10 October 1821

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John C. Calhoun

Written by President Monroe to Calhoun as Secretary of War. Declares that the measures Calhoun have taken in regard to the Seminole Indians have been proper. Says that "Unprincipled settlers" should be driven away, and that "It was correct also to prohibit the sale of run away slaves, since it might and probably would, as you justly observe, have opened the door to fraud. Returns the papers relating to the demands of Governor John Clark of Georgia. Mentions that he is sending the proceedings of the court of inquiry and the court martial to him by mail. Hears with regret that many are still…

GLC02859

26 March 1819

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Appointment of Morris S. Miller to negotiate a treaty with the Seneca Indians of New York]

Countersigned by Calhoun as Secretary of War. Appointing Miller to make a treaty to obtain Seneca reservation land.

GLC02768

22 August 1817

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Letter signed

Title: To the Inhabitants of the town of Saco

Written by Monroe as President during his tour of the country after his victory in the election of November 1816. This tour echoed the famous tours of America President George Washington made in 1789 and 1791. The tour inaugurated what is known as the Era of Good Feelings. This letter expresses pleasure at the respectful greeting he had in Saco, Massachusetts, in the District of Maine (Maine did not join the Union as a separate state until 1820). Monroe was in Saco on 15 July 1817, but this letter is written over a month later from Boston and directed to William Moody, a tavern owner and…

GLC03400

3 January 1817

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Letter signed

Title: to James McCulloch

Monroe, Secretary of State, informs McCulloch, collector of customs in Baltimore, of a violation of United States laws by the Mangoree, a South American Schooner. States that the Mangoree reported herself on 28 December 1816 in the Baltimore port. Requests that McCulloch inform the Attorney of the United States of any information he can obtain related to the violation.

GLC03197

14 March 1828

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Written by Monroe in retirement to an unknown recipient, but the collateral file has paperwork that says it is to Tench Ringgold. That cannot be confirmed, although it is possible. Ringgold was a well known Republican politician in Washington, D.C., and was serving as U.S. Marshall for the District of Columbia when this letter was penned. He was also active in helping Monroe receive reimbursement from the government for Monroe's previous diplomatic work. Says at the insistance of his friends in Albemerle County, Virginia, he has had his memoirs printed in pamphlet form. Is sending a copy to…

GLC03338.02

27 October 1819

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown recipient

A confidential letter written as President. Explains that he is at home recovering from fatigue due to travel, but will return to the city shortly. Refers to his friendly relationship with the current President of the Bank of the United States, Langdon Cheves, and says cryptically to the recipient that he will "promote your object, as far as in my situation it may be proper."

GLC03371

January 14, 1818

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Document signed

Title: [Pardon of Henry F. Doyhar for keeping a billiard table without a license].

Countersigned by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams. Fined $150. Pardoned because of his misunderstanding of the licensing requirements and his indigent circumstances.

GLC03655

20 April 1786

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Jay

Writing as a member of the Continental Congress, Monroe seeks Jay's attendance at a meeting and input on the issues of governing territories and establishing an Indian Department. Indicates that the questions will pertain to whether or not the territories should be governed like colonies, and if so, how should it be superintended. The same question applies to the Indian department.

GLC03654

circa February 1817

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph manuscript

Title: [Draft of first inaugural address]

First draft of president-elect Monroe's inauguration address. Monroe gave the address, with substantial changes, on 4 March 1817, beginning the Era of Good Feelings. The speech was the first outdoor inauguration since Washington's in 1789. Monroe's draft has a generally positive tone, expressing happiness and confidence with America's present and future prospects. It was written to appeal to everyone and avoids confrontation. Begins by thanking his fellow citizens for their trust in him and says he hopes to be a useful public servant. Following in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson's ideas on…

GLC03880

2 November 1815

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Moses Abbott

Written by Monroe as Secretary of State. Monroe apparently owes Abbott a substantial debt, saying he will pay to his order five hundred dollars by Mr. Dabney next week and the balance in 90 days. Says his farms in Albemarle and Loudoun Counties in Virginia have been "miserably deficient," and that the current harvest will hardly pay for the expenses of the plantations. Asks Abbott to communicate with Dabney and to get back to him without delay. Asks to send the letter marked "private" and in another envelope. Monroe had gotten himself into substantial debt, which he was not able to get out of…

GLC03908

23 April 1811

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Written by Monroe shortly after he took office as Secretary of State to unknown recipient. Acknowledges recipient's letter of 15 April 1811. Was pleased with President Madison's offer of the job saying "it was addressed on such fair & liberal principles, proposing a cooperation of our labours & efforts to promote the publick welfare." His only concern about taking the job was leaving the office of Governor of Virginia after three months, but his friends supported his move to Washington. Says relations with Madison have picked up where they left off before. Expects more information…

GLC04453

31 October 1824

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Charles Everett

Written by Monroe at the end of his presidency to Everett, his family physician and neighbor in Virginia. References Everett's previous letter and says he remained behind an extra day in the hope of seeing him. Relates that his duties are forcing him to go back to Washington "immediately & reluctantly." Laments not being able to see Lafayette before his sudden departure to the capital. Lafayette was on his farewell tour through America in 1824-1825. He was previously entertained by Monroe in September 1824, but Monroe expresses disappointment to Everett at not being able to attend an…

GLC04374

28 August 1812

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Document signed

Title: Additional Instruction to the public and private armed vessels of the United States

Printed letter signed by Secretary of State James Monroe. Orders that public and private armed vessels are not to stop American merchant ships coming from British ports with British goods because of the "alledged" repeal of the British Orders in Council. Asks that merchant ships be assisted and says that cargoes can be dealt with on arrival. The Orders in Council were repealed on 16 June 1812, two days before Congress declared war. The news arrived too late to influence events.

