The Thomasville Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) celebrated Constitution Week during its September meeting with an informative program by Judge James E. Hardy about James Madison. Thomasville Chapter Librarian Shelba Sellers introduced the honorable James E. Hardy, Superior Court Judge of Thomas County. 

Judge Hardy gave an interesting program about James Madison Jr. He was born March 16, 1751 at Belle Grove Plantation and was the oldest of twelve children. His father, James Madison, Sr., a wealthy tobacco planter, owned Mount Pleasant, a Virginia plantation which he later inherited. The home became known as Montpelier. 

Madison was a short, frail man with health issues which prevented him from serving in the military. He was very smart and was educated by tutor Donald Robertson, a Scottish preacher. Madison learned Greek, French, and other classical languages, math, geography and was also fluent in Latin. Madison attended the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton, where he studied Hebrew and moral philosophy under the college’s president, John Witherspoon. Witherspoon was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a great influence on James Madison. He also studied the Enlightenment, a time of reason, and followed the writings of John Locke and Montesquieu, who said the best form of government was one in which the legislative, executive, and judicial powers were separate and kept each other in check.

James Madison was a member of the House of Representatives. He thought the Articles of Confederation didn’t work and should be changed, and that they needed a Constitutional Convention. The convention was held in Philadelphia and George Washington was invited to attend. Washington was elected to preside over the convention. Madison became known as the “Father of the Constitution” because of his detailed note taking and his role in drafting the Constitution and later the Bill of Rights. At the convention, Madison proposed the Virginia plan, which laid out three branches of government. 

On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was signed by 39 of the 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention. After the convention was over, the Constitution needed to be ratified. Georgia was the fourth of the nine states needed to ratify the Constitution. James Madison also co-wrote The Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton.

James Madison, a bachelor married the young widower Dolley Todd in 1794 after only a few months of courtship. They were introduced by Aaron Burr. Dolley Madison loved to entertain guests and was known as the first First Lady of the United States. She was very helpful and supportive of James Madison during his political career. James Madison served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809-17. Madison died on June 28, 1836.

After the program, Thomasville Chapter DAR Regent Charlotte Brown thanked Judge Hardy and announced that the chapter plans to donate the biography book, “The Three Lives of James Madison” by Noah Feldman, to the Thomas County Public Library in his honor. 

At the September meeting, the Thomasville Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution inducted new member, Della Spence. New members take a membership oath and receive a DAR pin. The induction ceremony was led by Thomasville Chapter DAR Chaplain Drucilla Bennett and Chapter Registrar Pamela Tucker. Spence proved her lineage from her Revolutionary War ancestor Capt. Jacob Rumph Jr. who served in South Carolina. Prospective members and guests of the Thomasville Chapter DAR were also introduced at the meeting by Registrar Tucker.

In recognition of Constitution Week, Chapter Regent Charlotte Brown displayed the signed Constitution Week Proclamation awarded to the Thomasville Chapter DAR by Thomasville Mayor Greg Hobbs, which proclaimed the week of September 17-23 as Constitution Week. 

Constitution Week is the commemoration of America’s most important document. The celebration of the Constitution was started by the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1955, DAR petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into public law on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The celebration’s goals are threefold: to encourage the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787; to inform people that the Constitution is the basis of America’s great heritage and the foundation of our way of life; and to emphasize U.S. citizens’ responsibility to protect, defend and preserve the Constitution.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 190,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service organizations. More than one million women have joined the DAR since it was founded. To learn more about the work of today’s DAR, visit www.DAR.org.

For more information about the Thomasville Chapter DAR, visit thomasville.georgiastatedar.org or the Chapter’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ThomasvilleChapterNSDAR.