Elizabeth Monroe Elizabeth Monroe Elizabeth Kortright Monroe (June 30, 1768 – September 23, 1830) was the First Lady of the United States from 1817 to 1825, as the wife of James Monroe, President of the United States. Due to the fragile condition of Elizabeth's health, many of the duties of official White House hostess were assumed by her eldest daughter, Eliza Monroe Hay. Born in New York City on June 30, 1768, Elizabeth was the youngest daughter of Lawrence Kortright, a wealthy merchant, and Hannah (Aspinwall) Kortright. Her father was one of the founders of the New York Chamber of Commerce. During
Era of Good Feelings good feelings" and a general mood of optimism emerged with hopes for political reconciliation. Monroe's landslide victory against Federalist Rufus King in the 1816 presidential election was so widely predicted that voter turnout was low. A spirit of reconciliation between Republicans and Federalists was well underway when Monroe assumed office in March 1817. As president, James Monroe was widely expected to facilitate a rapprochement of the political parties in order to harmonize the country in a common national outlook, rather than party interests. Both parties exhorted him to include a Federalist in his cabinet to symbolize the new era of