At first I was confused as to how James Madison was affiliated with the University of Virginia. Upon further research, I found that Madison was the 2nd rector (or head) of UVa until 1836 and that the law school was actually named after him. He was an important part of the University's founding and often worked alongside Thomas Jefferson, which explains why he was included in the individuals who signed this report.

It is interesting that one of the first subjects one could study at the University was Botany. This is not an option for students today, and in today's society many might find it to be an odd class for a college to provide, but it makes sense that it was an important course for students back then in the eyes of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was known to be extremely intrigued by agriculture and various farming techniques. He even once said that "those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God," therefore historically one can see why Botany was a focus of his during the University's founding.

It's interesting that the university is attempting to shape good morals in its students, however it was built by slaves and have slaves essentially working for the students. What kind of attitude was the curriculum of UVA fostering in the students in terms of social interaction? What kinds of people were graduates supposed to be? The wording of this seems to imply that the students were being taught to do what is right to increase their own self-worth.

What were the other circumstances that made Charlottesville the most appropriate setting for UVA? It seems as though the only thing this decision was based off of was the concentration of White people in the area. Were there really any other benefits of choosing Albermarle as the location for UVA such as the space or the economy? Were the people in this area simply White, or were they also White and willing to put a lot of money into higher education?