The 4 th President A look at James Madison’s contribution to America

Early Years James Madison was born in Port Conway, Virginia, on March 16, The oldest child in a family of twelve, he grew up on his father's plantation, Montpelier, in Orange County, Virginia. In 1762, James Madison went to his first school, located in King and Queen County, Virginia. At the age of 16, he returned to Montpelier to continue his education with a tutor. In August 1769, James began college at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), graduating in the spring of 1771.

The Beginning of a Career Madison began his 41-year political career in December 1774, when he was appointed to the Orange County Committee of Safety.

"Father of the Constitution" He arrived in Philadelphia on May 3, 1787, to attend the Constitutional Convention. The Convention convened to discuss the structure of the U.S. government. Madison was only 36 years old, but already had an enviable reputation. He gained attention while serving on the committees that drafted the first Constitution of Virginia and the Virginia Declaration of Rights in He also served as an elected representative to the Virginia House of Delegates and the Continental Congress. When the work was done, Madison's name resounded throughout the country, as he was given the title "Father of the Constitution" by his colleagues.

Virginia Plan James Madison was among the first to recognize that a stronger central government would be critical to the new nation's survival. He researched ancient and modern confederacies, outlining reasons why earlier attempts at democracy and representative government failed. Madison's research convinced him that the Articles would not withstand the onslaughts of state interests. Madison's ideas eventually turned into "the Virginia Plan," where the interests of individuals, states, and the national authority were balanced and mixed into "an extended republic." George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Edmund Randolph were among the prominent politicians to support the "Virginia Plan."

The Constitutional Convention Madison lobbied strongly for his positions, proposed compromises, took copious notes and, in general, served as a principal participant. In the end, many of Madison's proposals were incorporated into the Constitution, including representation in Congress according to population, support for a strong national executive, the need for checks and balances among the three branches of government, and the idea of a federal system that assigned certain powers to the national government and reserved others for the states.

Marriage James was introduced to Dolley Payne Todd in the spring of The summer courtship of James and Dolley was brief, and the couple married at Dolley's sister's home on September 15, James and Dolley were married for 41 years and never had children of their own. Dolley's first marriage had produced two children, and Dolley's son John Payne Todd was raised as James Madison's son.

Secretary of State in the Age of Expansion In January 1803, President Thomas Jefferson secretly called upon his cabinet to help develop a plan for exploration beyond the muddy waters of the Mississippi. The Secretary of State, James Madison, was given the task of coordinating negotiations for more land from King Ferdinand VII of Spain, Napoleon Bonaparte, the First Consul of France, Alexander I of Russia, and King George III of England. Madison worked with American dignitaries to negotiate navigation rights to the Mississippi River, a right of deposit in the port of New Orleans, and safe passage to the Pacific Ocean through Native- American and foreign-controlled territories in North America. This negotiation resulted in the Louisiana Purchase.

A Rough Start as President At the conclusion of Jefferson's two terms, James Madison won the 1808 presidential election and took the oath of office the following March. Madison's first term was troubled by tensions between England and France that led British ships to forcibly stop U.S. trading ships and seize American seamen. Furthermore, frontiersmen blamed the British for stirring up American Indian resistance to western settlement, and some expansionists had sights on Canada. Finally giving up on a policy of economic coercion, the United States declared war on Britain on June 18, After severe American losses on the Canadian front, the British marched on Washington. Madison rode east from the White House to review the American troops and, as fighting broke out, became the only U.S. president to command on the field while in office. His efforts failed and, on August 24, 1814, the British burned the U.S. Capitol and the White House. Upon leaving Washington, the British then launched a naval bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore. The assault failed, but the battle inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the words to The Star- Spangled Banner, which would become the nation's anthem. Four months later, December 24, 1814, the warring parties settled on terms of peace. In what some have called the "Second War of Independence" (and what opponents dubbed "Mr. Madison's War"), the War of 1812 solidified the United States' place within the international community.

Era of Good Feeling Known for his personal integrity and fair-handedness, Madison scrupulously observed individual and political rights even in the midst of war. As the Capitol and White House were rebuilt, the last years of Madison's second term saw economic growth, westward expansion, and ushered in a nationalistic "era of good feeling."

Retirement and Death When James Madison's second term as president ended in 1817, he and Dolley retired to Montpelier. In retirement Madison stayed active and interested in politics. In 1819 he founded the American Colonization Society dedicated to freeing slaves and transporting them to the West Coast of Africa. Madison served on the board of visitors at the University of Virginia, and briefly came out of retirement at the age of 79 to attend the 1829 Virginia Constitutional Convention. On June 28, 1836, James Madison died at Montpelier at the age of 85 and was buried in the Madison Family Cemetery on the mansion grounds.

Mr. President References esmadison millercenter.virginia.edu/academic/america npresident/madison