James Madison served as the fourth President of the United States from 1809 to 1817. He is remembered as the “Father of the Constitution” because of the important role he played in the constitution of the United States of America. Thomas Jefferson, Madison also working closely with the thomas-jefferson, Madison also the Democratic-Republican Party in 1790 created, and as Jefferson by the Secrets of the State. from the Louisiana Purchase (double the size of the nation). (1
Born in Port Conway, Virginia on March 16, 1751, Madison was the oldest of twelve siblings, seven of whom reached adulthood. His parents, Colonel James Madison, Lord and Eleanor Rose Conway were slaves and managed a tobacco plantation in Orange County Virgin At the age of 18, Madison left his parent’s plantation to attend the College of New Jersey (later known as Princeton University), completing a four-year course in half time. Although exhausted by his work, he soon recovered his health, and entered his forty-first year in politics in December of the year 1874, when he was appointed to Orange County Committee of Safety. (1
In May 1787, James Madison traveled to Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention. Madison’s dedication and hard work in Congress greatly aided in the drafting of the Constitution, earning him the title “Father of the Constitution” for 36 years. Madison, however, protested that the document was not “of the fountain of one brain, but the work of many heads and hands. (
James Madison and other delegates gathered at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, intending to amend the Articles of Confederation, and created a completely new constitution. Virginia, representing Madison, took the office of chief data recorder and wrote pages of notes on what was discussed at the convention. Madison’s previous experience in developing the Virginia constitution (eleven years earlier) facilitated the process of drafting a new constitution, as his Virginia Plan served as a basis for discussion. (
Madison was the most active member of the convention and contributed more than anyone else to the creation of the Constitution. Madison stood by his demands for a strong central government (which would win the country) and believed that small states had to give up equal representation in Congress. Madison also believed that the executive power (or the president) was necessary to protect itself from improper legislative interference and that its election should be through the Electoral College. Having met in secret throughout the summer of 1787, the proposed Constitution was finally signed on September 17 (4
When two-thirds of the 13 states had ratified the Constitution, to become the law by which all Americans remained, Madison was sent to each state on September 28 for the ratification of the Constitution by a co-author. a series of essays (known as the Federalist Papers) by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton All 85 of these pamphlets (of which 29 were written by Madison) appeared in various New York newspapers that circulated rapidly. other 12 states
On June 21, 1888, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the new Constitution, allowing it to become the “universal” law of the land. After the Constitution went into effect, it was criticized by a Bill of Rights (or amendments) to protect the rights of each citizen. Madison recognized that the drafting of a bill of rights was essential, as some States had ratified the Constitution in anticipation of these amendments being made. (
In 1789, as a newly created member of the US House of Representatives, James Madison introduced the First Amendment (now known as the Bill of Rights) to the Constitution. Madison initially drafted nineteen amendments, of which his congressional colleagues passed twelve to the states for ratification. On December 15, 1791, ten amendments were sufficiently ratified by the states to become part of the Constitution. These amendments guarantee individual rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. (5
In 1817, James Madison’s second term as president ended and he and Dolley retired to Montpellier. The Madison Company founded the American Colony to free the slaves and transport them to the west coast of Africa. Madison briefly came out of retirement at the age of 79 in 1829 to attend the Virginia Constitutional Convention. Even in retirement, Madison remained active in politics and worried about how the Federal Union was in danger of being broken. In a note opened after his death in 1836, Madison said, “The counsel of my heart is the nearest and inmost in my conviction of the Union States to be fostered and perpetuated”. (2
1. Wikipedia. James Madison. Sept. 12 2006. 13 Sept. 2006
2. Biography of James Madison. 2006 Sept. 13.
3. Library of the Assembly. James Madison’s Contribution to the Constitution. April 24, 2000. Sept. 13 2006
4. Rakove, Jack N. James Madison, Const. , President Madison, War of 1812. 2006. Sept. 13 2006
5. Library of the Assembly. LoC.GOV Wise Guide: Who is the Father of the Constitution? May 2005. Sept. 13. 2006
