Monroe, James, 1758-1831 To the Inhabitants of the town of Saco

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GLC#
GLC03400
Type
Letters
Date
22 August 1817
Author/Creator
Monroe, James, 1758-1831
Title
To the Inhabitants of the town of Saco
Place Written
Boston, Massachusetts
Pagination
1 p. : Height: 32 cm, Width: 19.9 cm
Primary time period
National Expansion and Reform, 1815-1860
Sub-Era
The First Age of Reform

Written by Monroe as President during his tour of the country after his victory in the election of November 1816. This tour echoed the famous tours of America President George Washington made in 1789 and 1791. The tour inaugurated what is known as the Era of Good Feelings. This letter expresses pleasure at the respectful greeting he had in Saco, Massachusetts, in the District of Maine (Maine did not join the Union as a separate state until 1820). Monroe was in Saco on 15 July 1817, but this letter is written over a month later from Boston and directed to William Moody, a tavern owner and senator in the Massachusetts General Court. Stresses the need for national unity. Says every part of the territory, as far as is possible, needs to have security, a possible reference to the attacks made by British naval forces toward the end of the War of 1812 that many in Maine blamed on the poor management of the Madison Administration, in which Monroe was Secretary of War 1814-1815. Says the confidence Saco expressed in him is reciprocated and hopes he contributed to the happiness of the American people.

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