Besides his political career, James Madison developed persuasive writing techniques as illustrated in his contributions to "The Federalist" papers. He wrote twenty articles in an effort to encourage ratification of the United States Constitution. "The Federalist" remains the greatest single written influence which persuaded Americans who were doubtful about the Constitution to decide finally in favor of it. Another example of his written powers of persuasion is "A Memorial and Remonstrance to the Virginia General Assembly" wherein he successfully defeated a proposal to provide state support for the teaching of religion in Virginia. He was an ardent believer in the separation of church and state. The voluminous, lucid notes which Madison recorded during the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention are still the sole source of detailed, accurate information about this historical meeting. St. George Tucker, a student and later a law professor at William and Mary College and a Virginia judge, wrote two lyrical poems, "Resignation" and "Days of My Youth," in addition to an annotated edition of Blackstone's "Commentaries" consisting of five volumes. Principles of government and of the Federal Constitution included in the appendix of these works are regarded as legally significant. Tucker showed his versatility by writing drama and political satires as well as poetry. He is probably remembered best in literary circles for "A Dissertation on Slavery: With a Proposal For the Gradual Abolition of It in the State of Virginia." John Taylor, a statesman, who served in the House of Delegates and in the United States Senate, wrote many economic and political treatises. His most widely-read work was "An Inquiry into the Principles and Policy of the Government of the United States." His strong advocacy of Jefferson's agrarian program gained him a reading audience of farmers as well as statesmen. John Marshall, a famous Virginian in the federal judiciary, published in 1804-1807 a five-volume scholarly biography of George Washington: "The Life of George Washington." Mason Locke Weems, often called "Parson" Weems, was a native of Maryland who married a Virginian and spent much of his life in Virginia. In 1800, he published "A History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington, With Curious Anecdotes Equally Honorable to Himself and Exemplary to His Young Countrymen." He combined fact and fiction at his own discretion and had a highly imaginative mind. He is believed to have introduced the method of anecdote writing; the cherry tree episode and the throwing of the Spanish dollar across the Rappahannock were included in his biography of Washington. He later wrote biographies of Francis Marion, Benjamin Franklin and William Penn. Weem's biographies are enjoyable reading rather than accurate accounts of the lives of these individuals.