Elder John Leland

<center>Courageous leader of<br>the Baptist Doctrine<br>Ardent advocate of the principles<br>of democracy<br>Vindicator of separation<br>of church and state.</center><br><br>Near this spot in 1788, elder John Leland and James Madison, the father of the American Constitution, held a significant interview which resulted in the adoption of the Constitution by Virginia. Then Madison, a member of Congress from Orange, presented the First Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing religious liberty, free speech, and a free press. This satisfied Leland and his Baptist followers.<br><br>Presented by Eugene Bucklin Dowden, President, Berkshire County, Massachusetts Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution.