James Monroe was born April 28, 1758, in a house owned by his parents in a wooded area in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His father, Spence Monroe (1727–1744), was a reasonably successful plantation owner and slaveholder who also worked as a carpenter. Spence Monroe and his mother Elizabeth Jones (1730–1772) had five children together: Elizabeth, James, Spence, Andrew, and Joseph Jones.

James Monroe began attending Campbelltown Academy, the only school in the county, when he was 11 years old. He only spent 11 weeks a year in this school because the farm needed his labor. During this time, John Marshall, an older classmate, and Monroe grew close. Both Monroe's mother and father passed away in 1772 and 1773, respectively.

Although both of his parents left him property, including slaves, 16-year-old Monroe was compelled to drop out of school in order to help his younger brothers. Monroe and his siblings adopted Joseph Jones, his illegitimate maternal uncle, as their biological father. Jones, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, brought Monroe to Williamsburg, the state's capital, and registered him at the College of William and Mary. Additionally, Jones introduced Monroe to notable Virginians like George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson.

James Monroe had a close relationship with Thomas Jefferson - one of the interesting facts about James Monroe. James Monroe made the decision to pursue legal studies under Thomas Jefferson's guidance once the war was done. They discovered they had a lot in common right away, which led to the development of their relationship. From 1780 until 1783, he studied under Jefferson, and during that time, they were able to talk about a lot of topics that would later help Monroe build his own political opinions.

President James Monroe asked his friend and neighbor from Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, for assistance on foreign affairs in a letter dated October 17, 1823. The question was whether or not to support Britain in a declaration opposing Spain's attempts to establish dominance in South America.

James Monroe also sought the advice of former President James Madison and Jefferson, who both suggested working with Britain. John Quincy Adams, Monroe's secretary of state, had a different viewpoint. He believed that the United States needs to steer clear of Britain. Monroe followed Adams' counsel, but he stated in the "Monroe Doctrine" that he was still in favor of the interests of Great Britain.

James Monroe’s political career officially began in 1782 when James Monroe was chosen to serve in the Virginia Assembly. He was elected to the Congress of the Confederation in November 1783 after serving on Virginia's Executive Council. He remained at Annapolis until Congress met in Trenton, New Jersey, in June 1784.

He was elected to the Confederation's Congresses and served in that capacity up to 1786. By the rotational rule, he had held that position for a total of three years before eventually retiring. As a member of Congress, Monroe developed a strong support for western settlement and was instrumental in the creation and adoption of the Northwest Ordinance.

When Monroe made the decision to run for the Senate in 1790, he was elected and went on to lead the Democratic-Republican Party. Monroe was also chosen by President George Washington to serve as the United States ambassador to France in 1794, a position he held for two years until 1796, despite the fact that he only held it for four years in the Senate. After winning a subsequent election, James Monroe was appointed Governor of Virginia in 1799. He later turned into one of Jefferson's most ardent supporters in the 1800 presidential race.

James Monroe was a successful and intellectual man, which is evident from the fact that he was chosen to represent his nation in a number of international positions. He served as ambassador to France. Monroe spoke before the National Convention after arriving in France, earning a standing ovation for his remarks praising republicanism.

Early diplomatic achievements of his included defending American trade from French assaults. The Jay Deal was signed by the United States and Great Britain months after Monroe arrived in France, angering both the French and Monroe who had not been fully informed about the treaty prior to its publication. Monroe was successful in getting French backing for American navigational rights on the Mississippi River despite the Jay Treaty's detrimental consequences on Franco-American ties.

His participation in the Louisiana Purchase discussions alongside the previous president James Madison is one of the interesting facts about James Monroe. Monroe won praise for his dedication in this capacity and was soon named the next ambassador to Great Britain, a position he held from 1803 until 1807.

