Portrait by Samuel Morse (1819)
Introduction
The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library are located in Fredericksburg, Virginia in its historic downtown area at the old site of James Monroe’s Original Law Office. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
University of Mary Washington
The University of Mary Washington is a public university in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1908 as a teachers college and went through a name change in 1938 after the mother of the first president of the United States, George Washington. The University currenlty owns the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library and is operated under the new domain: jamesmonroemuseum.umw.edu.
Memorabilia
The museum holds the country’s largest collection of memorabilia related to James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States. Former president James Monroe oversaw major westward expansion of the United States and strengthened American foreign policy in 1823 with the Monroe Doctrine.
Manifest Destiny
The Monroe Doctrine showed how manifest destiny was growing in the country. It also declared that the United States would not allow European countries to interfere with independent governments in the Americas.
Displays
The museum originally displayed its collection of artifacts and documents in 1927 from descendants of the Monroe family. The artifacts were passed down through generations in the family and eventually turned over to the Commonwealth of Virginia and is now administered by the University of Mary Washington.
