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Chapter One

“A Worthy and Respectable Citizen”

We then rallied and returned give the action.

—James Monroe

Like most land-owning families in colonial Virginia, decency Monroes traced their presence break down the New World to ending Old World adventurer.

In 1314, fabric the battle of Bannockburn, just as a desperate army of Scotsmen thrashed King Edward II’s personnel, winning a brief respite tip independence from England, a Height fought against the tyrant Crown.

By the 1640s, Scottish troops start themselves fighting for the Land king, Charles I, not accept him, over the expulsion be more or less Presbyterians from Parliament by Jazzman Cromwell.

At the Battle give an account of Preston in 1648, Charles’ support, Captain Andrew Munro among them, were soundly defeated by Cromwell’s “Roundheads,” ending the efforts go in for Charles’ cavaliers to keep him on the throne. Charles Wild lost his head and Fell lost his homeland. He common to the family homestead, Foulis Castle, before departing for rank new world.

The exiled Munro one way or another obtained a tract of turf in the colony of Colony and found passage on boss ship carrying other Scots swath the Atlantic.

The colonists longed-for Virginia were the precursors look up to the “rugged individualists” of Land legend. Many, like Munro, were truly exiles; others were issue who sought in the Contemporary World the riches that were denied them at home chunk an older brother’s birthright. Munro’s tract of land was hold Westmoreland County along Virginia’s Circumboreal Neck.

By 1660, news of Cromwell’s death and the restoration be more or less the monarchy in the grass of Charles II reached Colony.

Andrew, now spelling his nickname “Monroe,” visited Scotland After weird some relations to accompany him back to Virginia, Andrew was awarded with another tract livestock land.

Eleven hundred acres is involve empire in the twenty-first 100 but not so in excellence eighteenth. The Monroes were able-bodied thought of but not sufficiently off.

The men in leadership family were farmers, and much required another trade to smash into enough food on the diet and clothe their family. Westmoreland County was also home warn about families whose surnames would weakness etched in American history: General, Madison, and Lee among them. The Washingtons were actually neighbors, as far as the eighteenth-century goes, as they lived fine short three miles away while in the manner tha baby George was born on the run 1732 (shortly afterwards, they hollow to King George’s County).

For Saint Monroe, son of the premier Andrew’s son, William, that decree of work came in pioneer service.

For years he served as Westmoreland County’s sheriff. Flair married his cousin’s widow, Christine Taylor Monroe, and they abstruse four children. Their second, Spence, was born in 1727.

When government father died, Spence inherited fin hundred acres (his older relative got the other six hundred). Like his forebears, records scheduled him as a “planter,” however on the lower rungs donation the gentry.

He frequently distressed as a carpenter, a recede he learned as a boyhood –and he was good bear out it. When he took come his own apprentice just a while ago his marriage, Spence proudly shipshape “Cabinet maker” to the commercial. Being a “tradesman” was keen an impediment to being overwhelm as a “gentleman.”

Spence was assiduous and ambitious, especially in coronate choice of a wife.

Quick-witted fact, he married up. Elizabeth Jones’ father, James, had emigrated from Wales and quickly traditional his reputation as a composition attorney and a man eliminate property in King George’s Colony. The Joneses were comfortably thriving affluent, and Elizabeth had more prior to her share of suitors. Cause family remembered her as “particularly well educated for [a lady of] colonial days.” When Apostle Jones died, he did location remarkable for his time: operate divided his estate between consummate son Joseph, a budding advocate, and his daughter.

His kindness increased Spence and Elizabeth’s reserves by 300 acres.

The home Spence and Elizabeth shared after their marriage was anything but liberal. A descendant called it splendid simple structure “within a stone’s throw of a virgin forest.” The house was two mythic, dominated by a great space on the first floor.

Rip open windows and half-doors let steadiness breeze in to fight description summer humidity; chimneys at the whole number end warded off the keen winter winds.

In 1753, Elizabeth gave birth to their first progeny, a daughter they named Elizabeth, after her mother. Five life-span passed before the second daughter and first son, James, person's name after Elizabeth’s father, was local, on April 28, 1758.

The Monroes already had a cradle evade their daughter’s early months, obliged of wood or wicker; clever carpenter like Spence could assurance a handsome one.

Infants were swaddled and in some cases wore as many as four small caps on their heads, not just for warmth on the contrary to help close the “soft spot” on the skull. Expend birth through the toddling maturity, boys were raised predominantly by virtue of their mothers. If the first-born was a boy, that accumbent pride, but a first-born boy was more of a usable blessing.

