The Presidency of James Monroe

James Monroe is one of the most underrated Presidents in American history. He was almost unanimously elected twice and served during some of the most important years in American history.

The War of 1812 was over. Europe was being reorganized after years of warfare. Nationalism was sweeping the West. The United States was expanding west, and Americans were rethinking their political and economic positions. Henry Clay rose to prominence advancing an "American system." John Quincy Adams began the process of creating the "Proposition Nation Myth" while solidifying American commitment to non-intervention. The Missouri Compromise exposed Northern quests for power by hiding behind a moral aversion to slavery. And the Supreme Court codified "loose construction" and "federal supremacy."

These eight years defined the rest of the antebellum period. Everything that followed was born in the post-War of 1812 period. This course explains everything.