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James Monroe was the 5th president of the United States and is best known for the Monroe Doctrine and for being the last president in the “Virginia Dynasty.” Below is a complete, B2-friendly reading lesson you can copy and paste into a Google Doc.​

Reading: James Monroe and the Virginia Dynasty

 

James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States and served from 1817 to 1825. He was born in Virginia in 1758 and fought in the American Revolutionary War as a young man. Before becoming president, he worked as a lawyer, a governor of Virginia, a U.S. senator, and a diplomat in Europe.​

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Monroe was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, and his time in office is often called the “Era of Good Feelings” because there was little open conflict between political parties during most of his presidency. He was very popular and easily won the elections of 1816 and 1820, even facing almost no real opposition in his second campaign. During his presidency, the United States gained Florida from Spain and continued to grow westward.​

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Monroe was also part of what historians call the “Virginia Dynasty.” This term is used because four of the first five U.S. presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe—were from Virginia. Together, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe were close political allies who helped lead the country in its early years and shaped the young nation’s government and policies.​

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One of Monroe’s most important actions as president was the Monroe Doctrine, announced in 1823. In this policy, Monroe warned European nations not to try to create new colonies or interfere with the newly independent countries in Latin America and the rest of the Western Hemisphere. He also promised that the United States would not interfere in European wars or in existing European colonies in the Americas.​

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The Monroe Doctrine became a key part of U.S. foreign policy for many years. It showed that the United States wanted to protect its neighbors in the Americas from European control and saw the Western Hemisphere as a separate area from Europe. Today, James Monroe is remembered as the last “Founding Father” president and as a leader whose ideas about foreign policy continued to influence the United States long after his presidency ended.​

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Part A – Pre-Reading Questions

Answer these questions in complete sentences.

1. What do you already know about early U.S. presidents?

2. Why might it be important for a new country to create its own foreign policy?

3. What do you think the phrase “Era of Good Feelings” might mean?

 

Part B – Vocabulary Matching

Match the words (1–8) with the correct definitions (A–H).

1. Dynasty

2. Foreign policy

3. Colony

4. Opposition

5. Interfere

6. Hemisphere

7. Popular

8. Independent

A. Half of the Earth, usually divided into north/south or east/west
B. A group of leaders from the same place or family over a period of time
C. Not controlled by another country or government
D. To become involved in something that is not your business
E. A country or area controlled by another, more powerful country
F. Disagreement with or resistance to something
G. Liked by many people
H. A government’s plan for dealing with other countries

 

Part C – Reading Comprehension

Directions

Read the text again. Then answer the questions in complete sentences.

1. During which years did James Monroe serve as president of the United States?

2. What are two important jobs Monroe had before he became president?

3. Why is Monroe’s time as president called the “Era of Good Feelings”?

4. What does the term “Virginia Dynasty” mean?

5. Name two other presidents who were part of the Virginia Dynasty.

6. In your own words, what was the main idea of the Monroe Doctrine?

7. According to the text, what promise did the United States make about European wars?

8. Why did the Monroe Doctrine become an important part of U.S. foreign policy?

 

Part D – True or False

Directions

Write T for true or F for false. Correct the false sentences.

1. ___ James Monroe was the first president of the United States.

2. ___ Monroe was very unpopular and almost lost the election of 1820.

3. ___ The “Virginia Dynasty” refers to several early presidents who were from the same state.

4. ___ The Monroe Doctrine said that Europe could freely create new colonies in the Americas.

5. ___ The Monroe Doctrine said that the United States would not interfere in European wars.

 

Part E – Short Answer: Virginia Dynasty and Monroe Doctrine

Directions

Answer the questions in 2–3 sentences.

1. How did the Virginia Dynasty influence the early United States government?

2. How did the Monroe Doctrine try to protect countries in the Western Hemisphere?

 

Answer Key

Part B – Vocabulary Matching

1. Dynasty → B. A group of leaders from the same place or family over a period of time.​

2. Foreign policy → H. A government’s plan for dealing with other countries.​

3. Colony → E. A country or area controlled by another, more powerful country.​

4. Opposition → F. Disagreement with or resistance to something.​

5. Interfere → D. To become involved in something that is not your business.​

6. Hemisphere → A. Half of the Earth, usually divided into north/south or east/west.​

7. Popular → G. Liked by many people.​

8. Independent → C. Not controlled by another country or government.​

 

Part C – Reading Comprehension

1. He served as president from 1817 to 1825.​

2. He worked as a lawyer, governor of Virginia, U.S. senator, and diplomat in Europe (any two).​

3. It is called the “Era of Good Feelings” because there was little open conflict between political parties during most of his presidency.​

4. The “Virginia Dynasty” means that several early U.S. presidents, including Monroe, came from Virginia and led the country one after another.​

5. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison (George Washington is also acceptable, depending on the definition used).​

6. The Monroe Doctrine said that European powers should not create new colonies or interfere in the newly independent countries in the Americas.​

7. The United States promised not to interfere in the internal affairs or wars of European countries.​

8. It became important because it guided U.S. policy in the Americas for many years and showed that the United States wanted to protect the Western Hemisphere from European control.​

 

Part D – True or False

1. F – James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States, not the first.​

2. F – Monroe was very popular and faced almost no real opposition in the election of 1820.​

3. T – The “Virginia Dynasty” refers to several early presidents from Virginia who led the country in succession.​

4. F – The Monroe Doctrine said the Western Hemisphere was closed to new European colonization.​

5. T – The Monroe Doctrine stated that the United States would not interfere in European wars.​

 

Part E – Short Answer (Sample Answers)

1. The Virginia Dynasty influenced the early U.S. government because several presidents from Virginia, including Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, worked together to shape the nation’s institutions and policies in its first decades.​

2. The Monroe Doctrine tried to protect countries in the Western Hemisphere by warning European powers not to create new colonies or interfere with the newly independent nations in the Americas.