James Monroe, inspired with revolutionary fervor, quit college to join the Army. He crossed the Delaware ahead of George Washington and survived the savage winter of 1777–78 at Valley Forge. Monroe studied law under Thomas Jefferson, served in the Continental Congress and was elected to the first U.S. Senate. As a diplomat in France, he negotiated the Louisiana Purchase. During the War of 1812, he simultaneously served as President Madison’s secretary of state and of war. And, in 1816, he was elected president with over 80 percent of electoral votes. In 1820, he ran for his second term unopposed.

Monroe was the first president to tour the country. Known for his ability to set people at ease, he presided over the country during a time that came to be known as the “Era of Good Feelings” — that is, until the Panic of 1819 and the fight over Missouri statehood struck. His Monroe Doctrine declared an end to European colonization of the Western Hemisphere, vowing to consider future attempts as hostile acts against the United States. A supporter of African colonization for American slaves, the capital of Liberia, Monrovia, was named for him.

At the end of his second term, James and Elizabeth Monroe retired to their Virginia estate. He joined Thomas Jefferson and James Madison on the board of regents for the new University of Virginia. After Elizabeth’s death in 1830, Monroe went to live with his daughter Maria in New York City. He died on July 4, 1831—the third founding father to die on the Fourth of July.