Editing James Monroe (section)

==Early life and education==
James Monroe was born on April 28, 1758, in his parents' house in a wooded area of [[Westmoreland County, Virginia|Westmoreland County]] in the [[Colony of Virginia]], to Andrew Spence Monroe and Elizabeth Jones. The marked site is one mile (1.6&nbsp;km) from the unincorporated community known today as [[Monroe Hall, Virginia]]. The [[James Monroe Family Home Site]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1979. He had one sister, Elizabeth and three younger brothers, Spence, Andrew and Joseph Jones. Monroe's father worked as a craftsman and was a patriot who was involved in protests against the [[Stamp Act 1765|Stamp Act]]. His mother was the daughter of a Welsh immigrant whose family was one of the wealthiest in [[King George County, Virginia|King George County]].<ref name="Unger 2009 9–10">{{harvnb|Unger|2009|pp=9–12}}</ref><ref name="Harry Ammon 1971 p. 577">{{harvnb|Ammon|1971|page=577}}.</ref>

[[File:Birthplace of Monroe historical marker.jpg|left|thumb|Marker designating the site of James Monroe's birthplace in [[Monroe Hall, Virginia]]]]

His paternal great-great-grandfather Patrick Andrew Monroe emigrated to America from [[Scotland]] in the mid-17th century as a [[Royalist]] after the defeat of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] in the [[English Civil War]],<ref name="Unger 2009 9–10" /> and was part of an ancient Scottish clan known as [[Clan Munro]]. In 1650, he patented a large tract of land in Washington Parish, [[Westmoreland County, Virginia]]. Also among James Monroe's ancestors were [[French Huguenot]] immigrants, who came to Virginia in 1700.<ref name="Harry Ammon 1971 p. 577"/>

At age 11, Monroe was enrolled in Campbelltown Academy, the only school in the county. This school was considered the best in the colony of Virginia, which is why Monroe was later able to immediately take advanced courses in Latin and mathematics at the [[College of William & Mary]].<ref name=":0" /> He attended this school only 11 weeks a year, as his labor was needed on the farm. During this time, Monroe formed a lifelong friendship with an older classmate, future [[Chief Justice of the Supreme Court]] [[John Marshall]]. In 1772, Monroe's mother died after giving birth to her youngest child and his father died soon after, leaving him as the eldest son in charge of the family. Though he inherited property, including slaves, from both of his parents, the 16-year-old Monroe was forced to withdraw from school to support his younger brothers. His childless maternal uncle, [[Joseph Jones (Virginia)|Joseph Jones]], became a surrogate father to Monroe and his siblings and paid off his brother-in-law's debts. A member of the [[Virginia House of Burgesses]], Jones took Monroe to the capital of [[Williamsburg, Virginia]], and enrolled him in the [[College of William and Mary]] in June 1774. Jones also introduced Monroe to important Virginians such as [[Thomas Jefferson]], [[Patrick Henry]], and [[George Washington]].<ref name=":1">{{harvnb|Unger|2009|pp=12–19}}</ref>

During this phase of the [[American Revolution]], opposition to the British government grew in the [[Thirteen Colonies]] in reaction to the "[[Intolerable Acts]]", a series of harsh laws against the Colonies in response to the [[Boston Tea Party]]. In Williamsburg, British Governor [[John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore]], dissolved the [[Colonial government in the Thirteen Colonies|Assembly]] after protests by the delegates, who then decided to send a delegation to the [[First Continental Congress]] in Philadelphia. Dunmore wanted to take advantage of the absence of the Burgesses, who had convened to Richmond, and had soldiers of the [[Royal Navy]] confiscate the weapons of the Virginian militia, which alarmed militiamen and students of the College of William & Mary, including Monroe. They marched to the [[Governor's Palace (Williamsburg, Virginia)|Governor's Palace]] and demanded that Dunmore return the confiscated gunpowder. When more militiamen arrived in Williamsburg under the leadership of Patrick Henry, Dunmore agreed to pay compensation for the confiscated goods. Monroe and his fellow students were so incensed by the governor's actions that they conducted daily military drills on campus afterward.<ref name=":1" /> On June 24, 1775, Monroe and 24 militiamen stormed the Governor's Palace, capturing several hundred muskets and swords.<ref name=":0" />