GLC04675.03

27 April 1821

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Benton

Written by Monroe as President to Benton as the overseer of his properties in Loudoun County, Virginia. Says he has written to Harrison in Alexandria, Virginia and will have 20 barrels of herring and five of shad sent. If instructions need to change, he tells Benton to send the letter to him first and he will forward it to Harrison. Because of the prospect of war with Naples in Europe, Monroe discusses speculating in flour. Says price will likely rise and says he wants to hold it back from the market. Asks Benton to handle this because if he became involved it might get into the newspapers…

GLC04926

January 19, 1825

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Letter signed

Title: to Thomas H. Williams

Circular letter summoning Mississippi's Senator Williams (and the rest of the Senate) for the inauguration of John Quincy Adams on 4 March 1825.

GLC04948

9 May 1794

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert R. Livingston

Monroe, Senator from Virginia, urges Livingston, Chancellor of New York, to accept Washington's offer to succeed Gouverneur Morris as Minister Plenipotentiary to France. Tells Livingston it will be good for the party if he accepts. Says "the effect of you're. declining cannot be perceived." Ultimately, Livingston declined the honor because he did not want the Chancery Court to go to someone of differing political beliefs and because he did not think he could work well with the Washington Administration. Monroe himself was eventually selected to go to France.

GLC04822

28 March 1820

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Document signed

Title: [Appointment of Thomas Ap Catesby Jones to Master Commandant in U.S. Navy]

This document is a record of the appointment of Thomas Ap Catesby Jones, signed by James Monroe as President and countersigned by Smith Thompson as Secretary of the Navy and John H. Sherburne as "Registered." Document says President Monroe has nominated and the Senate has consented to the appointment of Thomas Ap Catesby Jones to Master Commandant in the United States Navy. Paper seal of the United States Navy at bottom of recto.

GLC04739

31 January 1814

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Pamphlet

Title: Letter from the Secretary of State

One pamphlet entitled Letter from the Secretary of State Transmitting a list of the Names of Persons to Whom Patents Have Been Issued For any New or Useful Art, Machine, Manufacture, or Composition of Matter, Or any Improvement Theron from January 1st 1813 to January 1st 1814 published January 31, 1814. This list includes approximately 175 patents in a chat that includes the name of the invention, date it was patented, name and residence of the inventor.

GLC09991

18 March 1818

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Document signed

Title: [Patent for John Babcock's improvement in printer's ball stocks]

Signed by Monroe as President. Countersigned by John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State and William Wirt as Attorney General. Babcock's description (page two) countersigned by R. J. Ingersoll and William Scott as witnesses. Contains a covered seal and faded white ribbon.

GLC06239

5 April 1821

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Document signed

Title: [Patent for James Morgan's improvement in warping, dressing, and weaving cotton goods by water or other power]

Signed by Monroe as President. Countersigned by John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State and William Wirt as Attorney General. Contains a seal and red ribbon.

GLC06240

August 1794

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: [Draft introductory letter to French government]

Written by Monroe as American Minister to France, shortly after his arrival in the republic in August 1794. He replaced Gouverneur Morris. A draft of his introductory letter presenting his credentials and affirming his "profound interest which the government and people of America take in the success and prosperity of the French Republic." Expresses extreme pleasure with his assignment and expects relations between the two nations to improve.

GLC06326

25 August 1777

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Francis Mercer

Written by Monroe as a major in William Alexander's (aka Lord Stirling) brigade of George Washington's army to Colonel Mercer, captain in the 3rd Virginia Regiment. Recipient is inferred from the third page of the letter where Monroe asks for information on his old regiment. Says he waited to write until something material occurred. Conveys news of General John Stark's victory over a detachment of German troops from General John Burgoyne's army at the Battle of Bennington. Stark led his New Hampshire militia against a German detachment that was seeking supplies for Burgoyne's bogged down army…

GLC07111

9 July 1826

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Monroe attempts to gather support for his claims for reimbursement of compensation owed for serving as United States Minister to Great Britain between 1803 and 1807, as well as performing other diplomatic duties in France. He encloses a pamphlet with related documents (not included) for his correspondent to read, and describes his claim, the interest owed, and the injustice that he has suffered by not receiving compensation. Congress awarded him $30,000 in 1831.

GLC07351

1797

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Book

Title: A view of the Conduct of the Executive...in the Foreign Affairs[defends conduct]

Title continued: "...connected with the mission to the French Republic." Printed by B.F. Bache. Monroe defends his conduct as American Minister in France. (Collateral to the Monroe manuscripts in GLC 496.062 and 496.065.)

GLC07424

27 September 1821

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Document signed

Title: [Arkansas land grant]

Signed by Monroe as President and countersigned by Josiah Meigs as Commissioner of the General Land Office. Also signed by "J. Wheaton," apparently a clerk in the land office who recorded the grant and by a "Will. Blanchard" on verso at the docket. Blanchard describes the tract of land and might have worked in a local land office in Arkansas, where the tract is situated. This document gave Isaac Sanders, "a private in Talbotts Company of the 19th Regiment of Infantry," 165 acres of land in Arkansas. This document is part of the bounty land offers that promoted enlistment during the War of…

GLC06418.03