James Monroe statue, Ash Lawn-Highland, 2009

In this post, we return to the “Ultimate Nerd Trip,” when my friend Julie and I traveled to Virginia to hit the homes of three presidents in three days. (Click here to read about the “Bonus Nerd Trip” at the start of this presidential extravaganza).

Our first official stop was Ash Lawn-Highland, the home of our fifth president, James Monroe. Thomas Jefferson wanted the Monroes to live nearby, so he encouraged his friend to buy this property down the road from  Monticello.

The Monroes’ house seems rather small compared to the more famous Monticello, which gets many more visitors.  However, there is plenty to learn about James Monroe and his family, so the Ash Lawn tour is a great way to start.

Ash Lawn-Highland, 2009. This is the back of the house with a view of the kitchen.

One thing that stayed with me was the importance of networking at all levels. The friendship of Monroe’s daughter, Eliza, and Napoleon’s stepdaughter, Hortense, may have helped Monroe’s later negotiations over the Louisiana Purchase. (George Washington appointed Monroe as ambassador to France in 1794, the first of two appointments to Paris. Monroe was a key player in securing the Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon in 1803. The Monroes attended Napoleon’s 1804 coronation).

Elizabeth Kortright Monroe

Our Ash Lawn guide pointed out that Mrs. Monroe, Elizabeth, was well known for her social skills and was also a valuable ambassador for the United States. The Parisian people called her “la belle Americaine.” (However, some people criticized Mrs. Monroe during her husband’s presidency for creating a formal atmosphere too similar to European courts).

Interestingly, Mrs. Monroe helped rescue Madame de Lafayette (Lafayette of American Revolution fame) from a trip to guillotine. The Monroes first lived in France during the “Reign of Terror,” following the French Revolution.

Ash Lawn has a display of Mrs. Monroe’s pink wedding dress, which seems very tiny!  Ash Lawn may be a farm, but Monroes had some super fancy French furniture, thanks to their years overseas. On the tour, you can also see gifts from Napoleon and some very interesting wallpaper. The website’s virtual tour has some pictures. (Photographs are not allowed inside).

Another view of the Monroe farm

As with many sites associated with presidents of this era, Ash Lawn-Highland is upfront on the issue of slavery. We toured the slave quarters, including the overseer’s cottage, which may be the farm’s oldest standing structure.  According to Ash Lawn’s website, “Monroe himself was torn between his belief in the ‘evil of slavery’ and his fear of the consequences of immediate abolition.”

Close encounter with a peacock

Ash Lawn is still a working farm, and we had an encounter with this bold peacock!

As I was working on this post, a Monroe-related clue actually appeared in the New York Times crossword puzzle: April 9, 2012 #8 Down (3 letters) “___ of Good Feelings.” The answer is the “Era of Good Feelings,” a term used to describe Monroe’s presidency.[map size=”thumbnail” align=”right”]

Next post: The famous Monroe Oak (this tree even has its own blog!), more Monroe history and the interesting connection between the deaths of Monroe, Jefferson and John Adams.