Lessons in History — Gabriel Medina
The Great Differentiator
Branding Lessons from America’s Second Generation
James Monroe is not one of the most well-known presidents in the history of the United States. According to a 2014 study in Science magazine, only 30% of respondents could recall his name.
Some may know him when flashback-ing to when their history teachers spoke at length about the eponymous Monroe Doctrine (which was actually written by his Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams). Fewer still will remember that he was the president while the United States entered into the so-called “Era of Good Feelings.”
Despite the general public’s relative unawareness of his presidency, though, many historians rank his presidency generally positively.
But, how can a figure who is unknown by over two-thirds of the American populace be ranked so highly? Surely there has to be substantial reasoning there.
A Quick Bio
Monroe has a few “lasts” attributed to his name. Born in 1758, this Founding Father was the last of that generation to be president (the next president, Adams, was a child when the American Revolution began). He was the last president from the so-called Virginia Dynasty — a name given to the four Virginians who…
