Madison, like many other Founding Fathers (such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson), was a slave owner. Slavery is now properly regarded as repugnant and immoral, but in the eighteenth century was not so universally condemned. In tobacco-oriented colonies such as Virginia, it was fairly common. Looking back from our perspective in 2021, our view of Madison’s contributions as midwife to the Constitution, co-author of The Federalist Papers, architect of the Bill of Rights, Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson, and the fourth President of the United States should not ignore the fact that he was a slave owner. The institution of slavery in America is a fact. But is it fair to give “equal attention” to the enslaved community who lived and worked on the plantation at Montpelier? I would submit that this undue emphasis detracts from Madison’s enormous contributions to the nation’s Founding.
The refurbished grounds at Montpelier include a reconstruction of the South Yard, where approximately 300 slaves lived and worked from 1723 to 1844. The goal, according to the official visitor pamphlet, is “to examine the institution of slavery in the Founding Era, celebrate the humanity of Montpelier’s enslaved people, and confront the legacy of slavery in today’s world.” An exhibit called “The Mere Distinction of Colour” seeks to provide “a more complete, holistic American story”—one that explores “how the legacy of slavery impacts today’s conversations about race, identity, and human rights.” The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private nonprofit unrelated to Rubenstein, which also supports Montpelier, praises the exhibit for explaining “how the legacy of slavery persists today—especially regarding its place in historic retellings.”
I don’t wish to suggest that the institution of slavery is unworthy of study, or that a greater understanding of the lives of enslaved people wouldn’t enrich one’s knowledge of American history. However, at Montpelier, the omnipresent topic of slavery tends to diminish the extraordinary accomplishments and legacy of James Madison, which is what attracts most visitors to the former plantation. This outsized emphasis carries over to the presentations made by Montpelier’s docents. On the guided tour my wife and I took, the docent made frequent allusions to the slaves at Montpelier (under James Madison and his ancestors), going so far as to speculate that the three slaves convicted of fatally poisoning Madison’s grandfather, Ambrose, in 1732 were innocent—and even suggesting that Madison’s grandmother may have been to blame!