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Quick Facts
- NAME: Elizabeth Monroe
- OCCUPATION: U.S. First Lady
- BIRTH DATE: June 30, 1768
- DEATH DATE: September 23, 1830
- PLACE OF BIRTH: New York, New York
- PLACE OF DEATH: Oak Hill, Virginia
- Maiden Name: Elizabeth Kortright
- AKA: Elizabeth Kortright Monroe
Best Known For
Elizabeth Monroe was popular in France as the wife of diplomat James Monroe. As first lady, her sophisticated style was often mistaken for aloofness.
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Play NowElizabeth Monroe. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 06:42, May 21, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-monroe-9412063.
Elizabeth Monroe. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-monroe-9412063 [Accessed 21 May 2013].
"Elizabeth Monroe." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 21 2013, 06:42 http://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-monroe-9412063.
"Elizabeth Monroe," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-monroe-9412063 [accessed May 21, 2013].
"Elizabeth Monroe," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-monroe-9412063 (accessed May 21, 2013).
Elizabeth Monroe [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 21] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-monroe-9412063.
Elizabeth Monroe, http://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-monroe-9412063 (last visited May 21, 2013).
Elizabeth Monroe. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-monroe-9412063. Accessed May 21, 2013.
Synopsis
Born in New York City on June 30, 1768, Elizabeth Kortright married James Monroe in 1786. Political duties took the couple to Paris, where Elizabeth was popular for her charm, beauty and flair for fashion. While there, she also arranged for the release of the wife of war hero Lafayette. However, Monroe's seemingly aloof manner did not impress Washington society during her years as first lady.
Early Years
Very little primary-source material exists on the life of Elizabeth Monroe, wife of U.S. president James Monroe. Most of what is known comes from the letters and writings of other people. She was born Elizabeth Kortright on June 30, 1768, in New York City, to an established New York family. Her father, Lawrence Kortright, was a British officer who had made a fortune as a privateer during the French and Indian War. Though a Loyalist, he took no part in the Revolutionary War and lost much of his wealth soon after.
Elizabeth acquired her education and social graces through the tutelage of her grandmother, a wealthy property owner in New York. At a petite five feet, Elizabeth was a beautiful 16-year-old with raven hair who caught the eye of young Congressman James Monroe in 1784. He was smitten, and they married a year later. The couple moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where Monroe practiced law. By December 1786, their first daughter, Eliza, was born.
Embassy Life in Europe
In 1794, President George Washington appointed Monroe ambassador to France. The couple arrived in Paris amid the French Revolution and faced the delicate task of positioning the United States to be taken seriously as a world power while at the same time not offending revolutionary France. To this end, Elizabeth immersed herself in French culture, enrolled her daughter in a French school and educated herself in the intricacies of European etiquette. She was highly praised in French society for her efforts. Using her position as the wife of an American diplomat, Elizabeth Monroe was instrumental in saving the Marquis de Lafayette's wife from prison.
In 1797, President Washington recalled James Monroe from France due to his opposition to the Jay Treaty with Great Britain. The family returned to Virginia, where Monroe served as governor. During this time, Elizabeth developed serious health problems, now believed to be epilepsy. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Monroe minister to Spain and Britain, and Elizabeth accompanied her husband to Europe, where their second daughter, Maria, was born. The time in Britain was difficult for Elizabeth, as the United States was viewed as a non-entity, and thus its representatives were not accorded the respect of other European diplomats. The couple was relieved when Monroe was recalled in 1807. In 1811, the family moved to Washington City (Washington, D.C.), where Monroe served as secretary of state and then secretary of war in the James Madison administration. During this time, Elizabeth infrequently participated in the city's social traditions due to her deteriorating health.
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