Madison, James (1751–1836)

4th president of the USA 1809–17. In 1787 he became a member of the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention and took a leading part in drawing up the US Constitution, earning him the title ‘Father of the Constitution’. He was determined that the government was to be composed of three divisions: legislative, executive (administrative), and judicial. In the struggle between the more democratic views of Thomas Jefferson and the aristocratic, upper-class sentiments of Alexander Hamilton, he allied himself firmly with Jefferson. As secretary of state in Jefferson's government 1801–09, Madison completed the Louisiana Purchase negotiated by James Monroe. During his period of office the War of 1812 with Britain took place.

During his presidential administration, the nation was unprepared for the War of 1812, and there were threats of secession by New England states. Although the War of 1812 ended in stalemate, Madison's fortunes rose with the national expansion that followed.

Madison was born in Port Conway, Virginia, graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton) 1771, and afterwards studied law. He was appointed a member of the Virginia Convention 1776 and of the Continental Congress 1780. Serving in the Virginia legislature 1784–86, he became a zealous advocate of religious freedom and the federal structure of government. He was also the chief recorder of the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention, and one of the foremost defenders of the new constitution, as his contributions to the ‘Federalist Papers’ testify. testify. As a member of the House of Representatives in the first Congress, he introduced a Bill of Rights, ten of which were ratified by the states in 1791.