When President James Monroe took office in 1817, he gave his inaugural address in a scarred capital. The United States still was recovering from the War of 1812 (1812–1815), during which the British had set fire to the city.
Yet Monroe spoke with pride about American accomplishments in his address. He also stressed the importance of international relations. He warned of dangers from abroad. He believed that European countries secretly hoped that the young democracy would fail. Then they could move in and carve
