Letter from George Washington to Representative James Madison Regarding Plans for His Arrival in New York City for the Inauguration

Record Group 59: General Records of the Department of StateSeries: Letters ReceivedFile Unit: January THRU June 1789

Mount Vernon Mach 30th 1789    67

My dear Sir,

I have been favored with your letter of the 19th by which it appears that a quoram of Congress was hardly to be expected before the beginning of the [next?] week.  As this delay must be very irksome to the attending members, & every days continuance of it (before the government is in [illegible] be more sensibly felt.  I am resolved, none shall proceed from me that can not be avoided (after notice of the election is announced)and therefore I take the liberty of requesting the favor of you to engage a lodging for me previous to my arrival.  Mr Lear who has already lived with me three years as a private secretary, will accompany, preceed me in the stage - and (7) Colo Humphreys, I presume, will be of my Party & Mr Lear.  On the subject of those lodgings, I will be frankly declare to you that I mean to go into none, but hired ones.  If these cannot be had, tolerably convenient (then I shall not be nice about them).  I would take Rooms in the most decent Tavern, till such time as house <s>shall</s> can be provided for the reception more permanent of the President.  I have already declined a very polite & pressing invitation from the Governor, to lodge at his house till a place <s>can</s> could be prepared for me; after which should any other offers of a similar nature be made  &  then could be no propensity in my acceptance of it.  But as you <s>know</s> are fully acquainted with my sentiments on this lead, I shall only add that as I mean to avoid private families on the one hand so on another I am not anxious to be placed, <u>early</u> in a situation for entertaining; for which reason private lodgings till I can feel the way a little would not only be more agreeable to my own wishes, but, more consistent, possibly with the principles of sound policy.  For as it is my intention to conform to the public desire & expectation, with respect to the <s>proper</s> style [illegible] for the President to live in, it might be then to know what those are before he enters upon it.  After all something may perhaps have been decided upon before this shall have reached you that may make the request negatory.  If otherwise I will only in one word say that my wish is to be placed in an independent situation <s>with a view to what</s> for the purpose I have next.

To

The Hon[ora]blee Jas. [James] Madison

30th Mar. 1789

GEORGE WASHINGTON •Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •George Washington: A Life by Willard Sterne Randall (BOOK)

JOHN ADAMS •John Adams by David McCullough (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams by Joseph J. Ellis (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •John Adams: Party of One by James Grant (BOOK)

THOMAS JEFFERSON •Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History by Fawn Brodie (BOOK)

JAMES MADISON •The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President by Noah Feldman (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •James Madison: A Life Reconsidered by Lynne Cheney (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •James Madison: A Biography by Ralph Ketcham (BOOK | AUDIO)

JAMES MONROE •James Monroe: A Life by Tim McGrath (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness by Harlow Giles Unger (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •James Monroe: The Quest for National Identity by Harry Ammon (BOOK)

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS •John Quincy Adams: American Visionary by Fred Kaplan (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, A Private Life by Paul C. Nagel (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •The Lost Founding Father: John Quincy Adams and the Transformation of American Politics by William J. Cooper (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •The Remarkable Education of John Quincy Adams by Phyllis Lee Levin (BOOK | KINDLE)

ANDREW JACKSON •American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H.W. Brands (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Andrew Jackson, Volume I: The Course of American Empire, 1767-1821 by Robert V. Remini (BOOK) •Andrew Jackson, Volume II: The Course of American Freedom, 1822-1832 by Robert V. Remini (BOOK | KINDLE) •Andrew Jackson, Volume III: The Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845 by Robert V. Remini (BOOK)

MARTIN VAN BUREN •Martin Van Buren and the American Political System by Donald B. Cole (BOOK | KINDLE) •Martin Van Buren and the Emergence of American Popular Politics by Joel H. Silbey (BOOK) •Martin Van Buren: The Romantic Age of American Politics by John Niven (BOOK)

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON •A Child of the Revolution: William Henry Harrison and His World, 1773-1798 by Hendrik Booraem V (BOOK | KINDLE) •Mr. Jefferson's Hammer: William Henry Harrison and the Origins of American Indian Policy by Robert M. Owens (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •The Carnival Campaign: How the Rollicking 1840 Campaign of "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" Changed Presidential Elections Forever by Ronald G. Shafer (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

Merry presidents day and Georgie's bday

a library named Jefferson-Madison regional library others: we're in Virginia, that's normal. my damned mind: Oh! so Jefferson and Madison got married- *gun shot*

The fun part of digging into history from multiple different sources is that you start to piece together information about people across different eras, until history starts to feel like a massive crossover event involving surprise guest stars.

