James Monroe (1799 - 1870)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Monroe (born in Albemarle County, Virginia, on September 10, 1799, died in 1870) was an American politician who served as the United States Congressman from New York (1839-1841).

[edit] Military service

He graduated from the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1815 and assigned to the Artillery Corps. He served in the war with Algiers; as aide to General Winfield Scott from 1817 to 1822. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Fourth Artillery in 1821 and served on garrison and commissary duty until 1832. In 1832, he was again appointed as General Scott’s aide. He resigned his commission on September 30, 1832 and moved to New York City.

[edit] Political career

Monroe served as assistant alderman of New York City in 1832, alderman 1833-1835, and president of the board aldermen in 1834. He was elected as a Whig to the twenty-sixth Congress (March 4, 1839-March 3, 1841. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1840. He was a member of the New York state senate from 1850 to 1852.