Not just anyone can be put in charge of others. A leader has to be smart, charismatic, willing to compromise, and have a drive to improve those he has to lead. All of these especially apply to the role of the president of the United States. The president has to be smart, first and foremost. He can not lead the country effectively if he has no idea what he is doing. Being educated in matters of politics is a must. But traditional, “book-smart” intelligence is not the only kind need. Sometimes, being smart is knowing when to compromise. America would not be where it is today if people did not compromise in government. Unanimous decisions are very rare, and it usually takes two groups meeting each other halfway to get anything done. Without that mentality, …show more content…
In the aptly named Missouri Compromise quite possible kept the Civil War from happening earlier than it did. Despite not believing that Congress had the power to do such a thing, he conceded that outlawing slavery in some states but not others was the only way to keep things from spiralling out of control in the still new country of America. The ability to compromise is arguably his best trait. This is what saved the United States from going into a civil war it likely would not have recovered from so early in its history. Although he only delayed the inevitable, as history would soon come to see it, his actions brought some much needed time for the issue to develop more. Sometimes, buying time is simply the best course of action in government, and Monroe knew that he had to go against his beliefs in order to make that happen.
James Monroe may not have been as iconic a president as someone like George Washington, or even a founding father, but his contributions as a leader in the United States can not be ignored. He was responsible for expanding the country before and during his presidency. He was smart enough to secure safety down the road for the developing country. And most importantly, he was able to prevent disaster by knowing when to compromise. Truly, James Monroe was one of America’s greatest presidents and leaders, and should be remembered