“The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.” -- James Madison, Federalist No. 57.
“A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps, both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” -- James Madison, Letter to W. T. Barry, August 4, 1822 (Madison, 1865, III, page 276). _______________________________
The Washington, Jefferson & Madison Institute's is pleased to announce a special, 10th anniversary teacher education workshop on the topic of “The Statesmanship and Constitutionalism of James Madison.” This event will honor the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution (1787-2017) and is being co-sponsored by the Center for American Studies at Christopher Newport University and the George Washington Center for Constitutional Studies -- to be held at James & Dolley Madison’s estate at Montpelier.
The program will include 2 x 1.5 hour class sessions, each led by moderators with an open discussion focused on original source documents. A luncheon and tour of Montpelier will follow the program. Along with short presentations, the format will include a “roundtable” discussion using original source documents with participation by all. If you would like to participate in this workshop, we ask teachers to prepare by doing the document readings (about 40-50 pages) and coming ready to discuss with your fellow teachers. After registration, we will email particpants the Reader in PDF (or by mail if you prefer a printed hard copy).
The outline of the sessions and agenda are as follows:
8:00–9:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast Lewis Hall
9:00–9:15 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
9:15–10:45 a.m. First Classroom Session -- James Madison: The Constitution, the Federalist and the Bill of Rights
10:45–11:00 a.m. Break
11:00–12:30 p.m. Second Classroom Session -- James Madison: 1790’s, Presidency and Retirement
12:30–1:15 p.m. Lunch
1:30–2:30 p.m. James Madison and the Constitution Tour of Montpelier
WJMI welcomes the following panel of moderators to this conference:
Elizabeth Kaufer Busch, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Center for American Studies at Christopher Newport University
and/or Jeffry H. Morrison, Director of Academics at the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation and Professor in Leadership and American Studies at Christopher Newport University
Tony Williams, WJMI Program Director and Senior Fellow at the Bill of Rights Institute
J. David Gowdy, WJMI Founder & President
The workshop is designed primarily for public and private Virginia secondary school teachers who teach Social Studies, U.S. Government, Virginia Government, or U. S. History. The workshop, meals and tour are all complimentary (no cost) to teachers. The event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, September 29th, 2017 at Lewis Hall, Montpelier https://www.montpelier.org/ 11350 Constitution Hwy., Montpelier Station, VA 22957
Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. with a continental breakfast. The Seminar qualifies for four Virginia recertification points or 4 hours. Seating is limited. Teachers wishing to attend should pre-register. All registrations are requested by September 15th.
