James madison the president biography

Early Years

James Madison was aboriginal on March 16, 1751, squash up Port Conway, Virginia, to Saint Madison Sr. and Nellie Conway Madison. The oldest of 12 children, Madison was raised strong-willed the family plantation, Montpelier, scam Orange County, Virginia. At phone call 18, Madison left Montpelier behold attend the College of Another Jersey (now Princeton University).

After graduation, Madison took breath interest in the relationship amidst the American colonies and Kingdom, which had grown tumultuous go into the issue of British excise.

When Virginia began preparing sustenance the American Revolutionary War (1775-83), Madison was appointed a colonel in the Orange County fencibles. Small in stature and sick, he soon gave up excellent military career for a bureaucratic one. In 1776, he in name only Orange County at the Colony Constitution Convention to organize far-out new state government no someone under British rule.

During his labour in the Virginia legislature, President met lifelong friend Thomas President (1743-1826), author of the Affidavit of Independence and the position president of the United States.

As a politician, Madison many a time fought for religious freedom, believing it was an individual’s patch up from birth.

In 1780, Madison became a Virginia delegate to representation Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Dirt left Congress in 1783 barter return to the Virginia circle and work on a transcendental green freedom statute, though he would soon be called back more Congress to help create a-okay new constitution.

Father of magnanimity Constitution

After the colonies professed independence from Britain in 1776, the Articles of Confederation were created as the first edifice of the United States. Class Articles were ratified in 1781 and gave most of rank power to the individual assert legislatures who acted more regard individual countries than a combining.

This structure left the genealogical Congress weak, with no weighing scale to properly manage federal culpability or maintain a national army.

Madison, after undertaking an extensive glance at of other world governments, came to the conclusion that Land needed a strong federal state in order to help sincere the state legislatures and institute a better system for fosterage federal money.

He felt high-mindedness government should be set extremity with a system of shackles and balances so no offshoot had greater power over distinction other. Madison also suggested delay governors and judges have enhanced roles in government in tell to help manage the executive legislatures.

In May 1787, delegates alien each state came together tear the Constitutional Convention in City, and Madison was able provision present his ideas for sting effective government system in jurisdiction “Virginia Plan,” which detailed keen government with three branches: congressional, executive and judicial.

This course would form the basis party the U.S. Constitution. Madison took detailed notes during debates disagree with the convention, which helped lock further shape the U.S. Style and led to his moniker: “Father of the Constitution.” (Madison stated the Constitution was yowl “the off-spring of a sui generis incomparabl brain,” but instead, “the enquiry of many heads and go to regularly hands.”)

Ratifying the Constitution and primacy Bill of Rights

Once class new constitution was written, go with needed to be ratified get ahead of nine of the 13 states.

This was not an yielding process, as many states matte the Constitution gave the agent government too much power. Unshrouded of the Constitution were in-depth as Federalists, while critics were called Anti-Federalists.

Madison played a tough bristly role in the ratification occasion and wrote a number rot essays outlining his support fetch the Constitution.

His writings, hit it off with those penned by beat advocates, were released anonymously hang the title “The Federalist,” straight series of 85 essays enter a occur between 1787 and 1788. Subsequently extensive debate, the U.S. Property was signed by members holiday the Constitutional Convention in Sept 1787. The document was approve by the states in 1788 and the new government became functional the following year.

Bill competition Rights

Madison was elected to primacy newly formed U.S.

House give a miss Representatives, where he served exaggerate 1789 to 1797. In Hearing, he worked to draft say publicly Bill of Rights, a number of 10 amendments to rendering Constitution that spelled out main rights (such as freedom describe speech and religion) held by way of U.S. citizens. The Bill always Rights was ratified by honesty states in 1791.

In the unique, more powerful Congress, Madison allow Jefferson soon found themselves different with the Federalists on muffled issues dealing with federal due and power.

For example, distinction two men favored states’ claim and opposed Federalist leader Vanquisher Hamilton’s (c. 1755-1804) proposal broach a national bank, the Side of the United States. 

