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The Naming Project: Solomon Taliaferro

What We Know About Solomon Taliaferro

In the 1990s, a book titled A Brief Concordance to the Holy Scriptures surfaced briefly in an antiques shop in Fredericksburg, Virginia. An inscription identified the book as a gift to Solomon Taliaferro[1] from his friends Mrs. Thompson and Miss Lizzie Cave, and gave the outlines of Taliaferro’s life story. Enslaved by Nelly Madison, Taliaferro was born at Montpelier and was baptized there by Parson Belmaine. In 1846 he joined the United Brethren, and in 1849 married Sarah Taylor. Taliaferro was freed by Reuben Macon in 1853. He had no living children. The inscription was dated July 28, 1887, in Orange County.[2]

Rarely do we come across such a detailed life story for a member of the enslaved community at Montpelier. What’s more, Solomon Taliaferro’s name appears in additional documents that allow us to flesh out his biography even further.

 

In the Estate of Nelly Madison

Solomon Taliaferro was born at Montpelier ca. 1819, the son of Pamela Barbour Taliaferro and Frank Taliaferro. [3] (It is not clear whether Frank Taliaferro was one of the several men named Frank who were enslaved by the Madisons.) The earliest document in which Solomon Taliaferro’s name appears is the estate appraisal of Nelly Madison, mother of President Madison, which was taken after her death in 1829. “Soloman” was valued at $275.[4] Nelly Madison had indicated in her will that the people she enslaved would be allowed to choose which of her heirs would inherit them. Their choices were recorded in another document related to Nelly’s estate.  Rather than being listed as an individual in that document, Solomon appeared with members of his family: “Pamela has selected for herself, Son Solomon & Daughter Judy who are under fourteen years Old: Sarah Macon.” [5]

Solomon’s name appears in Nelly Madison’s estate papers, showing that his mother Pamela chose for her family to be inherited by Sarah Macon. Orange County Chancery Causes, microfilmed by the Library of Virginia.

Sarah Madison Macon was Nelly Madison’s daughter, who lived with her husband Thomas at the nearby plantation Somerset. Sam, Peter, and James also selected Sarah Macon. They may have been related to Solomon and his family. Some or all of the group may have had kinship ties to people already enslaved by the Macons, including the enslaved people who were given by James Madison Sr. to his daughter soon after her marriage.

Part of Nelly’s estate was settled through a lawsuit in 1833, when the Orange County Court ordered that Solomon and his family, as well as the other enslaved people who had chosen Sarah Macon, should be delivered to Sarah’s trustees, “for the separate use and benefit of the said Sarah during her life, and at her death to be delivered to the defendants James M Macon, Ambrose Macon, Henry Macon and Reuben Macon.”[6] These were the four sons of Sarah Macon still living in Orange County.

 

From One Macon Estate to Another

Sarah Macon died a widow in October 1843. Somerset had been sold when her husband died, and it is not clear where she and the people she enslaved were living at the time of her death. When Sarah’s estate was appraised in January 1844, Solomon was valued at $400, reflecting the fact that he was now an adult.[7] He was inherited by Sarah’s son, Reuben Macon. Reuben also inherited Solomon’s sister Judy, who by this time had a child. Solomon’s mother Pamela is not listed in the estate appraisal; her whereabouts are unknown.

The inscription in Solomon’s Brief Concordance tells us that he married Sarah Taylor in 1849, which was during the time he was enslaved by Reuben Macon. Possibly Sarah too was enslaved by Reuben Macon (a woman named Sarah was later listed on Reuben’s estate inventory), or she may have been enslaved on a neighboring plantation.

The 1850 census showed that Reuben Macon enslaved 26 people, who were listed by age, sex, and color, rather than by name. There was only one 32-year-old man in the list. Presumably he was Solomon Taliaferro, since other sources indicate that Solomon was born ca. 1819.[8] Sometime after 1850, Reuben moved in with his sister Lucy Macon Conway, whose plantation Greenwood was adjacent to Montpelier. Solomon may have moved to Greenwood as well.

“Transporting My Slaves to Liberia”

Reuben Macon died on May 1, 1853, having written his will only the day before, and having made some unusual provisions in it. He instructed that his land, livestock, “household & Kitchen furniture, Dogs, and every particle of perishable property I possess in the world to be Sold except my servants.” The people Reuben enslaved, including Solomon, were to be leased out. That income, and any other proceeds from Reuben’s estate, would provide annual support for Reuben’s unmarried brothers Henry and Ambrose during their lifetimes. After Henry and Ambrose died, Reuben’s executors were to emancipate the people he had enslaved and use the remainder of his estate to send the newly-freed people to Liberia. Reuben, perhaps expecting some resistance from his family or executors, reiterated at the end of the will:

“In order that I may not be misunderstood, I give and bequeath to my executors, all the residue of my estate both real and personal, to my executors in trust to pay the expense of transporting my slaves to Liberia.”[9]

Reuben’s will indicates that he supported the colonization movement, which aspired to end slavery in the United States by emancipating enslaved people and resettling them in Liberia. (Many emancipated people, whose families had been in the United States for generations, understandably had no desire to be relocated to a country they had never seen.) Reuben may have been influenced by his uncle, President James Madison, who had at one point been the president of the American Colonization Society.

It took years to settle Reuben’s estate. His two brothers died in 1853 and 1856, but it was not until 1859-1860 that the court ordered an appraisal of the enslaved people in Reuben’s estate. “Somon” (Solomon) was valued at $1000. Half of the enslaved people on the list were valued at $1000 or higher, suggesting that Solomon’s increased valuation reflected a general inflation in prices, or perhaps a desire to maximize the valuation of the estate, rather than any increase in Solomon’s individual skills or strength. (Solomon’s sister Judy is not listed in the estate appraisal; she may have died or been sold.)[10]

Solomon’s status is somewhat unclear in the years between Reuben Macon’s death and the settling of his estate. Reuben’s will directed that Solomon and the other enslaved people in the estate be hired out as long as Reuben’s brothers were still living. The court clearly still considered Solomon to be part of Reuben’s estate in 1860. Yet according to the inscription in A Brief Concordance to the Holy Scriptures, Solomon dated the start of his freedom as 1853, the year Reuben died. Perhaps Solomon had been told that Reuben’s will freed him. Perhaps the estate administrator (appointed by the court when the executors refused to serve) did not closely attend to hiring out Solomon and the other enslaved people, and they were left to their own devices for periods of time. Did the administrator ever present Solomon with the opportunity to go to Liberia? We don’t know, but Solomon appears to have stayed in Orange County the rest of his life.

 

A Free Man in Orange County

Solomon Taliaferro’s name can be found in a number of Orange County public records after the Civil War. He now appeared on tax rolls as the owner of his own personal property, rather being listed as the property of an enslaver. In 1867 he paid 62 cents tax on three hogs valued at $8. [11] In 1869 he paid 75 cents tax on a horse valued at $50, and was listed as living “[near] Barnett’s Ford.” [12]

The 1870 census found 50-year old Solomon, a farm hand, living with his 55-year-old wife Sarah, who “Keeps House” (meaning that she stayed home to run her family’s household). Neither Solomon nor Sarah could read or write. Also in their household were 27-year-old farm hand Jefferson Taylor, 19-year-old Lucy Taylor (keeping house), and 4-month-old Rachel Taylor. Thomas Jefferson Taylor was Sarah’s son from her previous marriage to Edmund Taylor, and he married Lucy Jane on December 27, 1870, according to the Orange County Marriage Register.[13]

Solomon Taliaferro’s household as it appeared in the 1870 census. The columns on the left indicate that this was the 402nd dwelling and 493rd family to be recorded on the census list. The columns after the names indicate each family member’s age, sex, color (Black or Mulatto), and occupation. Although Lucy and Rachel were listed as Mulatto, we don’t know whether the census taker ascertained that they were of mixed race, or whether he simply perceived them as light-skinned.

Throughout the 1870s, Solomon Taliaferro continued to appear on the personal property tax rolls in Orange County with a limited amount of livestock and other possessions. In 1873 he paid $1.05 tax on personal property worth $10, including four hogs valued at $5. [14] In 1874 he paid $1.30 tax on personal property totaling $62 in value, including furniture worth $10 and a horse worth $50. [15] In 1876 he paid $1.22 tax on $43 worth of personal property, including $10 worth of furniture, a horse worth $30, and a hog worth $3. [16] In 1876 he paid $1 state tax, with no personal property listed on the form. [17] While the details may seem tedious, they paint a picture of Solomon Taliaferro as a man of very modest means, owning a little furniture and livestock, but none of the stocks and bonds, clocks, jewelry, pianos, or sewing machines that were part of the taxable personal property of wealthier Orange County residents.

 

A Changing Household

Significant changes took place in Solomon Taliaferro’s household between the 1870 and 1880 census. Solomon, now a 61-year-old laborer, had been unemployed for three months in 1880. The Taylor family no longer lived with the Taliaferros, but Solomon and Sarah’s granddaughter had joined their household. (The 1887 inscription on Solomon’s Brief Concordance stated that he had no living children at that time; perhaps a daughter had already died by 1880, leaving Solomon and Sarah with a grandchild to raise.) Sarah was listed as being unable to read or write, but Solomon’s name was marked “cannot write,” implying that he could now read. This shows that within the previous 10 years, Solomon had achieved a milestone of literacy. Solomon and Sarah Taliaferro may have had hopes of even greater achievement for their young granddaughter. The census shows that 12-year-old Sarah Johnson was attending school in 1880; she could read but not yet write. (Like Lucy and Rachel Taylor on the 1870 census, Sarah Johnson was identified as “Mulatto.” It is unclear whether the census taker based this on skin color alone, or asked if she was of mixed race.) [18]

A series of land deeds in 1887 shows that Solomon Taliaferro became a landowner, if only for a short time. In May, Solomon paid $185 for a four-acre parcel. [19] When he sold the same parcel for $250 in October, the deed referred to it as the “land upon which Solomon Taliaferro now resides.” The purchaser gave Solomon a part payment of $50 and a $200 lien on the property, [20] then immediately sold the property to another purchaser, arranging four payments of $50 to Solomon, so that he would eventually receive the entire selling price.[21] It is unclear why Solomon held the property for only a few months, but it does appear that he made a profit on its sale.

 

Loss and Remarriage

Solomon’s wife Sarah Taylor Taliaferro died at some point after the 1880 census was taken. Solomon was listed as a widower in the Orange County marriage register when he married 55-year-old widow Sarah Brown, also of Orange County, on October 10, 1889. (His age is listed as 65, although it was likely closer to 70, according to other records.) This marriage register provides the evidence for the full names of Solomon’s parents: Frank Taliaferro and Pamela Barbour. In the column for the wife’s parents, the only name entered is “Dorcas.” This could be Sarah’s family surname, or more likely the first name of her mother. [22]

The October 10, 1889 wedding of Solomon Taliaferro and Sarah Brown was recorded on line 10 of this page from the Orange County Marriage Register. Courtesy of the Orange County Clerk’s Office.

How did this marriage change the makeup of Solomon’s household? Did the newlywed couple live alone? Was Solomon’s granddaughter Sarah Johnson, now in her early 20s, still living with him? Had she married? Did Sarah Brown Taliaferro bring any of her own family members into the household? The 1890 census might have answered these questions, but unfortunately the records of that census were destroyed after a 1921 fire in Washington DC.

Solomon Taliaferro’s death notice appeared in the Orange Observer on January 15, 1892. The wording, while offensive, is revealing in light of the racial tensions of the 1890s. Taliaferro’s white neighbors apparently liked him, but was that because he related to them with an “old-style” deference? Was his “type” seen as “rapidly passing away,” in comparison to a new generation of African Americans who spoke out against Jim Crow restrictions?

Ordinary and Extraordinary

Solomon Taliaferro, aged about 73, died at home in January 1892 of pneumonia, as noted in the local newspaper. [23] While in some ways an ordinary man – a farm hand and laborer – his life followed an extraordinary arc from slavery to freedom, from being considered property to being a property owner himself.

Solomon’s birth family was broken apart in the estates of his enslavers. The family he created with his first wife endured from slavery through freedom. In his last years he married again, and unlike his first wedding, this ceremony was recognized under the law and was formally recorded in a county record book. Thanks to the inscription in his Brief Concordance, and the clues recorded in county records and census documents, the pieces of Solomon Taliaferro’s remarkable life story come together to form a fascinating, if fragmentary, picture.

References

[1] The family name “Taliaferro” is usually pronounced “Tolliver” in Virginia.

[2] Solomon Taliaferro Book Inscription, July 28, 1887, Montpelier Research Files, Montpelier Foundation, Orange, Virginia, accessed September 29, 2020, MRD-S 38150, Montpelier Research Database. The original book had been sold before its existence was brought to the attention of The Montpelier Foundation, and its current location is unknown.

