Happy Birthday, James Monroe! Our 5th President was born on April 28, 1758. He was the last Founding Father to serve as president, and had a long legacy of public service, also serving as Governor of Virginia, a United States Senator, U.S. ambassador to France and Britain, the 7th Secretary of State, and the 8th Secretary of War. He won the 1816 election easily, securing 68% of the vote. His first term coincided with the “Era of Good Feelings,” a relatively calm period in the country’s early history. For his 2nd term, he ran unopposed, the only president other than George Washington to do so. Monrovia, the capital of Liberia is named in Monroe’s honor. He was a supporter of the colonization of Liberia and the American Colonization Society. Along with Washington, D.C. it is one of two world capitals to be named after a U.S. president. Learn more in the audio below.