Non-fiction: Annual Message to Congress, 1821 (State of the Union)

Overview
President James Monroe’s 1821 Annual Message portrays a nation emerging from financial distress into renewed stability, consolidating its territory, and cautiously expanding its commercial and diplomatic reach. He emphasizes peace, creditworthiness, and steady institutional development, urging prudent legislation to harness prosperity while safeguarding constitutional principles.

Finances and the Economy
Monroe reports that revenue from customs has revived and that public credit remains sound despite the lingering effects of the recent downturn. The Treasury is meeting all obligations, and the public debt is steadily diminishing through regular payments. He commends the uniformity of the national currency achieved through the restored health of the banking system and the operations of the Bank of the United States. Duties continue to provide the principal support of the government, and he favors adjustments that secure revenue while affording moderate encouragement to domestic manufactures, provided they comport with the broader interests of agriculture, commerce, and the consumer.

Foreign Relations
The ratification and execution of the 1819 treaty with Spain mark a centerpiece of the message. Florida has been ceded to the United States, and a definitive boundary with Spanish territories now extends to the Pacific, reducing causes of contention and opening a path to orderly administration in the new territory. Relations with Great Britain are generally amicable under the Convention of 1818, with boundary commissions proceeding and limits on naval force on the lakes maintained; difficulties persist, however, regarding colonial trade and reciprocal access to certain ports. With France and other European powers, amity is preserved while outstanding commercial and indemnity questions are pressed with firmness but without jeopardizing peace. Monroe notes the continued revolutions in Spanish America, maintains a strict neutrality toward the belligerents, and emphasizes protection of American commerce while acknowledging the practical growth of trade with the new de facto authorities.

Defense, Piracy, and the Slave Trade
Monroe urges continuation of the system of coastal fortifications and the gradual augmentation of the Navy authorized by prior acts, highlighting the need for dockyards, repairs, and seafaring skill essential to national security. He calls attention to piracy in the West Indies and Gulf, recommending light-draft vessels and legal measures to suppress depredations on American trade. He affirms the nation’s commitment to suppressing the transatlantic slave trade, recently defined as piracy under U.S. law, and describes arrangements to return recaptured Africans to a secure settlement on the African coast, undertaken in cooperation with public authorities and benevolent associations.

Territories, Public Lands, and Internal Improvements
With Florida in American hands, Monroe asks Congress to establish civil government, confirm legitimate land claims, protect the rights of former Spanish subjects, and provide for defense at key positions such as Pensacola and St. Augustine. He praises the public land system for encouraging settlement and revenue, yet urges measures that balance accessibility for settlers with the interests of the Treasury. On roads and canals, he strongly approves the national advantage of improved communications but reiterates constitutional scruples, inviting Congress to consider an amendment that would place a comprehensive system of internal improvements on indisputable footing.

Indian Affairs and the Frontier
Monroe advocates continued efforts to promote agriculture, education, and orderly habits among Native nations, coupled with negotiations for fair land cessions to accommodate expanding settlement. He suggests that voluntary removal beyond the Mississippi, with guaranteed tenure and federal protection, offers a humane path to secure peace on the frontier while preserving tribal communities.

Institutions, Judiciary, and the Union
Citing the 1820 census, he recommends a new apportionment of Representatives reflective of national growth. He urges reorganization of the federal judiciary to extend circuit jurisdiction to new states and relieve the Supreme Court’s burden. He notes the admission of Missouri under terms preserving the harmony of the Union and emphasizes that the nation’s progress depends on adherence to the Constitution, economy in administration, and the steady cultivation of peace and public virtue.