The Writings of James Monroe. Including a collection of his public and private papers and correspondence now for the first time printed. Volume 3. 1796-1802

This Virginia native almost missed his chance to become America's fifth president - during the American Revolution, the young lieutenant nearly died at the Battle of Trenton under General George Washington. Luckily, Monroe survived and went on to study law with Thomas Jefferson, who introduced Monroe to James Madison, his presidential predecessor. As president, Monroe is most famous for his message of 1823, the Monroe Doctrine, which warned against further European intervention in the New World and declared an American policy of nonintervention in Europe. Monroe, like Jefferson and Adams before him, died on the 4th of July.