Country Vacations & Resorts

Time in Office: 1809 to 1817
Terms: Two
Birthday: March 16, 1751
Birth Place: Belle Grove Plantation, Port Conway, King George County, Virginia
Date of Death: June 28, 1836
Place of Death: Montpelier, Virginia
Buried: Madison Family Cemetery, Montpelier, Virginia

Notes:

~ Often called the “Father of the Constitution.”
~ Oldest of 12 children.
~ Graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), in 1771.
~ First President to have served in the United States Congress.
~ Madison’s famous wife Dolley was expelled from the “Society of Friends” for marrying James, a non-Quaker.

Often known as a protege of Thomas Jefferson, America’s fourth President, like most of the other “Founding Fathers” of the United States, spent little of his life idle. After spending several years with local tutors, Madison entered the College of New Jersey (Princeton) in 1769. He graduated in 1771 and then spent an additional year there studying Hebrew and political philosophy.

Young James Madison

Returning to his home Montpelier, Madison then made numerous trips to both Fredericksburg and Richmond, Virginia while working with Jefferson on the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. 1787 found James at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Madison’s draft of the “Virginia Plan” is known to be the basis of what was to become the American Constitution. His political interest and personal diligence made him an important leader in the First to Fourth Congress, (1787 – 1797), held at Congress Hall in Philadelphia. He was United States Secretary of State from 1801-1809 and was President of the United States from 1809 to 1817.

Today, it is difficult to even imagine travel for Madison in his time frame. Although the majority of his travel was from Montepelier to other locations in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and eventually Washington, DC, think about this travel on horseback. Eight day’s trip by horse from Virginia to Philadelphia with stops at taverns for food, water, lodgings, and care and feeding of the all important horses. This is also “uncovered” travel most of the time.

The Mid-Atlantic States, home to most of the Founding Father’s travels, can have very harsh winters – with snow, hail, high winds, and icy roads. There were no “big city” lights to look for heading into a town down a dark lane. No DOT (Department of Transportation), crews to call if a large tree happens to fall and blocks your one entrance path to the next town.

Madison would have been “on travel” almost constantly from around 1785 to 1817. It is remarkable to think of his political accomplishments in this 32 years when you consider time on the road with no electricity, no automobile, no phone, no email, no fax machine, and no advance internet reservations for hotels with room service!

You have to contrast, looking at all the legislation, bills and important amendments Madison wrote, our current fast-traveling politicians – many who have publicly declared that they often sign what they haven’t even read.

By the time Madison left the Presidency in 1817 and retired to Montpelier, he was 65 years old.

Aerial view (artist’s rendering) – Montpelier

Some 30 miles and a day’s ride away from Jefferson’s Monticello lies James Madison’s Virginia plantation – Montpelier. It is here that Madison spent the majority of the rest of his life outside his position as President of the University of Virginia – a role he took over on the death of Thomas Jefferson, and that he held until his own death in 1836.

Both Madison and his plantation were both in financial trouble at the time of his return there in 1817 – no doubt enhanced by the fact that he had spent so little time there during the preceding years. Having devoted so much of his physical and mental strength to the governing of the country, Madison was actually bedridden and could barely speak for nearly a year in 1831 and 1832.

Montpelier today, in the Piedmont area of Virginia, is a National Historic Landmark of over 2,650 acres which is connected to the James Madison Forest – 200 acres of old growth Piedmont forest – the largest in the eastern United States.

Montpelier provides a beautiful backdrop to many events during the year such as the Montpelier Hunt Races – held this year on November 6, 2010, Montpelier Wine Weekends, or a Candlelight Christmas at Montpelier held December 3-5th.

On travel next with America’s fifth President, James Monroe.

“Traveling with American Presidents” list.

Time in Office: 1801 to 1809
Terms: Two
Birthday: April 13, 1743
Birth Place: Shadwell plantation, Albemarle County, Virginia.
Date of Death: July 4, 1826
Place of Death: Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia
Buried: Monticello Estate, Charlottesville, Virginia

Notes:

~ Vice President to John Adams. Both died on the same day.
~ One of the United States most intelligent and well-traveled Presidents.
~ When his father died, Jefferson, then only 14, inherited nearly 5000 acres of land and dozens of slaves.
~ His original tombstone is located on the campus in the University of Missouri’s Francis Quadrangle.
~ Governor of Virginia (1779-1781)
~ First United States Secretary of State (1789-1793)
~ Second Vice President of the United States (1797-1801)

Jefferson bronze statue
University of Missouri

How can one say enough about Thomas Jefferson, and not only as a two-term President of the United States? This founder of the University of Virginia focused his attention and curious mind on politics, architecture, music, horticulture, new inventions, and a host of other interests.

