On Saturday, I had the good fortune to spend the afternoon in the company of President James Madison at his home, Montpelier. Being Constitution Day, Mr. Madison and his wife Dolley were receiving guests for a large party that climaxed with fireworks in the evening. But the highlight was the opportunity to talk with the president over the current events of the day—that day being September 17, 1811, exactly 200 years prior. He held an audience with a large crowd that asked him questions about history, science, law, his education; I asked him about the National Bank and about his Indian Policy.
What made the conversation so very special is John Douglas Hall, the performer who portrays Madison. Hall has for many years appeared at Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria, Virginia, where he portrays just a citizen of Alexandria from 200 years ago, but he’s portrayed Madison a lot recently, now that Montpelier is finally restored to its Madison-era appearance. I’ve been fortunate enough to see his Gadsby’s Tavern performance several times, but this is the first time I’ve seen him play Madison.
Now, I’ve seen a lot of historical re-enactments—Bill Barker and Clay Jenkinson as Thomas Jefferson, Richard Schumann as Patrick Henry, and many others—but nobody I’ve seen even approaches the incredible depth of detail and knowledge that Mr. Hall brings to his performance of Madison. When I asked him about Indian policy, for example, President Madison gave a 20 minute extemporaneous explanation of how the Indian policy in the southwest was affected by Napoleon’s marauding through Europe (because by destabilizing the Spanish government, it became impossible for the U.S. to rely on Spain to restrain Seminole depredations on western settlers....) Mr. Hall speaks several languages, knows with extreme precision the science of the early 18th century, the geopolitics, the folklore, songs, literature, childhood games, and the personalities of the era—in short, every detail a person could expect in a real conversation with James Madison. I am somewhat more knowledgable about the Madisonian era than most Americans, although I am hardly a professional historian, but I was simply transfixed both by his overwhelming realism and his profound educational skill. Hall is simply the best hisorical re-enactor I have ever seen, and if any of you have an opportunity to see him, you simply must take it. You will be much richer for doing so. The Montpelier Foundation (to which I have been a proud contributor for many years) should be congratulated for arranging this fantastic, fun, educational experience. He is a national treasure.
It’s a shame more people don’t know of Hall’s performances. But here you can watch him portraying Madison on a recent CSPAN appearance, and you can learn a little more about him at this website.
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