James Monroe Bankhead James Monroe Bankhead James Monroe Bankhead (1783 - 1856) a U. S. Army officer in the War of 1812, Second Seminole War, and Mexican–American War, who rose to the rank of brevet brigadier general. James Monroe Bankhead was born on May 24, 1783 in Port Royal, in Caroline County, Virginia. Bankhead joined the U. S. Army in 1808, as a captain in the 5th Infantry Regiment. Bankhead and Winfield Scott entered the army on the same day and they remained lifelong friends. Before the War of 1812, Bankhead served in various commands and staff assignments. During the war he was
James Monroe As president, he sought to ease partisan tensions, embarking on a tour of the country that was well received. Monroe sought to appease the antagonisms and bridge the divisions that had marked American political life since the War of 1812, quietly using his influence as president to encourage compromises and endorsing a consensual form of American patriotism. This method of leadership led historian William E. Weeks to name him the first American "hidden hand president" in reference to Eisenhower's similar practices. With the ratification of the Treaty of 1818 under the successful diplomacy of his Secretary of State John Quincy