Presidents: James Madison

James Madison was one of our founding fathers and became our fourth President.

James Madison, Jr. was born on March 16, 1751 at Belle Grove Plantation, near Port Conway, Virginia. His parents were James and Nelly Conway Madison, Sr. He was the oldest of James and Nelly twelve children.

Madison studied under private tutors, becoming proficient in Latin, before attending the College of New Jersey {today known as Princeton University}.

During the American Revolution, Madison served in the Virginia legislature. He was also a colonel in the Orange County militia, although he never served in a combat role. He collaborated with ministers being persecuted for religious freedom. This helped to fashion the ideals he would later apply to the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Madison spoke often during the Philadelphia Convention. Along with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, James Madison wrote The Federalist Papers. These were a series of 85 newspaper articles published in New York to explain how the proposed Constitution would work. Madison wrote 29 of these articles. He addressed many difficult issues including slavery and civil jury trials.

James Madison pressed the issue for the first ten constitutional amendments, which became known as the Bill of Rights. Madison was called “the Father of the

Constitution” by his peers, but protested the title.

In 1789, Madison was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

On September 15, 1794, forty-three year old James Madison married a young widow, Dolley Payne Todd. The couple would have no children, but he did adopt his wife’s son, John Payne Todd.

In 1801, Madison inherited his father’s large plantation, Montpelier.

Under President Thomas Jefferson, Madison served as Secretary of State.

Upon Jefferson’s decision to not run for a third term, Madison became the party choice in 1808. He won the election and became President. The lapse of the first national bank and congress’s reluctance to institute a new one made it easy for the British to attack the United States. This became known as the War of 1812. During this time the British invaded Washington, DC setting fire to the town. Dolley Madison famously escaped, saving a picture of George Washington.

James Madison became our most diminutive president, standing at five feet, four inches. He never weighted more than 100 pounds. He is reported to always maintain a delicate constitution and never enjoyed robust health.

After two terms, Madison left office in1817. He retired to his home at Montpelier, which was not far from Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello.

His mounting financial troubles weighted on him. He also became concerned with his historical legacy, and began to modify letters and documents.

After the death of Thomas Jefferson in 1826, James Madison became the 2nd President of the University of Virginia. He would hold this position until his own death.

He died on June 28, 1836, the last of the Founding Fathers. He was buried at the Madison Family Cemetery at Montpelier.