Following the War of 1812, James Monroe gained huge popularity. Rufus King, the Federalist candidate, was not a major threat to him as he comfortably won the Democratic-Republican nomination. Due to his wartime leadership, Monroe decided to run for president in the 1816 election, making him the clear successor to Madison. Monroe enjoyed widespread support within the party, but at the Democratic-Republican congressional nominating caucus in 1816, his nomination was contested.

Many Southern and Western Congressmen endorsed Secretary of the Treasury William H. Crawford, while several New York Congressmen backed Governor Daniel D. Tompkins. Many Democratic-Republicans were skeptical of Madison and Monroe's backing for the Second Bank of the United States, therefore Crawford particularly appealed to them.

Despite having a large amount of support, Crawford chose to defer to James Monroe in the hope that he would one day succeed him; as a result, Monroe received the candidacy for his party. The party's vice presidential nomination went to Tompkins. After a popular war they had opposed ended, the dormant Federalists chose Rufus King as their presidential candidate, but the party had little opposition. With the exception of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Delaware, Monroe won every state with 183 of the 217 electoral votes cast in his favor. He was the final president who was a Founding Father since he had previously served as a Continental Army officer during the Revolutionary War and as a delegate in the Continental Congress.

James Monroe’s Presidency is famous for the Monroe Doctrine, making it one of the most interesting facts about James Monroe. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, many of Spain's colonies in Latin America began to formally announce their allegiance to the Spanish throne. The American government determined that these acts were consistent with the Republicanism they represented and sought to export to other countries.

President Monroe and his Secretary of State Adams decided that the United States government will back the newly independent countries' pursuit for independence and they would establish economic ties in return, which is an intriguing James Monroe fact. This presented a threat to certain European nations, therefore they chose to join forces with Spain. However, the United Kingdom of Great Britain intervened and halted any attempts to put an end to the independence movement attempted by other European nations.

The Monroe Doctrine was first mentioned by Monroe in 1823 when he formally announced it to the US Congress. This meant that all of the Americas would be free from further European colonization. If another nation were to decide to intervene in the independently-governing nations of the Americas, this would be viewed as an aggressive act against the United States of America.

When the Federalists disintegrated at the end of James Monroe's first term, he was the only president except Washington to run for reelection without facing organized opposition. In the Electoral College, only William Plumer, a solitary elector from New Hampshire, voted for John Quincy Adams, avoiding a unanimous decision. Because he believed Monroe to be incompetent, he did so.

President James Monroe faced no challenger in the 1820 election, therefore he received all electoral votes save one. This began the so-called "Era of Good Feelings." The phrase's underlying idea is that the Democratic-Republicans under Monroe settled into a period of leadership over the United States after the War of 1812. Because four of the first five presidents—Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe—were Virginians, Monroe's administration represented stability and the continuity of the "Virginia dynasty."

Later on in the century, a rumor spread that he had abstained so that only George Washington would receive the honor of being elected unanimously. In his speech outlining his support for the other New Hampshire electors, Plumer avoided mentioning Washington.

When he was younger, James Monroe came to the realization that, unlike his father and grandpa, he wasn't a decent farmer. He chose to enter national politics in order to seek a secure political career, thus he sold off the majority of his land. Finally retiring in 1825, Monroe relocated to Virginia. However, he was unable to remain silent, so in 1829 he assisted in revising the Virginia Constitution.

He served on the university's Board of Visitors under both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the second rector. Up until his wife's passing, he and Elizabeth resided at Oak Hill in Aldie, Virginia. In 1830, his wife passed away, profoundly affecting Monroe.

By the end of the 1820s, Monroe's health had started to deteriorate gradually. James Monroe became the third president to pass away on Independence Day when he succumbed to heart trouble and tuberculosis on July 4, 1831, at the age of 73. His passing occurred five years after the passing of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson and 55 years after the proclamation of the United States Declaration of Independence. His body was reburied at the President's Circle in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, 27 years later, in 1858. Among the nation's National Historic Landmarks is the James Monroe Tomb.