Last week we observed, admittedly from a distance, the burning of Washington, DC; the triumph at New Orleans; and a mixture of successes and failures that comprised the War of 1812 historical record. It was foreign affairs that consumed much of the two-term presidency of James Madison.

Few domestic issues rivaled the peril of a second war with the British Empire and, truthfully, the only compelling issue — the re-chartering of the Bank of the United States — was wrapped up in the British conflict. Madison needed funds for the war effort, and yet there was severe opposition from “old” Republicans who viewed the bank as an extension of the now decade-dead Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists.

Interestingly, some of the Republicans fought the re-chartering because much of the stock was held by British citizens and they wanted nothing to do with the citizens of the nation now impressing U.S. sailors, seizing ships, and ignoring our neutrality (or some facsimile of neutrality). When Madison pushed the bank issue, he was defeated and left with no ability to seek war loans. The banks would not be reestablished until 1816 with a 20-year grant, and when the issue reappeared in 1836, Andrew Jackson would be president and spoiling for a fight.

So, how does one evaluate Madison’s place in presidential history? Perhaps his greatest talent was his ability to maintain his personal principles while choosing the course most appropriate for the nation. His ideas regarding government were well-known, but he was a skilled leader during times of crisis because he was a critical thinker and willing to compromise for the good of the nation.

When one considers the first four presidents — George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Madison — the latter seldom ranks above, well, number four because he was less interested in his historical place than in saving the young republic. As a result, his legacy is regarded more highly today than during his own lifetime. His death in June 1836 signaled the demise of the final signer of the U.S. Constitution and triggered the eventual release of his comprehensive notes regarding the constitutional process. He holds a place of esteem among the Founding Fathers.

His successor, James Monroe, was another young Virginia patriot who had come of age during the American Revolution. Just as the conflict of ideas — and some actions — was rising in 1774, Monroe enrolled in the College of William and Mary, where he remained until shortly after Lexington and Concord two years later, when he enlisted in the Virginia infantry. He marched with General Washington’s army to New York and engaged in combat at Brandywine, Monmouth, Germantown, and Trenton, where he would be seriously wounded and awarded the rank of major (without ever serving as a field commander).

Following the war, Monroe won a seat in the Virginia Assembly and served alongside Governor Thomas Jefferson, who had been his legal studies mentor. He served in the Continental Congress beginning in 1783 and gained in national voice, fighting for the establishment of governments in the western lands, securing the Mississippi River for commercial trade, and reminding others that the Constitution’s Article I placed an emphasis on the Legislative Branch.

When the fight for ratification of the U.S. Constitution began, Monroe opposed it in the Virginia Constitutional Convention. He sided with George Mason in advocating for a strong Bill of Rights and struck his own course, advocating for a direct election of senators to Congress. Monroe would then challenge Madison for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, lose, and a decade later be appointed to the U.S. Senate. Interesting turn of events, right? He would join forces with Jefferson and Madison in fighting John Adams’s Alien and Sedition Acts, and a lifelong friendship was formed between the Virginians. Well, sort of…

In the interim, Monroe served President Washington as ambassador to France during the most terrifying years of the French Revolution, and his role became almost impossible. The United States had pledged neutrality in the war between France and the Grand Alliance, including Britain, but when the U.S. signed the Jay Treaty with Britain, his ability to serve in France deteriorated quickly and Washington was forced to recall him.

Monroe returned to Virginia, farmed and practiced law, and was elected governor in 1799. He campaigned for Jefferson in 1800 and was rewarded with a posting to France as a special envoy, charged with helping negotiate what became the Louisiana Purchase. He then was appointed as U.S. minister to Britain for four years, where his negotiating skills were tested in the escalating conflict with the former Mother Country. After negotiating a treaty with Britain that resolved some of the conflicts, but not the major issue of impressment of sailors, he submitted the signed document to Jefferson. Jefferson refused to submit the treaty to the Senate and, for a period, their friendship cooled.

When a political faction encouraged him to campaign for the presidency — against Madison — in 1808, Monroe refused, noting that he and Madison agreed on most issues and only disagreed on some aspects of foreign policy. Instead, three years later, he returned for a short period to the Virginia governor’s house, only to have Madison ask for his help in Washington. Monroe resigned and took on the challenge of serving as Madison’s secretary of state. Obviously, the two friends had reconciled for the good of the nation.

We’ll return to Washington, DC, next week…