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Her story was a private one! Elizabeth Monroe # 5 First Ladies

Elizabeth Monroe

Elizabeth Kortright, the fifth First Lady of the United States and wife to the 5th U.S. president, James Monroe, may have a lower profile in history compared to her predecessors, but her intriguing story is worth discovering. Born in New York City in 1768 to a wealthy merchant and one of the founding members of the New York Chamber of Commerce, Lawrence Kortright, and Hannah Aspinwall, Elizabeth's tale is one of a private nature. Interestingly enough, her father was also a co-owner of several pirate ships that sailed out of New York, and had ownership of at least four slaves. Today, the town of Kortright, New York, is named after the land that once belonged to Lawrence Kortright in Delaware County.

Elizabeth grew up with four older siblings, namely Sarah, Hester, Mary, and John, in a wealthy household where she was taught the proper social graces. James fell deeply in love with Elizabeth and proposed to her just a few months later. The following year, on February 16, 1786, at Lawrence Kortright's beautiful house in New York, the couple exchanged vows. Their honeymoon on Long Island was short but sweet before returning to Elizabeth's father's home in the city. The newlyweds happily stayed with Lawrence until the Congress adjourned. Later that year, they moved to Virginia where they joyfully welcomed their first child, Eliza Kortright Monroe, in December of 1786.

 James felt deeply in love in courtship and marriage.

President James Monroe

Ambassador's Wife

Elizabeth and Monroe had quite an adventure during the early years of their marriage, traveling often. In 1794, George Washington appointed Monroe as US Minister to France, and the couple found themselves in Paris during the tumultuous Reign of Terror. Elizabeth's bravery and quick thinking shone through as she secured the release of the wife of American Revolutionary hero, the Marquis de Lafayette. She even saved her from the guillotine! And when American Thomas Paine was arrested for opposing the execution of the French king, Elizabeth and Monroe provided him refuge.

Their daughter, Eliza, attended an exclusive school in Paris and became friends with none other than Napoleon's step-daughter. Elizabeth and Monroe hit it off with Napoleon himself as a result. After returning to the United States, Monroe was elected governor of Virginia, where Elizabeth gave birth to their son, James Monroe, Jr. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1801, and Elizabeth experienced the first of a series of seizures. These eventually restricted her social activities. Maria Hester, their third child, was born during Monroe's governorship in 1802.

Governor's Wife!

The Monroes moved back to Virginia, where he served as governor. Elizabeth experienced seizures and collapses (potentially related to epilepsy), which limited her social life. They had a son in 1799, James Monroe Jr., who sadly passed away in 1801. In early 1802, their third child, a daughter named Maria Hester, was born in Virginia.

Life in Great Britain!

In 1803, President Jefferson appointed James as the United States Minister to Great Britain and Spain. Elizabeth didn't like the social atmosphere there as much as in France, possibly because of the United States' decision not to ally against France despite the governmental change. In 1804, James went to France to negotiate the purchase of Louisiana and still served as the Ambassador to Great Britain and Spain. Monroes were invited by Napoleon Bonaparte to attend his coronation in Paris as part of the official American delegation that same year.

 To The White House With Him An 1817!

The White House in 1817 - Giclee Print

As First Lady, Elizabeth started her duties by hosting the inaugural ball at their private residence since the White House was still under reconstruction from the war. Additionally, the Monroes furnished the White House from their own collection since all previous furniture at the White House had been destroyed during the war. Although Elizabeth was not as popular as her predecessor, Dolley Madison, who set the standard for future First Ladies, she still achieved popularity for the parties and other social events she hosted. Furthermore, General Andrew Jackson always asked about her in his letters to Monroe.

In line with the customs of the time, designed to uphold the dignity and sensibilities of highly placed ladies. Elizabeth went ahead to get rid of all written correspondence between them and anyone else before she passed on. We're in luck because an abundance of records exist outside of Elizabeth's correspondence, enabling us to get a better understanding of her as a person and her life. Abigail Adams, the 2nd First Lady, did things differently and chose to have her correspondence kept and shared with the world, giving us an insight to who she was that most other early First Ladies didn't get to provide.

Death in 1830

After retiring from public life at the end of Monroe's second term as president, the Monroes made a big move from their plantation in Albermarle County to Oak Hill estate in Loudon. The relocation brought them closer to their daughter Eliza and her husband. Elizabeth's health was rapidly declining, but she bravely journeyed to New York City to visit her youngest daughter and other friends and family. Tragically, Elizabeth suffered severe injuries from a fall near a fireplace during a seizure, seriously affecting her health. She passed on at Oak Hill on September 23, 1830. Originally, she was buried at Oak Hill. In Monroe's final days, the couple was on a visit to their younger daughter in New York when he died. He was laid to rest there. A few years later, Monroe's remains were transported from New York to the new Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, where they remain a top attraction to this day. In 1903, Elizabeth's remains were exhumed from Oak Hill and interred next to her beloved husband in Hollywood Cemetery. The two rest peacefully together now!

Presidential Coin!

Elizabeth Monroe $10 Coin

The First Spouse Program of the Presidential $1 Coin Act allows the US Mint to release 1/2 ounce $10 gold coins and duplicate bronze medals in honor of the first spouses of the United States. Elizabeth Monroe's coin was issued in February 2008. 

Elizabeth was a small woman, not over 5 feet tall, as evidenced by a gown in the James Monroe Museum collection.

Her mother is a relative of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, via his paternal grandmother's cousin Elizabeth Monroe (making her a first cousin twice-removed).

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