James Monroe Day

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

James Monroe Day

WHEREAS, James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia to Spence Monroe and Eliza Jones Monroe on April 28, 1758, and studied at the College of William & Mary; and

WHEREAS, James Monroe fought with the Continental Army in six major engagements in the Revolutionary War, and was seriously wounded at Trenton, earning recognition from General George Washington as “a brave and active officer;” and

WHEREAS, as a young political leader, James Monroe served in Virginia’s legislature and represented Virginia at the Constitutional Convention in 1788; and

WHEREAS, in 1790, Monroe was elected to represent the Commonwealth as a United States Senator; and

WHEREAS, James Monroe served as United States’ Minister to France, Spain, and Great Britain and, along with Robert R. Livingston, negotiated the Louisiana Purchase and subsequently served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War for President James Madison; and

WHEREAS, James Monroe served with distinction as the 12^th and 16^th governor of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, James Monroe served as the fifth President of the United States from 1817-1825, during which time he announced the Monroe Doctrine, which denounced European intervention and colonization in the Western Hemisphere; and

WHEREAS, April 28, 2023, marks the 265th birthday of James Monroe, a dedicated public servant and leader in both Virginia and American history;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Younkin, do hereby recognize April 28, 2023, as JAMES MONROE DAY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations