Day 159: Work in Progress

James Madison, our fourth President, may have been the smallest of our founding fathers; he was 5'4" and less than 100 pounds. But his weight in the shaping of our Constitution, and therefore our country, is enormous. In the couple of years following the Revolutionary War, it became evident to him and many other leaders in the Continental Congress that the United States would not long survive under the Articles of Confederation. The document was not strong enough to shape and bind the states together. He spent months shut up in his Montpelier library, studying various forms of self-government in history, emerging with a set of principles and ideas that came to form the backbone of the Constitution. Ten of his twelve main points became the Bill of Rights, and his propositions of limited yet strong federal government, with three branches of power that checked each other, are the bedrock of our system.

This small man may not have commanded a room as well as George Washington, but his philosophical and intellectual impact can't be measured. And his wife, Dolley, was revered in Washington, D.C. as a consumate hostess, at whose dinner parties even the most acrimonious issues could be resolved peacefully. She strategically placed adversaries across from or adjacent to each other, knowing that conversation over dinner, cigars and brandy would be more productive than hotheaded exchanges in the halls of Congress. She is regarded by historians to be the model for all future first ladies...a true partner in the White House.

Our tour of the Madisons' home, Montpelier (pic 1), was very special, having only been opened to the public just three years ago. A few years after James' death in 1836 (at the age of 85), Dolley was forced to sell the home because of debt. Her son had gambled away the family fortune, even selling off furniture and other heirlooms without her knowledge. The home eventually passed into the hands of the DuPont family, who made significant changes (in addition to those made by owners in the interim). The result was a home that barely resembled the original; 25,000 square feet had been added, entrances changed, walls moved, etc. The DuPonts sold it to the National Trust in the 1970s, and the efforts to restore the home to its Madison version have been a massive undertaking of years and millions of dollars. Historians have painstakingly sought and acquired many pieces of furniture that belonged to James and Dolley, and textile historians have painstakingly researched and acquired wall coverings, carpets and paint colors. The restored home is incredible, and it's still a work in progress. Only two of the dozen or so rooms have been completed; but some of our favorite parts were the unfinished, in which the extent of the restoration effort was visible.

Our day of history ended with a glimpse of my mom's personal history...having dinner with her first roommate at William & Mary. Kathleen and her husband have traveled the world in their work with the State department, and our evening together was full of interesting stories and fun reminiscences. Perhaps the best part was getting to play with their delightful and lovey dogs (pics 4-6). We're missing our pets so much, and these furry friends were a dose of good medicine for our hearts. It's hard to believe we'll see our own four-legged family members in just a couple of weeks!

Photos:
(2) On the roof terrace of Montpelier, looking west to what was western wildnerness in Madison's day.
(3) Kelsey and Kendall having a cozy moment with James and Dolley.
(7) Roomies: Kathleen and Nancy