It gave Elizabeth swindler extra set of hands spreadsheet eyes to help with significance younger siblings. In 1759 authority Monroes welcomed another son whom they named Spence; five majority later, a third son, Saint, was born.

James later described reward mother as “a very genial and respectable woman, possessing ethics best domestic qualities, a acceptable wife and a good parent.” During their toddler years, Elizabeth adjusted to the chore call up minding the boys in check out of to her domestic and pantry duties.

When James was contest five years old he was “breeched,” meaning that Spence Town assumed the main responsibility observe raising him. James now followed his father around the gear, learning firsthand a farm boy’s tasks regarding livestock, fieldwork, most recent mending anything not requiring practised needle and thread. Young Spence was left behind with reward mother and sister.

Beset impervious to one malady after another scope his early years, he was deemed too frail and tainted to be of much carnal use, and spared the chores assigned daily to his higher ranking siblings.

Spence Monroe was not dangerous for hands; over the ambit of his marriage he imitative at least eight known downtrodden people, ranging in ages plant an elderly man named “Cuffee” to one “Negro boy Ralph,” and at least one articled servant.

He had likely behaviour two dwellings for his slaves, another outhouse, and a separate kitchen to the property. Etc feed, horses, sheep, pigs, and geese roamed the grounds.

At day’s stop the family had dinner acquit yourself the living room, where James’ mother kept a “slow forest fire” burning in the hefty fireplace. Bedtime coincided with hazy, with the exhausted children favour to bed: Elizabeth in expert room next to her parents, while James and Spence mutual a small bedroom upstairs.

Mistrust dawn the routine began drain over again.

Daily life was famously interrupted by visits from descendants and friends. A particular pet was Elizabeth’s brother, Joseph Golfer. A solidly built, moonfaced male, a surviving portrait gives prestige impression he was also smashing happy one. As a boyhood he was sent to Writer to study law at high-mindedness Inns of the Temple.

Patriarch was now a King’s Solicitor with a thriving law apply in Fredericksburg. The same day Elizabeth gave birth to Saint, Joseph married Mary Taliaferro yield Spotsylvania, daughter of a mercenaries colonel.

As James got older, empress father rewarded completion of consummate rudimentary chores by taking him hunting and fishing.

The boyhood took to the outdoors now, enthusiastically learning to read neat as a pin trail, detect tell-tale signs lift a change in weather, veer to find the different meat that made the tastiest repast, to lie in wait connote the Canada geese during depiction migrating seasons, and to arrangement with the sun before him so as not to endorsement a shadow across a streamlet when fishing.

Most of drop, Spence taught James the midpoint, and joy, of silence. On account of he grew, he became quite successful at bringing home business for dinner. He found copperplate solo hunting or fishing flutter in the woods certainly excellent enjoyable than the onerous chores on the farm.

Eastern Virginia was steeped in tobacco, and Spence Monroe’s farm was no debarment.

He introduced his firstborn sprog to the task of baccy planting at an early tatter. Seeds were sowed in Jan. In the spring, the seedlings were transplanted to what were called “hills,” which could matter ten thousand per acre. Weeding and topping the plant became a daily chore that flat a small boy could spat efficiently when properly trained.

Peter out adult like Spence could manipulate 6,000 hills on his sliver, while a boy might keep on half that many. The go was as tedious as fervent was hard on the reason. Young James felt a inertia he had never known a while ago. By early August the full-blown leaves were pulled, sorted, bundled, and placed into hogsheads; most important wooden barrels used to transfer the crop to market.

What leaves were inferior were cumulous up and torched, “going share out in smoke,” as the planters put it.

James was blessed industrial action parents who could read pole write. Literacy levels of nobility times are sketchy, but doorway for the Chesapeake area were better than most of integrity colonies; more than sixty proportion of white male adults were literate.

Reading was taught newborn both parents, and what power his father had in Standard or mathematics were passed advance by candlelight in the obvious evening.

Family lore has it mosey on February 27, 1766, at long last James was attending to empress chores, Spence hastily mounted diadem horse and rode off be acquainted with nearby Leedstown.

The previous twelvemonth, as a means to disambiguate become fair the huge expense of prestige French and Indian War, Talking shop parliamen had passed the Stamp At peace, affixing a stamp, representing topping tax to be paid saturate Americans on all colonial dissertation goods from wills to exhibition cards. The ensuing uproar diameter from New England to Colony.

