James Monroe was supposed to be a farmer. He was set to inherit his father's prosperous farm in Virginia, but history had another plan for our fifth president. Monroe's father died in 1774, just as he was heading off to study at the College of William & Mary. Two years later, he would be fighting as a General in the American Revolution, where he fought at the Battle of Trenton under George Washington, and met Thomas Jefferson.

In 1780, Monroe began studying law under Thomas Jefferson and then served in the Continental Congress from 1783 - 1786. After marrying Elizabeth Kortright in 1786, he tried farming for a bit, and...well...he was terrible at it! Monroe sold the farm and became a lawyer and politician. The rest is history!

You can learn more about James Monroe by visiting the National Parks dedicated to our fifth president: his Oak Hill home, his Museum and Memorial Library, his farm, and his burial site. All of the sites are in Virginia.

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