RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Monroe was mostly unremarkable, except for the "Monroe Doctrine". This philosophy has waxed and waned and waxed again - been expanded numerous times - but when exercised the results have been a mixed bag.

Monroe was the perfect peace time president who helped rebuild the country physically and mentally after the war. His presidency was known as the Era of Good Feelings, it is a shame he is often forgotten in American history.

OK, I guess. He cleaned up things after the war and started to mend our international relations mess. He made a good deal with Great Britain that ended up as the Monroe Doctrine. Latin American doesn't like it, but the USA does.

It must haved been wonderful to have been an American during Monroe's successful presidency, dubbed the "Era Of Goood Feeling;" he was virtually unopposed in his re-election. Monroe was an honorable, able man, and a statesman. Are there ANY statesmen alive today?

Having gone to high school w/James Monroe, I can say w/full confidence that he totally rocked. From Virginia to New York, there was no stopping James"I can't stop dancing"Monroe!!!!
5 stars everybody, 5 stars!!!!!!!!

Perhaps not the most talented of the original Founding Fathers, James Monroe was nevertheless a skilled statesman and an exceptional administrator. Confident and able, Monroe was a popular President during the so-called 'Era of Good Feeling'. But perhaps his greatest legacy was the Monroe Doctrine which forbade foreign intervention in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere.

He didnt create problems thats why you dont hear much of Mr. Monroe. Thats y he is the best casue he didn't mess anything up only helped it.

Monroe had one of the greatest cabinets ever assembled and he had the wisdom to let his cabinet secretaries do what they did best. The Missouri Compromise managed to keep the young republic together and the Monroe Doctrine laid the course for generations to follow. I'd rank Monroe among the ten greatest presidents in U.S. history.

Era of good feelings my ass, he never should've been elected.

He is who my home county in new york is named for!! He is rated as being one of the best presidents in history in The Big Book of American Lists

Kept European powers out of the Americas.

An okay President. He brought peace and compromise to the country. But other than that he didn't do much.

Underated. Built up our infrastructure.

James Monroe was quite fortunate to have John Quincy Adams at his disposal. Monroe essentially gave Adams a free hand, allowing him to draft the Monroe Doctrine, which would serve as the backbone of U.S. foreign policy for years to come and assert U.S. dominance in Latin America. In declaring that . . . the American continents . . . by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European power, Monroe sent a message to the world that the United States intended to remain the master of its own house and would not tolerate European interference in American affairs. Adams was also successful in settling a border dispute with Canada and negotiating a treaty with the British over Oregon. Amidst pressure from Adams, Spain also agreed to relinquish control of Florida to the United States. Adams was so competent in the field of foreign affairs that most of the foreign issues facing the United States were resolved by the time that he ascended to the Presidency in 1825. In the area of domestic affairs, Monroe was guided by his firm belief in states' rights. This led him to veto a massive public works program that would have placed the responsibility of building vital infrastructure on the federal government. Monroe faced a significant economic recession during his term which was niether caused nor resolved by him. Luckily, the economy worked its magic and improved just before Monroe's re-election campaign began in 1820. Meanwhile, a crisis was brewing over the issue of slavery. Monroe, determined to resolve the matter quickly and quietly, accepted and signed the Compromise of 1820 which allowed for Missouri's entrance into the Union as a slave state and Maine's entrance as a free state. The compromise temporarily eased tensions and was signed by the President in good faith. It may have been a success had future presidents and congresses not capitalized on the growing sectionalist moods that were sweeping the country. Overall, Monroe was largely a do-nothing president who mostly relied on the advice of his subordinates. His most substantial legacy is the Monroe Doctrine which declared to the world that the United States would not tolerate any subversion or aggression in the Americas and conveyed to the world that America was quickly emerging as a world power.

he was pretty good not an ass hole like many others.....

Isolationism.

Was responsible for a foreign policy that lasted most of the century.

Who had the brain to bring in JQA, who had the guts to send Jackson into Florida, who had the balls to deliver a doctrine that if challenged could not be supported but did the right thing anyway, who was able to put his ego aside and not meddle with people's lives.....James Monroe that's who!!!!

His "Doctrine" springs to mind when he is mentioned, but not only was it the brainchild of Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, but it lost all relevance within 50 years of it's invention. Nonintervention and noncolonization soon became moot when the country found itself in the throws of a Civil War. Also, the Florida purchase through the Adams-Onis treaty was more because of the actions of Andrew Jackson and Adams, again, than anything Monroe did.

A very popular president, he won his reelection unopposed. He was fortunate enough to let John Quincy Adams handle foregin policy.

James Monroe. What can you say? Terrible president. A genius of a man--(don't get me wrong)--but a rotten president--rotten, rotten, rotten. His terms (1817-1825) are misnamed the Era of Good Feeling. Such spanned all eight years--including the shattering Panic of 1819 which came about due to overspeculation in Western lands. In short, Monroe is given credit for what other people did in his administration. If the Era of GF was indeed the Era of GF it was because of the nationalism and pride in America the American people felt following the War of 1812. Therefore, shouldn't Madison be given more credit? Why give it to Monroe? He had hardly anything to do with it. And also--the Monroe Doctrine. Yes, Monroe SAID it--but the doctrine was the idea and brainchild of J. Q. Adams, the brilliant and brainy Secretary of State and future president, who wanted to make the US beam singularly and solitarily in the world instead of issuing a joint statement with Britain denouncing European imperialism, a statement the British offered to make, a statement which Adams rejected in his political understanding of the situation. Great man. Regarding the doctrine, Monroe didn't even like the idea at first. And the "purchase" of Florida was also part of Adam's resume, not Monroe's. Florida never would have been purchased if it wasn't for Adam's singular support of Andrew Jackson's raid into Florida. It seems that Jimmy Monroe has spent his administrations riding on other people's coattails.

Not that great

A true notch below Madison. His Monroe Doctrine is his hallmark, and a priciple we still hold to today.

Monroe loved a hoe named flo. Who didn't want to use a Jimmy no mo. So she walked out the do.

I got to give him 5 stars because I am related to him :)

presidency was known as the era of good feelings. Great president!!!!!

James Monroe's Foreign Policy doctrine set out that European imperialists not be allowed in the Western Hemisphere. That piece of foreign policy has been our main objective as a nation for the past 200 years that we will not allow anyone to threaten our soverignty or that of any of our neighbors.