James Madison

James Madison (March 16,
1751 - June 28, 1836) was
the fourth (1809-1817)
President of the United    Order:           4th President
States. He was coauthor,   Term of Office:  March 4, 1809 - March 4, 1817
with John Jay and
Alexander Hamilton, of the Followed:        Thomas Jefferson
Federalist Papers, and is  Succeeded by:    James Monroe
viewed by some as the
"Father of the United      Date of Birth    March 16, 1751
States Constitution."      Place of Birth:  Port Conway, Virginia
                           Date of Death:   June 28, 1836
Madison was born in King
George County, Virginia.   Place of Death:  Montpelier, Virginia
His parents Colonel James  First Lady:      Dolley Payne Todd
Madison, Sr (March 27,     Occupation:      lawyer
1723 - February 27, 1801)
and Eleanor Rose "Nellie"  Political Party: Democratic-Republican
Conway (January 9, 1731 -
February 11, 1829) were    Vice President:     * George Clinton (1809-1812
                                               * Elbridge Gerry (1813-1814)
the prosperous owners of
the tobacco plantation in
Orange County, Virginia where James spent most of his childhood years. In
1769, James left the plantation to attended Princeton University(it was
called the College of New Jersey at the time), finishing its four-year
course in two years, but exhausting himself from overwork in the process.
When he regained his health, he became a protegˇ of Thomas Jefferson. In
this capacity he became a prominent figure in Virginia state politics,
helping to draft their declaration of religious freedom and persuading
Virginia to give their northwestern territories (consisting of most of
modern-day Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee) to the continental congress.

In the 1780s, Madison helped convince the political leaders of the time to
call for a constitutional convention. Madison's influence at the convention
in 1787 has led some historians to call him the "Father of the
Constitution". His notes on the convention became the basis for his
contributions to the Federalist Papers, which are considered the definitive
contemporary commentary on the Constitution of the USA. Madison's arguments
were powerfully influenced by the political thought of Charles de Secondat,
Baron de Montesquieu.

When the constitution was ratified, Madison became a U.S. Representative
from his home state of Virginia. It was he who proposed the first 10
amendments to the Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights,
based on earlier work by George Mason. The chief characteristic of Madison's
time in Congress was his desire to limit the power of the federal
government. It was when he and the other followers of Thomas Jefferson
denied the power of the federal government to form its own bank that the
first political parties in the United States were formed: the Federalists,
who followed Hamilton and believed in a strong central government, and the
Democratic-Republicans, who followed Jefferson and believed strongly in
limiting centralized power.

At 5'4" and 100 pounds, Madison was frequently ill and highly religious. In
1794, Madison married his wife Dolley (Dolley Madison), who cut as
attractive and vivacious figure as he a sickly and antisocial one. It was
Dolley who is largely credited with inventing the role of "First Lady" as
political ally to the president.

In 1797 Madison left Congress; in 1801 he became Jefferson's Secretary of
State. In 1808, he ran for president in his own right, and won, largely on
the strength of his abilities in foreign affairs at a time when England and
France were both on the edge of war with the United States. Both countries
were blockading the ports of the other, preventing American commerce with
either. In the end, England's efforts to destroy American maritime commerce
put them over the top. In 1810, a bill was passed that would break off
relations with any nation that would not remove the blockade: France did,
and England didn't.

The war was not a wonderful success; the British won victory after victory,
including a temporary occupation of Washington, D.C., when Madison was
driven out. The British also armed American Indians in the west, including
the Shawnee under their leader Tecumseh. Neither side was terribly
enthusiastic about the war, however: the British had nothing to gain, and in
the United States, New England threatened secession if the war was not
ended. In 1814, the Treaty of Ghent ended the war. The most important
battle, the Battle of New Orleans (1815), in which Andrew Jackson
distinguished himself, was fought several months after the end of the war,
the news not having reached the Louisiana territory in time. The major
lasting effect for the political face of the country was the end of the
Federalist party, who were considered traitors when they opposed the war.

After leaving office, Madison retired to Montpelier, his farm in Virginia.
He was briefly the rector of the University of Virginia, but spent most of
his days farming. He died on June 28, 1836.

Places named for James Madison

   * Madison, Georgia
   * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital
   * Madison County, Alabama
   * Madison County, Arkansas
   * Madison County, Florida
   * Madison County, Georgia
   * Madison County, Idaho
   * Madison County, Illinois
   * Madison County, Indiana
   * Madison County, Iowa
   * Madison County, Kentucky
   * Madison County, Mississippi
   * Madison County, Missouri
   * Madison County, Montana
   * Madison County, Nebraska
   * Madison County, New York
   * Madison County, North Carolina
   * Madison County, Ohio
   * Madison County, Tennessee
   * Madison County, Texas
   * Madison County, Virginia
   * Madison Parish, Louisiana
   * Madison Township, North Carolina
   * Mount Madison, one of a number of mountains named for Presidents in the
     White Mountains of New Hampshire
   * James Madison University in Virginia
   * James Madison College an Honors Political Science department within
     Michigan State University
   * The James Madison Memorial Building of the United States Library of
     Congress
   * Madison Square in New York City
   * Madison Square in Savannah, Georgia
   * Many streets and avenues in United States cities (such as Madison
     Street in New York City and another in Chicago, Illinois)
   * Many schools in the United States

Supreme Court appointments

   * Gabriel Duvall - 1811
   * Joseph Story - 1812