For example:

The book about Lincoln's Cabinet presents William Seward as the expected Republican candidate for the 1860 election. As they discuss his backstory I'm like, "Oh, he's Seward the anti-slavery New York Whig who influenced Zachary Taylor." And then they mention Seward becomes Lincoln's Secretary of State.

And I'm like

Wait a minute...

SEWARD'S FOLLY???

HE'S BEEN THE ALASKA MAN THIS WHOLE TIME???

An emergency trip to Wikipedia confirmed that he was. Which feels much stranger than it probably should, but in high school, all the Alaska stuff was presented as completely separate from the Civil War, so it's taken me a long time to put the pieces together. Still kind of fun to make connections like that, though.

James Madison at his Inaugural Ball in 1809

Last Visit of Friends: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

This image depicts a scene where the real faces of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, based on their life masks cast in 1825, are seated together in the shade at Monticello. To provide a wider perspective of Jefferson's home and the surrounding flowers, a zoomed-out view is included. It is important to note that although some elements in the image were created using AI, the image itself is not an AI-generated image. I want to clarify this to distinguish it from the numerous AI-generated images that are so often quickly created and shared.

The faces of Jefferson and Madison were reconstructed using Photoshop from actual castings of their life masks. The backdrop of the image is a photograph taken at Jefferson's Monticello home. The period dress bodies were generated using AI, but they were carefully modified by hand in Photoshop to achieve the desired results. Jefferson can be seen holding his trusty walking stick, the same stick that he bequeaths to Madison the following year. This walking stick was a gift from Norfolk Physician and merchant John Oliveira Fernandes to Thomas Jefferson in 1805.

The title of this image is "Last Visit of Friends: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison," as Jefferson would pass away the following year. The image captures a poignant moment where Madison visits Jefferson, seated together in the shade, possibly reminiscing about their adventures and their fifty-year-long friendship.

In describing Madison during his later years, a friend named Margaret Bayard Smith observed, "His little blue eyes sparkled like stars from under his bushy grey eyebrows and amidst the deep wrinkles of his poor thin face."

Daniel Webster, in commenting on Jefferson's appearance, remarked, "Mr. Jefferson is now between eighty-one and eighty-two, above six feet high, of an ample, long frame, rather thin and spare. His head, which is not peculiar in its shape, is set rather forward on his shoulders; and his neck being long, there is, when he is walking or conversing, an habitual protrusion of it. It is still well covered with hair, which having been once red, and now turning gray, is of an indistinct sandy color. His eyes are small, very light, and now neither brilliant nor striking. His chin is rather long, but not pointed. His nose small, regular in its outline, and the nostrils a little elevated. His mouth is well formed and still filled with teeth; it is strongly compressed, bearing an expression of contentment and benevolence. His complexion, formerly light and freckled, now bears the marks of age and cutaneous affection."

I feel like we all forget James Madison was also a president at some point

Happy President's Day 🇺🇲

George Washington who born February 22, 1732, had a successful liquor distiller business and was only a scholar in name because he never attended college.

Tidbits about other U.S. presidents:

•John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4.

•James Madison was the shortest president.

•John Quincy Adams went skinny-dipping in the Potomac River daily.

•John Tyler was a father to 15 children.

•Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president at 6’4”, may have had Marfan Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes people to be very tall, thin and long limbed.

•Andrew Johnson apparently cared for a family of White House mice, which he called “the little fellows.”

•Franklin D. Roosevelt was a movie buff.

•Gerald Ford used to be a model before president and a star football player at the University of Michigan he turned down offers from both the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.

Letter from President-elect James Madison to John Milledge, President Pro-tempore of the Senate

Record Group 46: Records of the U.S. SenateSeries: Original Reports and Communications Transmitted to the SenateFile Unit: Reports and Communications Submitted to the Senate during the 10th Congress

City of Washington March 2.nd 1809 Sir, I beg leave through you to inform the honorable Senate of the U. States, that I propose to take the Oath which the Constitution pre- scribes to the President of the U. States, before he enters on the execution of his office, on Saturday the 4.th Ins.t at 12 o'clock, in the chamber of the Ho. of Representatives. I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect Sir, yr. most obe.d & most humble servt. James Madison [signature] The Hon.al John Milledge - President pro tempore of the Senate ~ 

March 2.1809 J. Madison to President of the Senate M Monroe [struck through] _______________ Form of Notice from the President to the Senate Proposes to take the oath of U.S. President

As quite a few Presidents were Secretaries of State and so many politicians vied for the position, when and why did that stop being the "gateway" to the Presidency?

That is a really good question.

You're correct that being Secretary of State was seemingly a stepping-stone to the Presidency at one point early in American history. Five of the first eight Presidents were Secretary of State prior to being elected President (Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J.Q. Adams, and Van Buren). Madison, Monroe, and John Quincy Adams were elected President directly from the State Department. But James Buchanan was the last President who had served as Secretary of State.

