Virginia has been home to 8 American presidents. I’ve been to George Washington’s estate (Mt. Vernon) a few times, visited Monticello a few years ago, stopped by Woodrow Wilson’s Presidential Library (and birthplace home) last summer, and finally checked James Madison’s home, Montpelier, off my list this summer.
Who was James Madison?
James Madison was the 4th president of the United States and is known as the Father of the Constitution. He was a co-author of The Federalist Papers and championed the Bill of Rights. His political accomplishments are quite numerous. Living to the age of 85, Madison continued to work and write almost to the end of his life.
Watch this video to see Madison’s 3 Big Ideas
(Don’t worry – it’s less than 10 minutes long and is surprisingly entertaining for a movie about writing the Constitution!)
Let’s take a look around…
All about the Constitution
Any discussion of James Madison will include the US Constitution just because he contributed so significantly to the ideas behind it and the writing of it. We ended up on the Constitution tour rather than the regular house tour just due to the timing of our arrival. While I would have enjoyed learning more about his life in general, it was a great civics lesson to learn about his many contributions to our government and the ideas behind the Constitution which was the focus of the Constitution tour.
Did you watch the video I posted above about Madison’s Big 3? You really should watch it. It’s great refresher!
Want to learn more?
Go to the official Montpelier website to find tons of great information about the house and about James Madison. Tour and ticket information is also available there.
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Perhaps school systems will schedule field trips. I was present for one to Montpelier many years ago. Can still smell the boxwoods.
Definitely a good place to visit if you’re learning about the Constitution!