Magical History Tour: Montpelier

On the last day of my historical odyssey, I visited the home of James Madison, fourth president of the United States, father of the Constitution and good friend of Thomas Jefferson.

James Madison grew up at Montpelier, then a vast tobacco plantation. He spent much time there before, during and after his two terms as president. Madison spent hours in an upstairs study, surrounded by newspapers and books. Just as Jefferson served as Secretary of State for John Adams before becoming president himself, so Madison was Jefferson's Secretary of State. Also like Jefferson, Madison consequently spent a great amount of time in France. And while Monticello is heavy with French architecture thanks to Jefferson, so our Constitution is heavy with French enlightenment thanks to Madison. When all was said and done, Madison was the primary author of the Preamble to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and he was responsible for our three branches of government and their system of checks and balances. Still, some of Jefferson's French architectural influences are present at Montpelier, especially the dome over his "temple," which doubled as an ice house.


After his presidency, Madison continued to philosophize with his good friends, especially Jefferson. They spent many hours traveling the 30 miles or so between their two homes, a journey that took about a day in the early 1800's. The two men even had reproductions of the same painting of Mary Magdelene in their parlors. When I first arrived at the end of Montpelier's driveway, I imagined that Jefferson must have been very acquainted with the same view.


James and Dolley Madison entertained hundreds of other guests every year at Montpelier. Even when he was too old to walk up and down the stairs, Madison lived in a study near the dining room, and was wheeled next door during meals to discuss politics and philosophy. The back lawn of Montpelier was also filled with activity, from games to barbeques, all of which were overseen by the plantation's significant enslaved population. Madison's first-floor study was the large window on the lower right of the picture below, so even when he was too weak to go outside, he was still able to be part of the excitement.


Unlike Jefferson's Monticello, whose later owners recognized its historical significance (and left it alone!), the subsequent owners of Montpelier completely restructured the building. When it was finally willed to the U.S. government from the DuPont family in the 1980's, historians had to remove two wings that had been added and move door frames and fireplaces to their rightful places in the home. So while Monticello still looks just as it did in Jefferson's day, much of Montpelier is still being excavated. The architectural restoration is complete, but historians continue to hunt for historically accurate furniture and excavate the yards.


James Madison was the last of the Founding Fathers to pass away. In earlier years, three of the five Founding Fathers died on July 4th: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1826 and James Monroe on July 4, 1831. As Madison was nearing the end of his life in June, 1836, his doctors wanted to give him medicine to keep him alive until July 4th. Madison replied that he entered the world naturally, and he intended to leave the same way. Ultimately, he died in his study on June 28, 1836, less than a week shy of Independence Day.

Though Dolley moved away from Montpelier soon after James died, the spirit of the Madisons remains on the back lawn. There, visitors can join John and Dolley in one of their favorite leisure activities, perfect for traveling English teachers.

(Those statutes are life-size, by the way. I would have fit in SO well with the Madisons.)