There were Eight Virginia-born Presidents
George Washington
1st President
President from 1789 to 1797
Washington was commander of the troops of the
Continental Army during the American
Revolutionary War and the first President of
the United States (serving two terms). He is
known as the "Father of Our Country." His
lifelike statue in the Rotunda of the Capitol
was created by French sculptor Jean-Antoine
Houdon, and it is the only statue for which
Washington ever posed.
Thomas Jefferson
3rd President
President from 1801 to 1809
Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of
Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious
Freedom, and the designer of the original portion of
the Capitol. During his presidency, he oversaw
the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size
of the United States. He was also the founder
of the University of Virginia in
Charlottesville, and was the governor of Virginia
from 1779 to 1781.
James Madison
4th President
President from 1809 to 1817
Madison served as a Virginia state legislator and later
as secretary of state under President
Jefferson. He was a leader in the writing of
the Constitution and is known as the "Father
of the Constitution." He was President during
the War of 1812 with Great Britain.
James Monroe
5th President
President from 1817 to 1825
Monroe served in the General Assembly; was
twice governor of Virginia; served in Congress
as a representative and a Senator; held
several diplomatic posts; and served as
secretary of war and secretary of state under
President James Madison. He is known for the
Monroe Doctrine, a geopolitical policy designed to
keep European powers from further colonization
in the western hemisphere, a policy he
developed during his presidency.
William Henry Harrison
9th President
President in 1841
Harrison won fame as an Indian fighter and was the
victor in the battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. He
commanded American troops in the War of 1812.
He served only one month as President, dying
of pnuemonia while in the White House. It is
said that he became ill from exposure to the
extreme cold during the long hours of his
outdoor inauguration.
John Tyler
10th President
President from 1841 to 1845
Tyler succeeded Harrison after his untimely death
in 1841. A major accomplishment during
his administration was the annexation of
Texas, which became a state in 1845.
Zachary Taylor
12th President
President from 1849 to 1850
Taylor was born in Orange County and raised in
Kentucky. He fought in various Indian wars but
won fame for his victories in the Mexican War.
His presidency was cut short at just 16 months
when he died in office in 1850.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson
28th President
President from 1913 to 1921
Wilson was born in Staunton and raised in Georgia
and South Carolina. He served as president of
Princeton University and governor of New
Jersey. He was President for two terms, and
during his service the United States fought in
World War I.
Sorry, I just couldn't hep myself...tee..hee
Gail Vass a Virginian
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