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Bishop James Madison's preparatory notes on Smith's Wealth of Nations were donated anonymously.
Bishop James Madison was born near Staunton, Virginia on August 27, 1749 and taught philosophy as well as mathematics at William & Mary from 1773 to 1775. He became president of William & Mary in 1777. Madison was the first bishop of the Diocese of Virginia of the Episcopal Church in the United States. He was a cousin of James Madison, the fourth President of the United States. He died on March 6, 1812, and is buried under the Wren Chapel William & Mary.
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Bishop James Madison's preparatory notes on Smith's Wealth of Nations, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.
Collection contains one notebook with preparatory notes by Bishop James Madison for use in teaching students at William & Mary about Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations. The notes include extensive lists of open-ended questions for each chapter of Smith's work, which he may have prepared for the ushers and tutors working with students, or possibly questions he wrote down himself while preparing his lecture. The notebook likely dates from his time as a professor and president at William & Mary, circa 1776 to 1812.
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