James Madison was born on March 16, 1751 (March 5, 1750, Old Style, Julian calendar)in Port Conway, Virginia, . He grew up as the oldest of seven children to live to maturity. His father, James Madison, Sr., (1723–1801) was a planter who grew up on an estate in Orange County, Virginia, which he inherited on reaching maturity. He later acquired still more property and became the largest landowner and leading citizen of Orange County. His mother, Eleanor "Nelly" Rose Conway (1731–1829), was born at Port Conway, Virginia, the daughter of a prominent planter and tobacco merchant. Madison's parents married in 1743. Both parents had a significant influence over their most famous oldest son.
Democratic-Republican