I think that one of the reasons that being Secretary of State was, as you said, a "gateway" to the Presidency in the early years of the republic was because it was one of the few positions in government that built obvious foreign policy experience for the holders of that job at a time when the country was still a pretty isolated, insular nation. The Secretary of State is basically the American version of a foreign minister, of course, but because it was the premiere Cabinet post (and still is), the Secretary of State often had higher name recognition nationally than anyone in government other than the President at a time when the Vice Presidency was an afterthought with very little influence. From the beginning of the federal government, the State Department was a very important part of the Executive Branch, so the early Secretaries of State also gained valuable administrative experience which only helped their cause when it came to running for President.

I think the reason that Secretaries of State stopped being viable candidates for President is because the the growth of the country meant that their were more-and-more qualified candidates who had gained the foreign policy or administrative experience through other means. The country started turning to military leaders and Governors, as well as candidates with more significant Congressional experience than was possible at the early stage of American history when Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and J.Q. Adams were going from the State Department to the White House. After Buchanan's election, not only were there no other Secretaries of State elected President, but very few were even nominated. James G. Blaine briefly served as Secretary of State in 1881 until a few months after President Garfield died in office and was the Republican Presidential nominee in 1884 (he served as Secretary of State again from 1889-1892), but since then, the only major party Presidential nominee who had previously served as Secretary of State was Hillary Clinton (Secretary of State from 2009-2013) in 2016.

In fact, the reverse has been true more frequently in recent history. Since 1884, four major party nominees for President have served as Secretary of State AFTER losing Presidential elections. Blaine lost the 1884 election and served as President Harrison's Secretary of State from 1889-1892 (again, that was his second stint at the State Department after his brief 1881 service). William Jennings Bryan was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for President in 1896, 1900, and 1908, and went on to serve as President Wilson's first Secretary of State (1913-1915). Charles Evans Hughes was the Democratic nominee in 1916 and lost to Wilson, but went on to serve as Secretary of State under Presidents Harding and Coolidge (1921-1925). And John Kerry was the Democratic nominee in 2004 and later served as President Obama's second Secretary of State (2013-2017).

It's really difficult today for any Cabinet member to be elected directly to the Presidency (or even get close to the nomination -- just ask Julián Castro about his 2020 campaign). While there is no job that can truly prepare someone for the modern Presidency, Governors tend to be in a better position than Cabinet secretaries or members of Congress. Only four incumbent members of Congress have been elected directly to the Presidency -- James Garfield (1880), Warren G. Harding (1920), John F. Kennedy (1960), and Barack Obama (2008). And Garfield is the only sitting member of the House of Representatives to have been elected President. While the position of Secretary of State remains the prime Cabinet post in the United States, the days of the Cabinet being the gateway to the Presidency seem to have gone away with powdered wigs and shoe buckles.

AN OPEN LETTER to THE PRESIDENT & U.S. CONGRESS; STATE GOVERNORS & LEGISLATURES

Stand Against Voter Disenfranchisement: Keep Voting Age Fair!

1 so far! Help us get to 5 signers!

I am writing to express my strong opposition to any efforts to increase the voting age to 21 or older. Recent proposals by some Republicans to raise the voting age are deeply concerning and would unjustly infringe upon the civic duties of legal adults.

It is important to remember that many of our nation's founding fathers, including James Monroe at 18, Aaron Burr at 20, Alexander Hamilton at 21, James Madison at 25, and more, were all young adults when they played pivotal roles in shaping our country. Denying young adults their right to participate in our democracy would contradict the very principles upon which our nation was founded. Would you have prevented these American legends knowing they were capable of greatness?

The notion that if someone is "old enough to fight, they are old enough to vote" holds true today. Young adults contribute to society in meaningful ways and deserve to have a say in the decisions that impact their lives and their futures. If 18-year-olds are fighting and dying for you, you must listen to their voices!

Furthermore, restricting voting rights disproportionately affects already disadvantaged minority voters. We should be working to include and strengthen our populace, including BIPOC Americans, reformed citizens seeking reintegration into society, and our extremely motivated youth. We must work to strengthen voting access for all American citizens, not limit it.

In the words of our American colonials who fought against their British rulers, "Taxation without representation is tyranny." Denying young adult Americans their right to vote would undermine the core principles of our democracy that we have held since day one.

I urge you to oppose any measures that seek to raise the voting age and instead support efforts to protect and expand voting rights for all eligible citizens.

Thank you for considering my perspective on this critical issue.

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💘 Q'u lach' shughu deshni da. 🏹 "What I say is true" in Dena'ina Qenaga

One of my new interests is to ask someone their height then tell them a u.s president with the same height as them. btw how tf is Joe Biden 6'0? I thought he was some short guy