[3] Solomon Taliaferro’s parents’ names appear on his 1889 marriage record in the Orange County Marriage Register, No. 2: 1854-1912, Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Virginia, accessed September 30, 2020, MRD-S 45780, Montpelier Research Database.

[4] Valuation of the Personal Estate of Nelly Conway Madison, April 2, 1829, folder August H-N, 1833, Orange County: Microfilm Reel 275, Judgments, August 1833, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, accessed September 29, 2020, MRD-S 31452, Montpelier Research Database.

[5] Estate of Nelly Conway Madison, Valuation of Slaves and Other Property, June 30, 1829, Orange County Chancery Causes, 1833-023, Chapman, Admr vs. Madison et als., Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, accessed September 29, 2020, MRD-S 24469, Montpelier Research Database.

[6] Decree, 1833, folder August H-N, 1833, Orange County: Microfilm Reel 275, Judgments, August 1833, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, accessed September 30, 2020, MRD-S 31209, Montpelier Research Database.

[7] Inventory and Appraisement of Sarah Macon, January 1, 1844, Will Book 10: 57-60, Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Virginia, accessed September 30, 2020, MRD-S 24641, Montpelier Research Database.

[8] Schedule 2 (Slave Schedule) of the Seventh Census of the United States, Orange County, Virginia, 1850, United States National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC, accessed October 13, 2020, MRD-S 42693, Montpelier Research Database.

[9] Reuben Macon, Will, April 30, 1853, Will Book 12:56-57, Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Virginia, accessed September 30, 2020, MRD-S 45736, Montpelier Research Database.

[10] Inventory and Appraisement of the Estate of Reuben Macon, December 26, 1859, Will Book 12: 419-420, Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Virginia, accessed September 30, 2020, MRD-S 45743, Montpelier Research Database.

[11] Personal Property Tax Book, Orange County, Virginia, 1867, Personal Property Tax Records, Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Virginia, accessed October 2, 2020, MRD-S 45687, Montpelier Research Database.

[12] Personal Property Tax Book, Orange County, Virginia, 1869, Personal Property Tax Records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, accessed October 2, 2020, MRD-S 45754, Montpelier Research Database.

[13] Ninth Population Census of the United States, [Madison District], Orange County, Virginia, 1870, United States Census, United States National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC, accessed October 2, 2020, MRD-S 45322, Montpelier Research Database; Orange County Marriage Register, No. 2: 1854-1912, Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Virginia, accessed October 15, 2020, MRD-S 45780, Montpelier Research Database.

[14] Personal Property Tax Book, Madison District, Orange County, Virginia, 1873, Personal Property Tax Records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, accessed October 2, 2020, MRD-S 45764, Montpelier Research Database.

[15] Personal Property Tax Book, Madison District, Orange County, Virginia, 1874, Personal Property Tax Records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, accessed October 2, 2020, MRD-S 45765, Montpelier Research Database.

[16] Personal Property Tax Book, Madison District, Orange County, Virginia, 1875, Personal Property Tax Records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, accessed October 2, 2020, MRD-S 45766, Montpelier Research Database.

[17] Personal Property Tax Book, District No. 2, Orange County, Virginia, 1876, Personal Property Tax Records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, accessed October 2, 2020, MRD-S 45767, Montpelier Research Database.

[18] Tenth Population Census of the United States, Madison District, Orange County, Virginia, 1880, United States Census, United States National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC, accessed October 2, 2020, MRD-S 45348, Montpelier Research Database.

[19] E. T. Revely trustee of F. Robinette Revely to Solomon Taliaferro, Land Deed, May 10, 1887, Deed Book 53: 26-27, Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Virginia, accessed October 13, 2020, MRD-S 46353, Montpelier Research Database.

[20] Solomon Taliaferro to John G. Williams trustee of Agnes M. Ellis and Jefferson Ellis, Land Deed, October 17, 1887, Deed Book 53: 27-28, Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Virginia, accessed October 13, 2020. MRD-S 46354, Montpelier Research Database.

[21] John G. Williams, trustee of M. Agnes Ellis and Jefferson Ellis to Richard Chapman, trustee, Land Deed, October 17, 1887, Deed Book 53:28, Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Virginia, accessed October 2, 2020, MRD-S 46360, Montpelier Research Database.

