| Summary |
This thesis examines the intense rivalry that developed between James Monroe and John Armstrong while serving in the Madison cabinet, as both competed for the Republican presidential nomination in 1816. It explores the numerous attempts at political undermining that each resorted to in order to discredit his foe. These include the various military operations that were important to the nation's war effort yet seemed to draw infighting between the two men. These operations culminated in the disorganized campaign to defend the nation's capital, which left Armstrong disgraced and ruined and Monroe appearing to be a hero. The thesis also examines the bitterness that continued between the two during the 1816 presidential election and the administration of James Monroe. The work demonstrates that James Monroe was a resilient and intelligent politician who was successful in gleaning success from his failures and in garnering undue credit for remarkable accomplishments when he either had no role in these achievements or his role was one of bungling interference. John Armstrong was a leader who did not possess these talents and who because of his gruff, unfriendly, and indolent manner drew distrust over every wartime failure and received little credit for the administrative successes that he did achieve as secretary of war. |
| General note | Presented to the faculty of the Department of History. |
| General note | Advisor: Charles W. Calhoun |
| Dissertation note | M.A. East Carolina University 2002 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-116). |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Biographies. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
