The Beauty Battalion - Featuring Beauty In All Shapes & Sizes August 2017 | Page 50
History Highlighted
6 reasons to visit Montpelier
W
FAMILY FEATURES
hether it’s time for a school field trip, a family
vacation or you’re looking to bolster your knowledge
of U.S. history, there are countless historic sites
around the country where you can get away and learn
about the nation’s foundation.
For a truly engaging experience, James Madison’s Montpelier
in Orange County, Virginia, gives families, students and
the history-inclined a way to peer into the past for a look at
Founding Era life.
The home of the former President known as the “father of
the Constitution” provides a thought-provoking educational
opportunity. Visitors can learn about Madison, the process and
ideals behind the Constitution and tour his recently-restored home.
They can also experience The Mere Distinction of Colour, an
exhibition about slavery at the time our country was beginning and
its legacy today.
The property has a rich history that began in 1801 when Madison
inherited Montpelier. He and his wife Dolley eventually retired
there when his political career came to an end after living in the
White House. Madison oversaw more than 100 enslaved African-
Americans at the property who worked to maintain it as a tobacco
and wheat farm. Visitors are able to absorb this history through
his former home, the exhibition and the 2,650-acre property by
walking the grounds, participating in trail walks, witnessing public
archaeology digs and touring on-site exhibitions, among many other
reasons to visit this historical landmark.