The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness »

A former Distinguished Visiting Fellow in American History at Mount Vernon, Harlow Giles Unger is the author of sixteen books, including six biographies of America’s Founding Fathers. He lives in New York.

Award-winning author Harlow Giles Unger recounts the life of James Monroe, who dedicated himself to serving his country and building America’s future.

Library Journal

In this well-written biography, Unger (Lafayette) presents the fifth president as a man of independence and initiative rather than merely a disciple of Jefferson, Madison, and John Quincy Adams. In this respect, he follows Harry Ammon's assessment in James Monroe: The Quest for National Identity. Unger shows that as a diplomat, Monroe went beyond his ministerial instructions to negotiate treaties and the Louisiana Purchase, that as governor of Virginia he effectively used pronouncements to build public support for his policies, and that as President, he used his diplomatic, cabinet, and military experience to proclaim what became known as the Monroe Doctrine. The author's praise for Monroe should have been balanced by some questions about Monroe's ambition (and possible vanity). For example, during the War of 1812, how far did Monroe undermine Secretary of War John Armstrong so that he could take over the post himself? VERDICT Like Gary Hart's James Monroe, in the Times Books series of short presidential biographies, Unger's work will appeal to a more popular audience, especially those who enjoy presidential history or studying the Founding Fathers. Historians and history students should read as well but will still rely on Ammon.—Bryan Craig, MLS, Nellysford, VA

List of Illustrations vii

Acknowledgements and Dedication ix

Chronology xi

Prologue 1

Chapter 1 "To Be Free…We Must Fight" 7

Chapter 2 "A Brave…and Sensible Officer" 25

Chapter 3 "I May Lose My Scalp" 41

Chapter 4 "A Most Interesting Connection" 61

Chapter 5 "A Subversion of Liberty" 77

Chapter 6 "One Continuous Scene of Riot" 91

Chapter 7 La Belle Américaine 109

Chapter 8 "Let Calumny Have Its Course" 129

Chapter 9 "To Prevent this Greatest of Evils" 143

Chapter 10 "Some Outrages Had Been Coomitted" 159

Chapter 11 "Nothing but Simple Justice" 177

Chapter 12 "To Repair an Injury" 195

Chapter 13 "We Have Met the Enemy…" 213

Chapter 14 "The Poor Capital…Crack'd and Broken" 237

Chapter 15 The "Era of Good Feelings" 261

Chapter 16 "Embroidered with Gold" 277

Chapter 17 "Winked Away by Compromise" 287

Chapter 18 A Momentous Decision 305

Chapter 19 Rejoice! 317

Chapter 20 "A Plain and Gentle Man" 333

Appendix 349

Notes 353

Bibliography 371

Index 377