The Beauty Battalion - Featuring Beauty In All Shapes & Sizes August 2017 | Page 51

Free your inner explorer.
Each year, more than 125,000 visitors travel to
Montpelier to experience its powerful history and
picturesque landscape. The home and grounds are
open to visitors and student groups throughout the
year, and attendees can take guided tours or trek
out on their own throughout the property. Tours
include Madisons’ home, which was recently
restored to its Founding Era decor; lessons about
the first lady; or walking tours throughout The
Mere Distinction of Colour exhibition, which also
includes the South Yard and former homes of the
enslaved community.
Become part of history.
The public archaeology program at Montpelier, which
started in the 1990s, is one of the only in the country
that allows the public to participate and pulls back the
curtain on the archaeological process. The public, and
even those descended from Montpelier’s enslaved
community, have discovered many artifacts, now on
display. These treasures show how those enslaved
people lived and give a glimpse into their lives.
Go in-depth.
The Mere Distinction of Colour illuminates the
struggles of those enslaved during the 19th century
and provides visitors the chance to contemplate
slavery during the Founding Era. One of the ways the
exhibition does this is by featuring stories of those
enslaved at Montpelier through the recordings of
living descendants. Documentary research, 17 years
of archaeological excavation, oral history and cultural
exploration all went into the exhibition, which is
located in the cellars of the main Madison house as
well as four reconstructed slave dwellings and work
buildings in the South Yard.
Improve your presidential knowledge.
While many history fans are familiar with George
Washington’s Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson’s
Monticello, Montpelier allows for another in-depth
opportunity to discover the lives of the country’s
founding presidents. The signature tour – the classic,
keystone experience of Montpelier – touches on
many aspects of Madison’s personal and professional
life as the fourth President of the United States.
Fun for the family.
Discover Montpelier as a family with hands-on tours
designed for children. They’ll be able to discover
artifacts, documents and paintings while learning
about the house, the Madison family and the
enslaved community.
Get your exercise.
With more than eight miles of well-marked walking
trails, it’s easy to get your steps in during a day at
Montpelier. The multiple separate trails offer views
of the Blue Ridge Mountains as they wind through
pastures, wildflower meadows and forests. Open to
the public during business hours seven days a week,
there’s always a chance of encountering native plants
and wildlife on the trails.
For more information, including a list of daily
tours, visit Montpelier.org.
Madison Family Fast Facts
Find out more about the fourth President of the United States with these quick
facts about James Madison and his family:
Early Life
n James Madison was born March
n His political career started local,
16, 1751, in Port Conway, Virginia.
as a member of the Orange County
Committee of Safety in 1774, before being elected to the Virginia
legislature in 1776.
n At his father’s death in 1801, Madison inherited Montpelier and the 100-
plus enslaved African-Americans who came with it.
Political Career
n In
the three-year period between 1786-1789, James Madison, still in his 30s,
secured passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, organized
the Constitutional Convention, introduced the framework for the U.S.
Constitution known as the Virginia Plan and drafted the Bill of Rights.
Retirement
n The
Madison family retired to Montpelier in 1817 when James was 65 years
old and his wife, Dolley, was 49. An enthusiastic farmer, Madison applied the
practices he'd researched to raise wheat and tobacco.
n While Madison considered freeing his own slaves, he decided to leave them
to Dolley in his will with the expressed desire that she not sell them without
their consent (a wish she ultimately failed to honor).
n Madison died June 28, 1836. He is buried in the family cemetery at
Montpelier, where Dolley, his wife of 42 years, eventually joined him.