Born on June 30, 1768, in New York City to Lawrence and Hannah Kortright, Elizabeth Kortright Monroe performed her First Lady duties in a way that ruffled the feathers of the Washingtonians. The opposite in nature of Dolley Madison Mrs. Monroe was more formal and much less social. She failed to pay the social calls on the Washington establishment that kept Dolley busy, and even though the probable reasons were health related, Mrs. Monroe still received rebuffs for her seemingly stand-offish nature.
Elizabeth Kortright was raised by her grandmother who owned and operated her own real estate business in Harlem, New York. Although she received no formal education as was fairly normal for girls at that time, she undoubtedly was homeschooled in French and Latin and the social duties of ladies as well as music, literature, sewing, and other home arts. Her ease with European culture shows that she was comfortable with the French language and the formal society that was part of European dignitaries at that time.
Elizabeth was only seventeen when she married James Monroe. The Monroes lived for a time in New York, the first United States capital city, with Elizabeth’s father. Monroe had served as Lieutenant Colonel during American Revolution and U. S. congressman from Virginia. After the end of Monroe’s term in congress, the couple moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he practiced law.
In 1790 James Monroe was elected to the Senate, and the couple moved to Philadelphia, the new temporary capital of the U.S. In 1794 Monroe was named U.S. Minister to France, and they moved to Paris, where Mrs. Monroe seemed to shine. She was adored by the diplomats and their wives. Probably her most noted accomplishment was achieved during this French visit: Adrienne de Lafayette was imprisoned, and Mrs. Monroe made a point of visiting her in prison. Although the visit was considered unofficial, the officials released Mrs. Lafayette. Her visit provided a face-saving for the officials during this time of France’s revolutionary difficulties. They did not want to alienate the United States.
After being recalled from France, Monroe was elected and served as governor of Virginia from 1799-1803. Mrs. Monroe’s father and son died during this time, and she developed an illness that later prevented her from socializing as much as was expected of her. The Monroes did, however, manage to return to Europe when Thomas Jefferson sent Monroe to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase.
Although Mrs. Monroe served as First Lady from 1817 to 1825, her ill health prevented her from being engaged with the duties as most first ladies are. It is not known specifically what illness afflicted her, but medical evidence suggests epilepsy. However, she did change White House procedures making them more formal than they had been under Jefferson and Madison.
Elizabeth Kortright Monroe died in Oak Hill Estate in Loudoun County, Virginia, on September 23, 1830, at age 62. She was buried at Oak Hill Estate, but then reinterred in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, in 1903.
Reference:
First Lady Biography
Elizabeth Kortright Monroe
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Books by Linda Sue Grimes:
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Singing in the Silence: Poems of Faith
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Jiggery Jee's Eden Valley Stories
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