James Monroe was born on a farm in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on April 28, 1758, the first of five children (four boys, one girl) born to Colonel Spence Monroe, who was from a Scottish family that had settled in Virginia in the mid-1600's, and Elizabeth Jones Monroe, an emigrant from Wales who had been living in Virginia for many years. He was educated at home by tutors until the age of 12, when he was sent to the school of Parson Archibald Campbell. He entered the College of William and Mary at the age of 16, but left to join the military at the age of 18.

This obelisk is located on the site of Monroe's birthplace. The house that once stood here has been gone for many generations, but a 1976 archaeological survey commissioned by the College of William and Mary uncovered what are believed to be the home's foundation. Currently a roadside park just west of present-day Colonial Beach, Virginia, the birthplace site is being turned into a full-fledged historic site, complete with a replica of the home Monroe was born in, a visitor center/museum, and a working farm reminiscent of Monroe's time.

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This page was last updated on August 30, 2018.