The Last Cocked Hat

Before he became America's fifth president, James Monroe was the architect of American diplomacy. As a soldier, he fought in the American Revolution. As Minister to France, he saw firsthand the woes of diplomacy. As Secretary of State under James Madison, Monroe helped negotiate with Britain and set the stage for American expansionism, seeing the different side of diplomacy. But was his vision for the nation a masterstroke of diplomacy or did it lay the foundation for future conflicts?