Friday, March 20, 2009

JAMES MADISON - Education


From ages 11–16, Madison studied under Donald Robertson, an instructor at the Innes plantation in King and Queen County, Virginia.
From Robertson, Madison learned math, geography, and modern and ancient languages.
He became especially proficient in Latin.
At age 16, he began a two-year course of study under the Reverend Thomas Martin, who tutored Madison at Montpelier in preparation for college.
Unlike most college-bound Virginians of his day, Madison did not choose William and Mary because the lowland climate of Williamsburg might have strained his delicate health.
Instead, in 1769 he enrolled at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).
Through diligence and long hours of study that at times robbed him of his sleep, he managed to graduate in two years.
His studies there included Latin, Greek, science, geography, math, rhetoric, and philosophy.
Great emphasis also was placed on speech and debate.
After graduation, Madison remained at Princeton to study Hebrew and philosophy under university president John Witherspoon before returning to Montpelier in the spring of 1772. Madison studied law sporadically but never gained admission to the bar.

JAMES MADISON - Early life


James Madison was the oldest of seven children to live to maturity.
His father, James Madison, Sr. (1723–1801) was a planter who grew up on an estate in Orange County, Virginia, which he inherited on reaching maturity.
He later acquired still more property and became the largest landowner and leading citizen of Orange County.
His mother, Eleanor "Nelly" Rose Conway (1731–1829), was born at Port Conway, Virginia, the daughter of a prominent planter and tobacco merchant. Madison's parents married in 1743.
Both parents had a significant influence over their most famous oldest son.
Madison had three brothers and three sisters to live to maturity (by whom he had more than 30 nieces and nephews):
* Francis Madison (1753–1800) - planter of Orange County, Virginia
* Ambrose Madison (1755–1793) - planter and captain in the Virginia militia, looked after the family interests in Orange County; named after his paternal grandfather.
* Catlett Madison (1758–1758) - died in infancy.
* Nelly Madison Hite (1760–1802)
* William Madison (1762–1843) - veteran of the Revolution and a lawyer, he served in the Virginia legislature
* Sarah Catlett Madison Macon (1764–1843)
* unnamed child (1766–1766)
* Elizabeth Madison (1768–1775)
* unnamed child (1770–1770)
* Reuben Madison (1771–1775)
* Frances "Fanny" Madison Rose (1774–1823)