James Madison University - Index

James Madison University - Liberty & Learning - Index

chAPter two
Piedmont,
Princeton, and an
Educated Citizenry
The calm and philosophic temper of Mr. Madison, the purity of his character,
the sincerity of his patriotism, and the sagacity of his intellect [inspired]
universal trust. — John Pendleton Kennedy
I
n the twenty-fourth year of the reign of His Majesty, George II of
England, the British Empire was rapidly expanding, and its colonial
possessions had made it prosperous. Only the French and Louis XV
posed any serious rival to England’s global supremacy. The British
sugar islands in the tropical Caribbean had proven to be a continuous
source of wealth, while the king’s coffers were regularly replenished
by tobacco revenues from Virginia and by an occasional statesponsored
piracy. King George’s loyal subjects throughout the colonies
considered themselves fortunate to be citizens of the freest and most enlightened
empire on earth. It was into this world that James Madison Jr. was born on
March 16, 1751. 1
Virginians had always considered themselves to be the most British of all of
the colonies, and they were fiercely defensive of their heritage. Most counties in
Virginia derived their names from British nobility, including Albemarle, Botetourt,
Caroline, Fairfax, Hanover, King George, Queen Anne, Prince William,
and Westmoreland.
The colony had been established at Jamestown in May 1607 and earned its epithet,
the Old Dominion, because of its support of the British crown during the
darkest days of the English civil war and the nightmare that was Oliver Cromwell.
11