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Primary sourceBookwritten c. 1830, published 1867

The People, the Sovereigns

James Monroe · written c. 1830, published 1867

A late political treatise by James Monroe comparing the United States with past republics, left unfinished and published after his death.

Monroe wrote this unfinished treatise himself, revealing his political philosophy in retirement.

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A dark brown or nearly black book cover, viewed straight on, with a thin lighter edge along the right side showing the spine and page block of a bound volume. No title or text is visible.
James Monroe, The People, the Sovereigns, written c. 1830, published 1867.

About this source

What it is

This is a book of political theory written by James Monroe, comparing the government of the United States with those of past republics and examining the causes of their decline. Monroe began writing it around 1830 but abandoned the manuscript in 1829 after an unfavorable reaction from a friend; it was published later, in 1867.

Why it matters

The work reveals Monroe's deep interest in political philosophy and history after his years of public service, drawing on a personal library of thousands of books gathered during his time in Europe. It shows how a former president tried to make sense of the American experiment by comparing it to earlier republics, and reflects his hopes and anxieties for the country's future.

Look closer

  • Why might Monroe have wanted to compare the United States to ancient republics?
  • What does it mean that he abandoned the project after criticism, and what might that tell us about how historical writing gets shaped?
  • What questions does Monroe raise about the dangers facing the United States?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of James Monroe on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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