College of William and Mary, Virginia

In 1760, at the age of 16, Jefferson began his formal education at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. In 1775 he attended the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was first tasked with writing the Declaration of Independence. As a state legislator, Governor of Virginia, and member of congress, Jefferson made numerous 8-day trips from Virginia. In 1765, he was appointed Minister to France.

Arriving in Paris, Jefferson found a home on the Champs-Élysées. He enjoyed the local cuisine so much he paid to have one of his accompanying slaves trained to be a proper French chef. Due to his love of wine, Jefferson also visited many of Europe’s most famous vineyards. Jefferson remained in Paris, where he became fluent in French, until the Revolution in 1789. To travel some of the same paths Jefferson did while in France, visit Jefferson in Paris, 1784-1789.

Jefferson remained politically active and by the end of 1793 decided to take a break and returned to his then under-construction plantation, Monticello. By 1801 he was the third President of the United States. As President, Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France – doubling the size of the United States and opening up numerous new opportunities for American travelers.

Thomas Jefferson left Washington by horse March, 1809 with three wagons containing his belongings from his years in Washington. Through a trip and snow storm lasting four days, he arrived at Monticello

Jefferson Memorial

Modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial is part of the National Mall and Memorial Parks system. Completed in 1943 and dedicated on Thomas Jefferson’s April 13th, 200th birthday, the bronze statue of Jefferson was added in 1947. It is home to the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

It might be said that even when Thomas Jefferson was not physically traveling, his mind was always on the move. For the 17 years after his retirement (in 1809), Jefferson never left the State of Virginia – occasionally visiting his second home, Poplar Forest, when things got too hectic at Monticello. But even from Jefferson’s “down time,” today’s society still reaps the benefits.

Next – travels with the 4th President on our hit parade, James Madison.

“Traveling with American Presidents” list.

Time in Office: 1789 to 1797
Terms: Two
Birthday: February 22, 1732
Birthplace: Pope’s Creek Estate, (Near current-day Colonial Beach), Westmoreland County, Virginia.
Date of Death: December 14, 1799
Place of Death: At his home – Mount Vernon, Virginia
Buried: In a tomb on his estate at Mount Vernon. It was then locked and the key to the tomb was thrown into the Potomac River.

Who would guess by looking at the traditional pictures of George Washington that he was actually part of a “blended family” as it is called today. Washington was the first-born son from his father’s second marriage, had two, older step-siblings, and five younger siblings. His father died when George was only eleven but George didn’t whine or cry or make excuses – he just got on with his life – and lucky for Americans he did!

Due in part to his father’s early death, George did not receive the formal English education as planned, but instead spent many years with tutors. George spent many of his younger days at Ferry Farm in Stafford County (near Fredericksburg) Virginia.

George Washington began his travels around the country (as it was then), early. In 1749 at the age of 17, he was appointed the official surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia. Three years later he traveled with his half-brother Lawrence to Barbados, hoping to find a cure for Lawrence’s case of tuberculosis.

Washington’s early military career had him traveling mainly in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. He then resigned from the military and stayed mainly in and around the Shenandoah Valley and Williamsburg until around 1774, but he kept his hand in politics while beginning to build his family and his plantation at Mount Vernon.

Travels during the American Revolution (1775-1787)

In 1775 George Washington attended the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. George was a man of convictions and action and came dressed in his full military uniform – prepared to do whatever his peers requested of him. He assumed command of the Continental Army on the field in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1775 during the seige of Boston. Washington next moved his army to New York City followed by successful army campaigns in Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey (1776-1777.)

Next came the Battle of Brandywine in September of 1777, a quick skirmish (unsuccessful) at Germantown, Pennsylvania, and by December 1777, George found himself camped with his men and few supplies at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Those that survived the winter moved onward and by June 1778 found themselves embroiled in the Battle of Monmouth (New Jersey.) By 1783 Washington was able to disband his army, gave a farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern, New York, and by December 23rd 1783, he resigned his commission.

Continental Congress

Presidency (1789-1797)

George had done nothing BUT travel near and far since 1749 and he was far too busy to do much more than work as America’s first President. Remembering that his trip for the inauguration – from his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia to New York, took eight days in 1789, it is not surprising that George Washington strayed not far from his homebase at 190 High Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There was no White House available for the first President of the United States.

For further information on modes of travel in George Washington’s time, visit this informative page from Colonial Williamsburg. To find out where travelers like George Washington stayed during their journeys visit Historic Inns and Taverns of New England, or Destination “C” for images and a virtual visit to Mitchie Tavern – Charlottesville, Virginia.

More about history travel and next up, spending a few years traveling with John Adams…an entirely different personality…

“Traveling with American Presidents” list.