[22] Orange County Marriage Register, No. 2: 1854-1912, Orange County Courthouse, Orange, Virginia, accessed September 30, 2020, MRD-S 45780, Montpelier Research Database.

[23] [Pertains to Colored People], The Orange Observer, January 15, 1892, accessed October 2, 2020, MRD-S 42627, Montpelier Research Database.

Why did James Madison have a temple in his front yard? He didn’t come here to pray– it wasn’t that kind of temple. Maybe it reminded him of the ancient Roman temple where the “flame of Liberty” was kept burning. But what does “liberty” mean? Does it mean that you can do anything you want? Whenever you want? Of course not! Can you imagine a whole country of people doing whatever they want? Imagine how quickly things would get out of control!

Things were getting out of control after the colonies broke away from the King of England during the American Revolution. The new states didn’t have a good system to govern themselves. They needed a rulebook. They needed a constitution.

Enter James Madison. He read lots of books right here at Montpelier that gave him ideas about the rules that other countries played by, if they didn’t have a king. Madison went to Philadelphia and worked with people from many different states to write a Constitution. His ideas were so helpful that now he is known as the “Father of the Constitution.”

What does the Constitution say about who makes the rules? Instead of a king, it’s “We The People.” The Constitution gives citizens the FREEDOM to govern themselves, to choose their own leaders, and to make their own laws and rules. The Constitution also protects the people’s rights like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press.

At first the Constitution didn’t allow everyone to participate in government, but over the past 240 years, Americans have made changes — things called Amendments– that let more people have rights, and vote, and run for office. Now “We the People” means just about “All the People!”

The United States Constitution is the modern world’s longest lasting Constitution, and many countries have used it as a model when they wrote their own Constitutions . And just think: it all began right here, on this plantation, Montpelier. That’s how Montpelier made its mark on the world!

Madison was the 4th President, but can you guess six other Presidents who came to Montpelier?

Madison’s best friends were Presidents 3 and 5. Maybe you’ll visit their homes, Monticello and Highland. Who were they? … Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe!

President Number 7 visited Montpelier in 1832. Someone in your family might have his picture right now – he’s on the $20 bill. Who was he? … Andrew Jackson!

Three other Presidents visited Montpelier after Madison’s lifetime. They might be harder to guess, but let’s give it a try.

President Number 19 came in 1878, and gave a speech in praise of Madison and the Constitution. In fact, his last name rhymes with “praise.” Any guesses?… Rutherford B. Hayes!

President Number 26 came to Montpelier on Thanksgiving Day 1907, when the duPonts lived here. A toy bear is named for him. Who was he? … Teddy Roosevelt!

And finally, President Number 41 came here in 1991 for the 200th anniversary of the Bill of Rights. His son was a President too. Can you guess? … George H. W. Bush!

That’s a lot of Presidents who made their mark on Montpelier. And today you’re here! Now you’re part of Montpelier’s story too.

Sometimes the people who lived at Montpelier chose to make their mark, but other times they were forced to make their mark. From the time President Madison’s grandparents came to Montpelier, it was a plantation––a huge farm–where enslaved people of African descent grew crops like tobacco, wheat, and corn and did many other jobs to make money for the Madison family. People who were enslaved had many skills and worked hard, but they didn’t get the benefit.

It was not only enslaved adults that labored for the Madisons, but enslaved children were also forced to do a lot of different tasks such as gathering firewood, helping in the kitchens, hauling water, cleaning stables, and… making bricks. Look at this huge house in front of you— each and every one of these bricks was made one at a time, by hand. On plantations, brick-making was often a task given to enslaved children. They pressed wet clay into rectangular-shaped molds. Then the bricks were left in the sun to “bake,” and once enough bricks were made they “fired” them to harden them. Have you ever pressed your fingers into wet clay? What happens when you do that? Your fingerprints make a mark. That’s exactly what happened here when enslaved people were making bricks to build this house. As you walk around the house, see if you can find any fingerprints in the bricks. These fingerprints remind us that nearly 300 enslaved people, of all ages, made their mark on Montpelier.

Since enslaved adults and children did most of the work at Montpelier, they didn’t have a lot of time for fun. What did they do when they did have a little time to themselves? Archaeologists found artifacts – marbles, doll parts, and toy wagon wheels – that tell us that enslaved children sometimes played with toys. Other artifacts, like musical instruments called jaw harps, tell us that enslaved people made music. Many of the activities that enslaved people probably enjoyed, like storytelling or dancing, didn’t leave artifacts in the ground.

