The Traveling Patriot: James Monroe’s 1817 Tour and the Quest for National Unity

Year(s) Discussed: 1817 At the start of his presidency, James Monroe embarked on a nearly 3,000-mile journey which transformed from a planned strategic military inspection of national defenses to a powerful mission of national conciliation. During the course of his travels, he used his Revolutionary War experience to bridge partisan divides in an aim to define a new era of American political history in the post-war nation. As he would learn as he traveled through New England and the Midwest, however, despite the many changes in the United States, the divisions of the past would still cloud the path forward. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices