A new historical highway marker will educate the public about the 1788 meeting between James Madison and John Leland.
Earlier this month, the Department of Historical Resources announced 11 new historical markers coming to roadsides in Virginia. The markers will recall various topics in the Commonwealth’s history, including a Caroline County village with ties to major national events since the 18th century; two lynchings that took place in Virginia during the Jim Crow era; and a seminal piece of music that influenced the development of Rock & Roll in the 20th century.
Among the markers is one that will be located in Orange County. In 1788, many Orange County Baptists, including the ministers John Leland, Aaron Bledsoe, and Nathaniel Saunders, opposed the ratification of the United States Constitution because it did not explicitly protect religious freedom. James Madison, the principal architect of the Constitution and a candidate to represent the county at Virginia’s ratification convention, needed the Baptists’ political support. Madison likely met with Leland in March of 1788 near present-day Constitution Highway and its intersection with Clifton Road in Orange County. The two reached an understanding that Madison would address the issue in the future. Madison was elected to the convention and played a pivotal role in securing Virginia’s ratification of the Constitution. He later introduced the Bill of Rights, which includes the First Amendment guaranteeing religious freedom.
The marker is proposed to be located at the intersection of Constitution Highway and Clifton Road and was sponsored by the Goshen Baptist Association.
Once approved, highway markers can take upwards of eight months or more before being ready for installation. The marker’s sponsor covers the required $3,000 manufacturing expenses for a new sign.
Virginia’s historical highway marker program began in 1927 with installation of the first markers along U.S. Route 1. It is considered the oldest such program in the nation. Currently there are more than 2,600 state markers, mostly maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, except in those localities outside of VDOT’s authority.
