James Monroe

My name is James Monroe.  I was the fifth president of the United States in 1817.  I belonged to the Democratic-Republican party.

I was born in Westmoreland County Virginia on April 28, 1758.  I was the son of a rich planter.  My education was from tutors and private schools.  I attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.  But the Revolutionary War called me to duty and I quit college.

After the War, I studied law with Thomas Jefferson who was a friend mine all of my life. During the Constitutional ratification, I believed that the Bill of rights should be added to the Constitution to protect individual liberties.  I would not support this ratification until we had these important rights added. 

 I have always been active in politics.  I was a senator and minister to France and England.  I was twice elected the Governor of Virginia.  I successfully negotiated for the Louisiana Purchase with France. 

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My greatest achievement is the Monroe Doctrine in 1823.  This was a statement about foreign policy.  It states that the U.S. will not tolerate any European colonization in the Western Hemisphere. 

During my time as President, the country grew fast, there were many new technologies, and the people were feeling proud of their country again.  I was a popular President for making these good feelings happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOHN ADAMS

My name is John Adams.  I was the second President of the United States and a member of the Federalist Party.  A strong, central government is what I believed our nation needed to become strong and be prosperous.

  I was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, the son of a farmer and my heart will always be on the farm.  I loved my land and spent many months during my time as President at my farm in Massachusetts. 

When I was young, my father wanted me to become more than a farmer so he made me go to school.  I did not like it a lot but wanted to please my family.  I loved to read and study.  I went to Harvard and then became a school teacher.  Then, I went to law school and became a very successful lawyer in Boston. 

 

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During the Revolution, my cousin Sam Adams and I were against the British taxation and the unfair things the King was doing to the colonists.  After the Boston Massacre, I defended the British soldiers and Captain Prescott in court even though this was not a popular decision.  I am a man of my word and principles  and could not walk away from this case.

   I was a delegate to the First Continental Congress and was a strong speaker for independence.  I also attended the Second Continental Congress and helped work on the Declaration of Independence.  I was a diplomat in Europe for many years and successfully got money or loans to help out debt.  I was also Vice-President when Washington was our President.

   France was a problem when I was the President.  Also, we had such conflicts between the Federalists and the Democratic Republicans.  Jefferson and I use to be good friends but we don’t speak to each other anymore – he never agrees with me.  The country was divided – some wanted war with France and others did not.  Some wanted us to help England.  People were saying bad things about me and our government.  I passed an important law called the Alien and Sedition Acts.  Immigrants could be thrown out of the country if they were not good people.  Under the Sedition Act, it is not a crime to print or

 

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speak out against me or the U.S. government.  My wife, Abigail, was happy with that law.  She hated to see my feelings hurt by

such hateful words in those newspapers. I knew that we could NOT have a war and survive.  Our country was too new and weak.  We did not have the military to commit to either country.  I KEPT US OUT OF WAR.  This made others angry but I STAND BY MY CONVICTIONS.

    When I was President, the first time in the U.S. we had a two-party political system.  I hated these factions but things were simply changing.  But, I was the first President to live in the new Federal City.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JAMES MADISON

My name is James Madison.  I was the fourth President of the United States.  Thomas Jefferson and I were the closest friends.  I was a Democratic Republican.  As a politician, I was always better with my pen than my voice.  I never could speak in a strong voice like Henry or Hamilton.  People had to come very close to hear me.  But, people ALWAYS listened to my words because I made sense. 

    I was born in Orange County ,  Virginia, in 1751.  My family was successful and wealthy.  I was the oldest of 12 children and always sickly.  Today you would have called me puny since I never grew over 5 feet 4 inches and weighed under 140 pounds.  However, I earned the name, “The Great Little

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Madison” in later years as our nation fought for independence and established a new government. I had a wonderful education with private tutors and went to private schools.  I graduated from Princeton and was going to be a minister but politics called me to duty during the Revolution.  I was a very good student and wonderful thinker.  I worked hours learning new things, studying, writing, and thinking about new ideas for the government .  I almost wore myself out studying so many hours a day.  I was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in 1780 and worked hard at the Constitutional Convention.  I knew we needed change since the Articles of Confederation were useless.  We needed a strong central government with three branches.  The power needed to be balanced between each branch. I proposed this idea, the Virginia Plan, at the Constitutional Convention.  I also helped Hamilton by writing ideas for everyone to read about how we needed to ratify the Constitution. Our ideas were published and called the FEDERALIST PAPERS. I became known as the Father of the Constitution. Although Hamilton and I were friends then, we did not stay friends later. 

   When Jefferson was President, I served as his Secretary of State. Later, in 1809, I became President and served two terms (8 years).  I had a very difficult time being the President

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because we had a war called the War of 1812 with Britain.  My Secretary of War at this time was useless and I had to do a great deal of running around as the British approached the

Federal City (Washington, DC) in 1814.  My wife, Dolley, was waiting for me at the Presidential Mansion. She packed all of the important papers for our government and saved a portrait of Washington.  We left our personal things behind to save these documents.  The British arrived and burned the presidential mansion and other buildings.  However, before they did, they entered my home, ate my food, and took things as souvenirs.

    I always wore black and some say that it was because I was always so sickly that I thought I was going to die a young man.  But, this did not happen and I lived until 1836.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GEORGE WASHINGTON

My name is George Washington.  I was the first President of the United States and served for two terms (8 years).  Before I was the President, I was a farmer, member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and the Commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolution.  My values were strong and I believe in answering the call of duty.  When we live by values and honor, our reputation will always be strong.

