Monroe Administrations - Early Life
Early Life
James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on April 28, 1758. Like Presidents George Washington and James Madison before him, both of whom were also born in Westmoreland County, Monroe left the area as a youth and was not associated with it in his adult life. His father was Spence Monroe and his mother, Elizabeth Jones Monroe. In his autobiography, written after he left the presidency, Monroe gave little detail about his early life. Spence's grandfather, Andrew Monroe, had emigrated from Scotland in 1650 after receiving a land grant, but by the time of James's birth, Spence, a descendant of one of Andrew's younger sons, owned only five hundred acres. This amounted to enough of an estate to make the Monroes part of the gentry, but at the lower end of the scale. Like many young men of his time who were raised on a plantation, young Monroe was given a great degree of freedom, and he developed a lasting interest...
[The entire page is 326 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Related Topics