The Madisons had much more time to themselves. Written records describe one of their favorite ways to have fun: parties.

Dolley Madison wrote about a barbecue picnic that she and James hosted on the 4th of July 1816. Ninety guests sat at tables set up on the lawn by enslaved people. Enslaved waiters served them roasted meats and punch, and most likely, fresh vegetables from the garden.

We don’t have a written account of what enslaved people had to do to get ready for that party, but historians found one written account that gives us a clue. In 1824, the famous General Lafayette visited Montpelier. A young enslaved maid named Ailsey Payne was there. Years later, she gave a newspaper reporter her eyewitness account. She saw so many horse drawn carriages she could hardly count them. Young enslaved men rode and led the horses. Enslaved people stored all kinds of food and meat in the icehouse. Ailsey Payne helped clean every inch of the House and shined all of the glass, silver, and china.

Ailsey Payne left her mark on Montpelier by telling her story! Will you tell someone about your visit?

Have you ever been asked to “sweep the floor?” Maybe it’s your chore to sweep up the crumbs that fall to the floor after dinner (if you don’t have a dog to do it for you). But have you ever been asked to “sweep the yard?” Archaeologists at Montpelier believe that enslaved people who lived here did just that! They used brooms to sweep away all of the grass and weeds. The ground would have been like a smooth, hard, clay floor.

Sweeping the yard cut down pests and unwanted creatures like ticks, mice, and snakes. It was a natural way of getting rid of pests that ruined food or caused disease.

The building in front of you was once a kitchen. Enslaved cooks labored here from long before sunup to long after sundown to prepare meals for the Madison family and their guests. They could build their hot cooking fires outside in the swept yard so that the work was more tolerable.

Except for the two smokehouses, the buildings here were homes for enslaved families who mostly worked inside the Madisons’ House. Their homes could be crowded, dark, and unbearably hot in summer. Having a smooth, swept yard allowed them to move many of their indoor activities outdoors. Imagine how busy this place would have been!

The ancestors of enslaved people at Montpelier had also swept their yards in Africa.They passed their wisdom along to their descendants. This is just one example of how enslaved people and their ancestors left their mark on Montpelier.

Do you have pets?

The Madisons had a pet parrot named Polly, but most of the animals at Montpelier weren’t pets – they were working animals. Horses pulled plows that made the ground ready for planting wheat or corn. Horses also pulled wagons, loaded with barrels of Montpelier tobaccos or wheat flour, to market in Fredericksburg and Richmond, and brought supplies back. Aleck was an enslaved wagoner who drove and cared for the horses. On one trip to Fredericksburg, Aleck had to borrow 50 cents to go to the blacksmith for new horseshoes so the horses could make the trip back.

Besides horses, there were cows and sheep and pigs at Montpelier. Some animals were raised for food. Sheep were also raised for their woolly coats. Enslaved women spun the wool into yarn or thread, and weavers like Reuben, Amy, and Harriet wove it into cloth.

James Madison wanted to improve the American breeds of cows and sheep. He bought some Merino sheep, because their wool was so good. A friend gave him some Devon calves as a gift, because they were a better breed of cows.

Animals made their mark at Montpelier – and so did the people who worked with them and took care of them!

How do we know what we know about the past? We can’t ask the people who used to live here— they’re long gone. We have to piece together clues from “primary sources”— letters, journals, diaries, paintings, and newspapers. History is kind of like a giant jigsaw puzzle— as we put the pieces together, a picture of the past emerges!

The very first people to live at Montpelier were Native Americans, or Indigenous people. They didn’t leave written records behind, but they did leave artifacts– objects that were made or shaped or used with their own hands. People who study artifacts are called archaeologists. Montpelier’s archaeologists have discovered artifacts that are about 2000 years old. That tells us that Indigenous people were here, thousands of years before the Madisons, or enslaved people, ever set foot on this land.

The Manahoac tribe were the native people living on this land just before the Madisons arrived here. Artifacts show us that the Manahoac made their mark by making their homes here for periods of time. The artifacts found near President Madison’s house, and near his grandparent’s house at Mount Pleasant–objects such as ceramics, stone tools, and projectile points— show us that the Manahoac thought these were good places to live too.