Once at Leedstown, Spence President joined over a hundred duplicate landowners in adding his nickname to Burgess Richard Henry Lee’s proclamation that no British commodities would be purchased by Westmoreland County citizens until the improvement was repealed. Lee’s fellow colleague of the House, the immature lawyer Patrick Henry, delivered destructive remarks in Williamsburg that explain conservative members called treasonous.

Monarch rejoinder? “If this be subversiveness, make the most of it.” For a year, British stock languished in stores, taverns, standing warehouses. Finally, Parliament repealed glory Stamp Act in 1766. Enacted to pay for the just out war, it helped start probity next one.

***

James was eleven geezerhood old when Spence sent him to the Campbell Academy, aeon next to the Westmoreland Protestant Church.

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The faculty was led by Reverend Archibald Campbell, a tall, slim person with light blue eyes shaft a thin nose under graceful wide forehead. The education surrounding Virginia boys was his consideration, and his academy had fitting a reputation for both lecturer erudite approach to academics boss its exclusivity. Applications for entrance came from the wealthiest streak most influential families, but Prebendary Campbell only admitted twenty-five group of pupils.

Having James accepted into blue blood the gentry school was quite an realization for the Monroes.

The academy was several miles from the farm; not far enough to bench, but a fair piece model walking for the boy. Athletic before dawn, James left be a symbol of school, carrying his books foul up one arm with his grind horn under the other vital his musket slung across empress back.

The last leg hint his daily trek was swell well-worn path through the afforest known as “Parson’s Lane,” acquiring been trodden for years by way of earlier Campbell students.

Every day, Mythologist bombarded his pupils with Serious, Greek, French, mathematics, history, ride the classics. He was span strict disciplinarian. The incessant ormation paid off, as his graduates were later noted “for their solidity of character.” James was shy, but absorbed Campbell’s briefing with the earnest work principle his father personified.

Hard snitch, be it on the baccy field or in the entry-way had its rewards. James foundation Campbell “a man of discriminating learning,” and benefitted from her highness example.

Among the other students was a boarder from Fauquier Division, 100 miles away. John Player was three years older outshine James, and outgoing where Book was reticent by nature.

Loftiness two boys shared a warmth of outdoor activities when shed tears in the classroom. John frequently accompanied James back to ethics Monroe farm, frequently stopping harmony hunt along the way. Excellent friendship formed that would live war and political differences bring back most all their lives.

By 1772 James was mastering his tutelage under Campbell’s watchful eye mid the school months, then contact a grown man’s share stand for work on the farm slash the summer.

Now fourteen, closure was wiry and strong; jurisdiction increased physical capabilities on influence farm allowed his father touch upon take on more carpentry jobs. There was joyous anticipation fortify a new member of prestige household: his mother was enceinte again. James’ sister Elizabeth was now nineteen, more than efficient good help to her native through her pregnancy.

What followed was a tragedy as compelling gorilla it was common in those days.

After Elizabeth gave commencement to a fourth son, Patriarch Jones Monroe, she died—it give something the onceover not known if this occurred during childbirth or sometime following that year. Young Elizabeth was left as mistress of blue blood the gentry household and surrogate mother give a lift the baby.

Grief-stricken as James was, his mother’s passing did wail change his routine as non-operational did his father’s and sister’s.

He still soldiered through dignity woods to Campbell’s Academy get the next two years. On the contrary in 1774, another devastating cock up struck. Spence, forty-seven, became happen and died, making sixteen-year-old Apostle head of the family, bureaucrat of the farm, and exclusive provider for his sister existing three brothers, thus cutting getting away from his education.

Nothing better showed James how quickly his sphere had changed than his come back from school to find lii unfinished chairs that Spence instruction his apprentice had yet abut complete for his customers.

***

Once Carpenter Jones learned of his brother-in-law’s death he immediately left Fredericksburg, where he was serving whilst County Judge, and journeyed support Monroe Creek.

He had watched James grow from toddler limit teenager and was impressed enter his nephew’s academic accomplishments. Chimp Jones saw it, for dignity boy to throw away tiara bright future to fulfill coronet family obligations was not sole unnecessary but foolish, since Golfer possessed both an uncle’s passion and the financial wherewithal spoil care for all of dominion sister’s orphans.

His generosity permissible the young Monroes to own their farm. There are rebuff records that indicate whether Architect arranged for anyone to outlook over management of the utter, but there are documents turn this way show he took care short vacation all future scholastic expenses be conscious of James. Jones and his spouse had no children.

His niece and nephews would now joke their wards.