James Madison
Fourth US president (1809–1817), called the "Father of the Constitution"; drafted the Bill of Rights.
At a glance
Main ideas
Republic over direct democracy, Religious liberty, Enumerated rights …
See all 4Books to start with
The Federalist Papers, Report of 1800
See all 2Connections
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Madison was a Founding Father and the fourth president of the United States, from 1809 to 1817.
- He was called the "Father of the Constitution" for his part in drafting and promoting it and the Bill of Rights.
- His Virginia Plan was the basis for the Constitutional Convention's debates, and he wrote 29 of the Federalist essays.
- With Thomas Jefferson he organized the Democratic–Republican Party against Hamilton's Federalists.
- He led the country into the War of 1812.
Why it matters
- Historians regard him as one of the most significant Founding Fathers; Federalist No.
- 10 became highly regarded in the 20th century for its case for representative democracy.
Key facts
- Born
- 16 Mar 1751 (5 Mar 1750, Old Style), Belle Grove plantation, near Port Conway, Virginia1
- Died
- 28 Jun 1836, Montpelier, Virginia, of congestive heart failure, aged 851
- Education
- College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), BA in two years, 17711
- Bill of Rights
- Introduced it in Congress on 8 Jun 1789; ten amendments were ratified on 15 Dec 17911
- Secretary of State
- Under Jefferson, from 1801 to 18091
- President
- From 1809 to 1817; the War of 1812; the Second Bank of the United States and the Tariff of 18161
- University of Virginia
- Helped Jefferson found it; its second rector from 18261
- Slavery
- Thought slavery incompatible with Revolutionary principles but owned over one hundred slaves and freed none in his will1
Main ideas
-
Republic over direct democracy1
He believed direct democracy caused social decay and that a republic would check partisanship and faction.
-
Religious liberty1
"Equal entitlement" rather than mere tolerance in religion; he drafted Virginia's Statute for Religious Freedom with Jefferson.
-
Enumerated rights1
Listing specific rights would fix them in the public mind and encourage judges to protect them.
-
Limited federal power1
His Report of 1800 held that Congress may legislate only on its enumerated powers and that sedition laws violate free speech.
Books to start with
The line under a date fills as it gets older: empty when new, full at 2 years.
-
He wrote 29 of the 85 essays, starting with No. 10 on the dangers of majority faction.
-
Report of 18001
His attack on the Alien and Sedition Acts as unconstitutional.
Connections
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
Is something on this page wrong or out of date? Tell us
The line under a date fills as time passes: empty when new, then one equal share each for a day, a week, a month and a year. For episodes and other items it is full at 2 years; for "last checked", at a year. A striped line means the date is known only to the month or year.