James Monroe Part II: Power, Pettiness and Public Service

Get ready for a presidential glow-up like no other. In thisepisode, hosts Eric Mason and Kyle take you deep into the world of James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States—and the face of what was questionably called the Era of Good Feelings. Spoiler: it wasn’t all sunshine and unity.

We’re unpacking Monroe’s crushing win over Rufus King inthe 1816 election, the forgotten greatness of Vice President Daniel Tompkins (a broke abolitionist hero), and Monroe’s awkward attempt at a “national unity” tour that stirred up more tension than it solved.

It’s a wild ride through early American politics:

*The founding fathers’ financial failures—yep, a bunchof them died broke

*The juicy Reynolds Affair scandal that shook thenation

*Monroe’s underrated but wildly effective cabinet

*His rivalry with Alexander Hamilton and all the egothat came with it

*And the quiet but powerful influence of Elizabeth Monroe,a First Lady who brought French elegance and diplomatic finesse to the White House

This isn’t your dry history class recap—this is Monroe witha twist: political drama, high-stakes diplomacy, and the scandalous undercurrents that shaped a nation.

Fife and Drum:

"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/