted against ratifying the US Constitution. Instead, he wanted a Constitution that allowed for the direct election of senators and the President and a strong bill of rights. On October 15, 1788, Monroe wrote his observations on Jefferson's draft of a constitution for Virginia. Arguing that two year terms for the Senate are too short, Monroe would write, Senate, the term of two years is too short. Six years are not more than sufficient. A Senate is to withstand the occasional impetuosities of the more numerous branches. The members ought therefore to derive a firmness from the tenure of their place. This cannot be done by a body undergoing a frequent change of its members. A senate for six years will not be dangerous to liberty. In his observations on Jefferson's draft of a constitution for Virginia, Monroe argued for an election by the people at large. Quote, an election by the legislature is liable to insuperable objections. It not only tends to faction, intrigue and corruption, but leaves the executive under the influence of an improper obligation to that department. An election where the people at large, as in this in several other states, or by electors, as in the appointment of the Senate in Maryland, or indeed by the people through any other channel than their legislative representatives, seems to be far preferable. Half of the new Constitution was ratified. Monroe unsuccessfully challenged James Madison for a seat in the U.S. house of Representatives, losing by 300 votes. And I must say, given the extraordinary role that Madison played in the first couple of congresses, it's a little hard to imagine how different things would have been had Monroe successfully defeated him. And a race which after all was only 300 vote margin.
