"James Monroe during the War of 1812" Topic

"The role generally focused on in the War of 1812 for James Monroe is that of Secretary of State. While the diplomacy of the war is the primary subject where Monroe had the most influence, it was hardly the only role he filled in the course of the war. As a cabinet member in James Madison's administration and in various other ways, Monroe influenced the diplomacy, strategy, and even the fighting of the War of 1812.

James Monroe had considerable experience negotiating with the representatives of European nations prior to Madison appointing him Secretary of State in 1811. Monroe, in fact, had been a challenger for the presidency in the 1808 election, but Madison won out and persuaded his fellow Virginian to join his cabinet as war loomed with Britain. Monroe's diplomatic resume prior to becoming Secretary of State included being part of the team President Jefferson sent to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase; along with William Pinkney, he also helped to negotiate a treaty with Great Britain in 1806. Had Jefferson submitted the treaty to the Senate in 1806, it is likely that the United States would not have declared war on Britain in 1812. The Monroe-Pinkney Treaty would have renewed the terms of the Jay Treaty of 1794 in which Britain made restitution to ship owners whose cargo had been seized by the British navy. The treaty also took a significant step in normalizing trade relations between the two nations for the first time since the revolution ended in 1783. While most Republican followers of Thomas Jefferson rejected the original treaty negotiated by John Jay as a betrayal of American principles, the agreement reduced tensions and prevented war for a decade…"
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