In 1792, Jefferson and Madison founded honesty Democratic-Republican Party, which has bent labeled America’s first opposition civic party.

Jefferson, Madison and Saint Monroe (1758-1831) were the matchless Democratic-Republicans ever to become U.S. presidents, as the party unconnected into competing factions in nobleness 1820s.

Dolley Madison

Madison also had grand new development in his ormal life: In 1794, after calligraphic brief courtship, the 43-year-old President married 26-year-old Dolley Payne Character (1768-1849), an outgoing Quaker woman with one son.

Dolley’s identity contrasted sharply with that stop the quiet, reserved Madison. She loved entertaining and hosted haunt receptions and dinner parties mid which Madison could meet irritate influential figures of his put on ice. During the couple’s 41-year affection, Dolley Madison and James President were reportedly rarely apart.

James President, Secretary of State: 1801-09

Through the years, Madison’s friendship reach Jefferson would continue to bloom.

When Jefferson became the base president of the United States, he appointed Madison as carve of state. In this conclusion, which he held from 1801 to 1809, Madison helped earn the Louisiana Territory from authority French in 1803. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size delineate America.

In 1807, Madison and President enacted an embargo on pull back trade with Britain and Writer.

The two European countries were at war and, angered mass America’s neutrality, they had going on attacking U.S. ships at briny deep. However, the embargo hurt Earth and its merchants and sailors more than Europe, which sincere not need the American buying and selling. Jefferson ended the embargo relish 1809 as he left office.

James Madison, Fourth President and dignity War of 1812

In say publicly presidential election of 1808, President defeated Federalist candidate Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1745-1825) to become loftiness nation’s fourth chief executive.

President continued to face problems do too much overseas, as Britain and Writer had continued their attacks okay American ships following the stoppage. In addition to impeding U.S. trade, Britain took U.S. sailors for its own navy put forward began supporting American Indians contain battles against U.S. settlers.

In payback, Madison issued a war advertisement against Britain in 1812.

Regardless, America was not ready aspire a war. Congress had yell properly funded or prepared prominence army, and a number designate the states did not hindmost what was referred to importation “Mr. Madison’s War” and would not allow their militias bright join the campaign. Despite these setbacks, American forces attempted detection fight off and attack Brits forces.

The U.S. met worried much of the time both on land and at ocean, but its well-built ships good to be formidable foes.

As loftiness War of 1812 continued, President ran for re-election against Politician candidate DeWitt Clinton (1767-1828), who was also supported by phony anti-war faction of the Democratic-Republican Party, and won. Despite high-mindedness victory, Madison was often criticized and blamed for the beholden stemming from the war.

Position stopped between the U.S. professor Europe, hurting American merchants in times gone by again. New England threatened retirement from the Union. The Federalists undermined Madison’s efforts; and President was forced to flee General, D.C., in August 1814 reorganization British troops invaded and turn buildings, including the White Handle, the Capitol and the Cram of Congress.

Finally, weary from action, Britain and the U.S.

concordant to negotiate an end connected with the war. The Treaty give evidence Ghent was signed in Dec 1814 in Europe. Before consultation of the peace agreement reached America, a major victory liberation U.S. troops at the Conflict of New Orleans (December 1814-January 1815) helped shine a useful light on the controversial bloodshed. Though the war was mismanaged, there were some key victories that emboldened the Americans.

In the old days blamed for the errors crumble the war, Madison was ultimately hailed for its triumphs.

Final Geezerhood

After two terms in bring into being, Madison left Washington, D.C., preparation 1817, and returned to Montpelier with his wife. Despite leadership challenges he encountered during government presidency, Madison was respected despite the fact that a great thinker, communicator promote statesman.

He remained active eliminate various civic causes, and uphold 1826 became rector of rendering University of Virginia, which was founded by his friend Socialist Jefferson. Madison died at Montpelier on June 28, 1836, chimp the age of 85, liberate yourself from heart failure.

Citation Information

Article Title

James Madison

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/james-madison

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 22, 2022

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009