    I was the fourth generation of the Washington family.  I was born at Pope’s Creek, Virginia in 1732.  I had an older brother, Lawrence, who helped me become a successful man in life.  I was mainly taught at home and loved to read and do math.  My father died when I was 11 so I was not able to attend college in England as Lawrence did.  I learned surveying and became a very good surveyor.  I was appointed the County surveyor and explored much of Virginia making maps.

    During the French and Indian War, I was a leader in the Virginia Regiment (Army).  Although I did make mistakes, I learned from them and did not make the same mistake again.  I came back to Virginia after the war, my brother Lawrence died, and I became a farmer at Mount Vernon (Lawrence’s home).  I served in the House of Burgesses in Virginia and later at the first Continental Congress.  I did not like the way the British were treating the colonies.  When the Revolution started, I led the Patriots to victory, even though Congress did little or nothing to help the soldiers.  The Articles of Confederation were terrible so we could not get the supplies we needed.  I swore that our government needed to change with a strong central government next time and the Articles can go into the trash. 

   At the Constitutional Convention, I supported the adoption of the Constitution.  I was also elected as the first President of the U.S.  My presidency was difficult since nation was new and we did not have a system of government.  The states needed to become united as one, not thirteen different little countries.  As President, I developed a Presidential Cabinet in the executive branch to include Jefferson, Hamilton, and Knox.  I also appointed a man named Benjamin Banneker, a great surveyor and astronomer, to design the new Federal City for our capital.  I never did get to live in the new Federal City.  That was built  many years later.  However, I did have many accomplishments as President.  I created a federal court system and appointed John Jay as the Supreme Court Justice.  The Bill of Rights was also added to the U.S. Constitution as 10 new amendments.  Unfortunately, Jefferson and Hamilton were always arguing about how the central government should be.. strong, weak, states with limited power, states with strong power.  They made me crazy at times.  This arguing created the two-party political system that developed when John Adams, my Vice-President, became the President.    There were problems with England and France fighting but I told everyone that we cannot get into a war.  I wanted us to be neutral or our country would fall apart.  The Federalists wanted me to side with England while the Democratic-Republicans said we owe France for helping us.  Well, I simply made the Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793 that said the U.S. would not take sides.  We had other problems due to debt from the War.  Hamilton is really good with finances but he made a decision to tax whiskey to get money for the government.  Well, this led to a huge rebellion in western Pennsylvania.  Those farmers refused to pay this tax!  But, I had to make a point here and tell them that the national government had the power to enforce the law.

   With Hamilton, the U.S. did create a National Bank.  Madison and Jefferson said that Hamilton could not do this because it was against the Constitution.  Well, Hamilton is a genius and has been my right-hand-man since the Revolution.  Because he is so smart, he quieted Jefferson and Madison a little by using the Necessary and Proper clause of the constitution.  The Bank is necessary and we can do what we need to do to get the job done.

   Although I was asked to be the President again, I refused. I longed to be back at my home in Mount Vernon.  That is where I spent the remaining years of my life..

 

“First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of our countrymen”

 

 

 

 

 

   THOMAS JEFFERSON

My name is Thomas Jefferson.  I was the third President of the United States.  I was a Democratic-Republican.  I was also Secretary of State during Washington’s presidency.  However, Hamilton and I fought so much I had to resign and return to my peaceful home, Monticello, in Virginia. 

    I was born in Shadwell, Virginia in 1743.  My family was successful and we owned land and slaves.  We valued education so I was reading at an early age.  I had tutors and then went to college at William and Mary where I studies science, mathematics and law.  I had many interests such as playing  the violin, tinkering and inventing, farming, and adding to my home, Monticello. 

    I was a representative at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia where I wrote the Declaration of Independence.  I was governor of Virginia after Patrick Henry.  I was also the minister to France.  I became the President after John Adams in 1801.  The United States had much land and we needed to find other opportunities.  The country was growing and people wanted land.  I bought land west of the Mississippi River from Napoleon of France for about 3 cents an acre. This was called the LOUISIANA PURCHASE. What a deal!  I  guess Napoleon was too busy fighting wars and really needed the money.  This new land would be for new settlement and our water route on the Mississippi.  I appointed Lewis and Clark to explore this land and this successful venture was called the Lewis and Clark expedition. 

   I believed in the power of states and the people.  The federal government needed to be limited.  With education, our common citizens can develop talents that are untapped to help our new government.  Farmers and small business are the strength of our society.  I believed in education and learning  and founded the University of Virginia. 

 

 

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

·       Divide students into five teams; one for each of the first five presidents

·       Give each group a copy of the script/information about their particular president

·       Teams need to read, discuss, and present information about their president.  They must present this information in debate form.. my president is the best.. look what he accomplished.

Follow up:

Presidential  Sort Activity:

·        Materials:  Five sets of pictures (one picture of each of the first five presidents in each set.).  Strips of paper with information about each of the five presidents, random order. 

·       Objective:  Students read the information on the strips of paper and then sort the information to match the pictures of the first five presidents

·       Extension – use the same pictures printing them on a smaller scale.  Make a folder book with five pockets.  Label each pocket with the name of one of the first five presidents.  Make the same information strips, students cut the strips and put the strip that has information that pertains to the specific president in the pocket.  You can also put thumbnail pictures of each president on the pocket by the president’s name label.

 

Example:

Strips in the pocket here
Washington   Folded up part	Adams	Jefferson	Madison	Monroe