Presidency of James Monroe his better-known predecessors, including Madison and John Adams. Polls of historians and political scientists tend to rank Monroe as an above average president. A 2018 poll of the American Political Science Association’s Presidents and Executive Politics section ranked Monroe as the eighteenth best president. A 2017 C-Span poll of historians ranked Monroe as the thirteenth best president. Presidency of James Monroe The presidency of James Monroe began on March 4, 1817, when James Monroe was inaugurated as President of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1825. Monroe, the fifth United States president, took office after winning the 1816
Oak Hill (James Monroe house) to sell that property to pay debts he had incurred while serving as President. Monroe had put Oak Hill on the market in 1809, and placed an advertisement in "The Washingtonian" on December 23 of that year: He also attempted to sell the land in 1825, but failed to receive an acceptable bid both times. In 1822, Monroe began construction on the main house, a two-story brick mansion in the Federal style. He hired James Hoban, the designer of the White House, to serve as architect. Monroe's longtime friend and political mentor Thomas Jefferson offered many design suggestions. Monroe and