Happy Birthday Jemmy!

Two hundred and sixty-two years ago,

Nelly Conway Madison gave birth to her first son,

James Madison at Belle Grove Plantation.

Today we are on our way to Montpelier to celebrate with a wreath lying at his grave site, a tour of the mansion with exhibitions in each room about the Constitution and a visit with “Mr. and Mrs. Madison”.

We are staying the night at one of our favorite bed and breakfasts in Virginia, Chestnut Hill Bed and Breakfast in Orange. We will be having dinner at the Elmwood at Sparks too! And it wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the James Madison Museum!

Chestnut Hill Bed and Breakfast
Orange, Virginia

http://www.chestnuthillbnb.com/

Elmwood at Sparks Restaurant
Orange, Virginia
http://www.elmwoodcatering.com/_index.php

The James Madison Museum
Orange, Virginia
http://www.thejamesmadisonmuseum.org/

Lots of photos and a post about our fun when we return!

If you are in the area, we hope to see you!

In the meantime, we thought we would share some little known facts about our favorite President on his birthday!

We hope you enjoy it!

Quiz on James Madison

Who delivered James Madison’s eulogy?

Answer:               John Quincy Adams

After retiring from public service in 1817, what organization did Madison help organize that was devoted to ending slavery in American?

Answer:               The American Colonization Society. Founded in 1819, this organization believed in the idea of resettling freed blacks back in Africa in Liberia.

How many times did James Madison serve as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates?

Answer:               As a delegate to the Virginia Convention of 1776, Madison was automatically a member of the first House of Delegates. He returned to the House in 1784, where he led the fight against the reestablishment of the Episcopalian Church of Virginia. After serving in the US House of Representatives from 1789-1797, he was again elected to the Virginia House.

What was unique about Madison’s Vice-Presidents?

Answer:             They both died in office. George Clinton, Madison’s first Vice-President, former Governor of New York and nemesis of Alexander Hamilton died shortly before the end of Madison’s first term in 1812. Elbridge Gerry, former Governor of Massachusetts died midway through Madison’s second term.

James Madison never held a job that was out of the public eye before his retirement from the presidency. He did, however, consider a career in the private sector. What was it?

Answer:               Lawyer. After graduating from what is now known as Princeton University in 1772, he considered briefly a career as a member of the bar but soon abandoned that course. He was elected to the Orange County Committee of Safety in 1774, which was chaired by his father.

 James Madison was known as the “Father of the Constitution”. How many children did James Madison actually have?

Answer:               None. James and Dolley never had children together. Dolley had two children by her first husband, John Todd.  Dolley lost her first husband and one of her children to yellow fever in 1793. Payne Todd, her only surviving child never married or had children.

The war of 1812, known as “Madison’s War” produced a very famous song. What was the song?

Answer:               The Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Keys written in 1814.

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