Commemoration of 273rd Anniversary of James Madison’s Birth

A Day of Commemoration, Celebration, and Learning

In honor of James Madison’s birthday, the United States Marine Corps Color Guard will lay the presidential wreath at the Madison Family Cemetery at Montpelier. The ceremony will begin at 11 AM and is free and open to the public. The wreath laying will be held rain or shine.

“Highlights of Montpelier Tour” – 10 AM – 3 PM: Guided indoor/outdoor tour offered every half hour. You are encouraged to purchase your tickets online prior to your visit.

Specialty Tours

Constitution Tour – 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM: This one hour tour explores the origins of the Constitution at Montpelier and the legacy it leaves today.
Enslaved Community Tour – 1:30 PM: This walking tour of significant sites examines one of America’s largest paradoxes: a nation where “all men are created equal” built by those who are denied the exact freedoms they were laboring to establish.
Bill of Rights Walking Tour – 2 PM: This outdoor walking tour explores James Madison’s primary role as “Architect” of the Bill of Rights.

Lecture Program: James Madison and U.S. Relations with France, 1801-1808.

Angela Kreider, Associate Editor with Papers of James Madison at the University of Virginia
Time: 1:00pm
Location: James Madison’s Montpelier, David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center, Grand Salon
As secretary of state during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, Madison played a prominent role in the Louisiana Purchase, the U.S. response to rebellion against French rule in Haiti, and efforts to deal with French assaults on American shipping. This work not only impacted the lives and fortunes of thousands of American farmers, sailors, merchants, and speculators as well as untold numbers of Haitian people and French citizens, but also intersected with Madison’s own concerns closer to home at Montpelier.

About the Speaker:
Angela Kreider earned her PhD from the Institute of the Liberal Arts at Emory University, and has been an editor with the Papers of James Madison at the University of Virginia since 2003. She edited four volumes of the Presidential Series of Madison’s papers and co-edited a fifth, covering the years 1813-1815, in which much of Madison’s correspondence had to do with the War of 1812 and its immediate aftermath. More recently, she’s worked on the project’s Secretary of State Series, editing volumes documenting Madison’s direction of U.S. foreign affairs in 1806 and 1807, as the ongoing war between Great Britain and France put increasing pressure on American commerce, national stature, and territorial ambitions.

Other Activities

Mr. Madison Will be at Home and Receiving Guests – Visitors have an opportunity to engage with James Madison in all his genius and complexity. Mr. Madison will discuss a range of topics, from his life at Montpelier to the writing of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Food Truck

Bowles Southern Fried food truck will be onsite and serving delicious chicken, fish, and lots of sides from 11 AM-2 PM.

President Madison took his role as commander-in-chief very seriously during the War of 1812. During the Battle of Bladensburg on August 14, 1814, Madison, accompanied by Secretary of War John Armstrong and Secretary of State James Monroe, personally rode out to observe the troops. He remains the only president engaged in battle while in office.