James Madison was one of our nation’s most important Founding Fathers and played a critical role in shaping the United States. In 1721, Ambrose Madison, James Madison’s grandfather, married Francis Taylor whose family had large estates in Orange County on the Rapidan River. Ambrose died in August 1732, supposedly poisoned by three of his slaves, and his son, James Madison, Sr., took over the management of the plantation when he came of age in 1744. In 1749, James Sr. married Eleanor Conway, and they had 11 children together, the first of whom was James Madison Jr., born on March 16, 1751. Next week, we will discuss James Madison embracing the American cause.