John J. McGuire III

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 146 wordsVirginia’s Fifth Congressional District began with Thomas Jefferson. He gave independence its voice as the principal author of the Declaration, then helped secure liberty again through the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and the founding of the University of Virginia.¹²³ Beside him stood James Madison, Jefferson’s close collaborator and the Nation’s constitutional architect. Known as the father of the Constitution, Madison helped win ratification through the Federalist Papers and then steered the Bill of Rights through Congress.⁴⁵⁶ James Monroe carried that Virginia legacy from soldier to statesman. A Continental Army veteran, he later helped to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase, presided over the Era of Good Feelings, ⁷⁸⁹and gave American diplomacy a landmark win in the Monroe Doctrine.¹⁰ Connecting them all is militia Captain Jack Jouett, whose overnight warning in 1781 helped Jefferson and Virginia leaders escape British capture, protecting the cause these Founders were still building.¹¹