Did you know that there are descendants of Manahoac people living and making their mark in Virginia today? They are now part of the Monocan tribe, one of the 7 Federally recognized tribes in Virginia.

Some of the people that left their mark on Montpelier are buried here in the Madison family Cemetery. Can you guess which of these gravestones marks the final resting place of James Madison? It’s the tallest monument, and it’s called an obelisk. Today it’s easy to spot Madison’s grave, but if you visited Montpelier in the first 20 years after his death, you wouldn’t know where he was buried unless you were a member of his family. James Madison passed away on June 28, 1836, and two days later, he was buried here, in an unmarked grave.

Why would a president of the United States be buried in an unmarked grave? Today we usually place a marker at the head of a grave, but in the 1700s and 1800s people didn’t always do that, especially in a family cemetery where everyone knew where their family members were buried. If you count the gravestones you’ll find that there are about 30, but we know there are about 100 Madison family members buried here.

It wasn’t until 20 years later that people, outside of the Madison family, decided to place the large gravestone to honor the “Father of the Constitution.” Now, ready for a creepy story? Before placing the gravestone, a deep foundation had to be dug to a depth below James Madison’s coffin. “The boards placed above the coffin had decayed…and the coffin lid was slightly out of place…” so the men digging the foundation opened the coffin lid and “looked in upon the remains…” of James Madison!

Some people made their mark at Montpelier by leaving it.

Anthony was just 17 years old when he decided to make his escape from Montpelier. He had been enslaved here all his life, working in the Madisons’ house, and he was ready to take a big risk for freedom. James Madison’s father placed an ad in the newspaper to say that Anthony had escaped. The ad said that Anthony had light hair and gray eyes, and it described his coats, pants, striped overalls, hat, and buckled shoes. The ad offered a reward for capturing Anthony.

Anthony didn’t want to be caught, so he told people his name was Robert Jones. But one year after he escaped, Anthony was found, about 70 miles from Montpelier. He told the men who captured him that he had traveled to port cities in Virginia, to Philadelphia, and even the West Indies.

But the very next day, Anthony escaped again. He managed to get papers that said he was a free man named Billy Willis. There was a rumor that he was heading to Philadelphia. The Madisons never heard from him again. What happened next is a mystery. But Anthony left his mark by taking a big risk for freedom.

The duPont Family bought Montpelier in 1901 and made many changes to the House and the property. Did you see the racetrack on your way in today? You might even have seen some horses!

Marion duPont Scott loved horses and horse racing. She helped make Montpelier one of the most important horse training centers in America. When three of her favorite horses passed away, she had them buried here and put up these markers to remember them.

Perhaps her favorite horse was Battleship. He was so small that people called him the “American Pony,” but Marion DuPont Scott knew that he had big talent. She sent him across the ocean to race in the British “Grand National,” an important steeplechase race that is still run today. The race is over 4 miles long, and the horses have to jump 30 fences! Many people thought that a small horse like Battleship couldn’t possibly win, but in 1938 he surprised them all! To this day, he is still the smallest horse ever to win the British Grand National. You might say that Battleship left his hoofprints on the history of horse racing!

Marion duPont Scott left another mark on Montpelier. She wanted to share Montpelier and its story with everyone. Thanks to her, you can visit Montpelier today!

Lots of people made their mark on Montpelier. But there are two people you might already know: James and Dolley Madison!

How did James Madison make his mark? He was a Virginia lawmaker, a US Congressman, the Secretary of State, and our 4th President! (Not all at the same time.)

But most importantly, Madison was “Father of the Constitution” and “Architect of the Bill of Rights.” He didn’t write those documents all by himself, but he shared lots of good ideas that still help us govern our country. Madison got his ideas from reading books right here at Montpelier, and he made notes to take to the Constitutional Convention.

Madison could spend so much time in public service because his family had money from owning this plantation. The Madisons enslaved people who grew crops and tended animals. The enslaved people didn’t have much choice about being here, but their hard work made Madison’s career possible. The enslaved people made their mark as the “invisible Founders” of our country.

Dolley Madison made her mark too. James was shy and quiet, but Dolley liked to bring people together for dinners and parties, especially in Washington, DC. That made it easier for James to connect with other people in government.

As you explore Montpelier, see what else you’ll find out about people making their mark!

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