LIST: Presidents who were from Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — There have been eight U.S. Presidents from Virginia, the most out of all 50 states. Four out of the first five presidents are included on this list:

• George Washington
• Thomas Jefferson
• James Madison
• James Monroe
• William Henry Harrison
• John Tyler
• Zachery Taylor
• Woodrow Wilson

George Washington was born in Westmoreland County in 1732 and served as the nation’s first president from 1789-1797. He lived, died and was buried at his home in Mount Vernon. Washington was the president of the Constitutional Convention and signed the first copyright law into place, the Copyright Act of 1790.

Thomas Jefferson was born in Albemarle County in 1743 and served as president of the United States from 1801-1809. He lived and died at Monticello where he was also buried in 1826. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and founded the University of Virginia, serving as the university’s first president.

James Madison was born on the Belle Grove Plantation in King George in 1751. He then went on to become the fourth president of the U.S., serving from 1809-1817. His home was Montpelier, which is where he died in 1836, and was laid to rest there as well. Madison is considered the “Father of the Constitution” and wrote the Bill of Rights.

James Monroe was the fifth president of the U.S. and served from 1817-1825. He was born in Westmoreland County in 1758 and died in New York in 1831 but is buried in Richmond at Hollywood Cemetery. Monroe was the only person ever to hold two cabinet positions at the same time, he served as the Secretary of State and Secretary of War for James Madison.

William Henry Harrison was born in Charles City County in 1773 and died in Washington, D.C. in 1841. He served as America’s ninth president for only 33 days — the shortest term any president has ever held — after falling ill and dying. Harrison’s inauguration speech is the longest one to date and his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, served as the 23 ^rd president of the U.S.

John Tyler was born in Charles County in 1790 and became the 10 ^th president, serving from 1841 to 1845. He died in Richmond in 1862 and was buried in Hollywood Cemetery, the same cemetery as James Monroe. Tyler was college roommates with Thomas Jefferson and served as Chancellor of the College of William and Mary.

Zachery Taylor was born in Orange County in 1784 and died in Washington, D.C. in 1850. He served as the nation’s 12 ^th president from 1849-1850. Taylor never attended college, but he served in the military for 40 years before becoming president of the United States.

Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton in 1856 and served in office from 1913 to 1921 as the nation’s 28 ^th president. He died in Washington, D.C. in 1924. He was the first president to receive a PhD, which he earned in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. Wilson also won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1919.

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