James Madison facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Madison
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| 4th President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1817 |
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| Vice President | George Clinton; Elbridge Gerry |
| Preceded by | Thomas Jefferson |
| Succeeded by | James Monroe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 16, 1751 Port Conway, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | June 28, 1836 (aged 85) Montpelier, Virginia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
| Spouse | Dolley Todd Madison |
| Signature |  |
James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was the fourth President of the United States. He is known as the most important author of the United States Constitution and for his pivotal role in drafting the Bill of Rights.
Madison was a close adviser to President George Washington. He helped Washington write his first inaugural address.
Madison's name is commemorated in many landmarks across the nation, with prominent examples including Madison Square Garden, James Madison University, the James Madison Memorial Building, and the USS James Madison.
Contents
Early life and education
James Madison, Jr. was born on March 16, 1751 (March 5, 1750, Old Style), at Belle Grove Plantation near Port Conway in the Colony of Virginia, to James Madison Sr. and Nelly Conway Madison. He was the oldest of twelve children, with seven brothers and four sisters, though only six lived to adulthood.
His father was a tobacco planter.
In the early 1760s, the Madison family moved into a newly built house that they named Montpelier.
From age 11 to 16, Madison studied under Donald Robertson, a Scottish instructor who served as a tutor for several prominent planter families in the South. Madison learned mathematics, geography, and modern and classical languages and became exceptionally proficient in Latin. Madison graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from [[Princeton University|Princeton] (then formally named the College of New Jersey) in 1771.
After returning to Montpelier in early 1772, Madison served as a tutor to his younger siblings.
Political career
Although Madison never battled in the Revolutionary War, he did rise to prominence in Virginia politics as a wartime leader. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the Continental Congress during and after the American Revolutionary War.
Madison is credited with helping to organize the Constitutional Convention, which produced the current United States Constitution. Madison is called the "Father of the Constitution" because he helped write a large part of it. On July 4, 1776, the United States Declaration of Independence was formally printed, declaring the 13 American states an independent nation.
Madison was subsequently elected to the Virginia governor's Council of State, where he became a close friend and ally of Governor Thomas Jefferson. Madison helped Jefferson create the Democratic–Republican Party in opposition to Hamilton's Federalist Party. After Jefferson was elected president in 1800, Madison served as his Secretary of State from 1801 to 1809.
Bill of Rights
Madison proposed several constitutional amendments to the Bill of Rights. His amendments contained numerous restrictions on the federal government and would protect, among other things, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to peaceful assembly. Madison was largely responsible for proposals to guarantee freedom of the press, protect property from government seizure, and ensure jury trials. To prevent a permanent standing federal army, Madison proposed the Second Amendment, which gave state-regulated militia groups and private citizens, the "right to bear arms."
Madison's Bill of Rights faced little opposition. Ten amendments were finally ratified on December 15, 1791, becoming known in their final form as the Bill of Rights.
Presidency
Madison was selected by his political party to be the Democratic-Republican candidate for president in 1808. He won that election and the next election in 1812.
War of 1812
The War of 1812 started while Madison was president. Madison initially believed the war would result in a quick American victory. However, the British army was more organized, used professional soldiers, and fostered an alliance with Native American tribes led by Tecumseh. Not having enough money to fund the war, Madison was forced to rely on high-interest loans.
Madison and his family were forced to flee in 1814 when British forces seized control of Washington D.C and burned the White House, and many other buildings, to the ground. After the disastrous start to the war, Madison accepted Russia's invitation to arbitrate and sent a delegation led by Gallatin and John Quincy Adams (the first son of former President John Adams) to Europe to negotiate a peace treaty. The Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814 and ratified by the Senate on February 16, 1815.
The war convinced Madison of the necessity of a stronger federal government. He presided over the creation of the Second Bank of the United States and the enactment of the protective Tariff of 1816.
Native American policy
Upon becoming president, Madison pushed for a treaty to open more land for white American settlement. On September 30, 1809, Madison agreed to the Treaty of Fort Wayne signed with the Potawatomie, Delaware, Eel Rivers, and the Miami. The treaty compensated $5,200 (equivalent to $90,092.77 in 2021) in goods and $500 in cash (equivalent to $8,662.77 in 2021), with $250 in annual payments (equivalent to $4,331.38 in 2021) to the American Indian tribes, in return for the cession of 3 million acres of land (approximately 12,140 square kilometers). In addition, incentivized subsidies were paid to individual tribes for exerting their influence over less cooperative tribes.
However, many tribes were not happy with the treaty and were opposed to selling their land. Tecumseh, the Shawnee leader, was angered by the treaty saying, "Sell a country! Why not sell the air, the clouds and the great sea, as well as the earth?"
Tensions continued to mount, leading to the Battle of Tippecanoe during a period sometimes called Tecumseh's War. Tecumseh was defeated and Indians were pushed off their tribal lands, replaced entirely by white settlers. In addition to the Battle of the Thames and the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, other wars with American Indians took place, including the Peoria War, and the Creek War. In the aftermath of the Creek War, the Treaty of Fort Jackson of August 9, 1814, added approximately 23 million acres of land to the United States (93,000 square kilometers) in Georgia and Alabama.
Post-presidency (1817–1836)
When Madison left office in 1817 at age 65, he retired to Montpelier, not far from Jefferson's Monticello. As with both Washington and Jefferson, Madison left the presidency a poorer man than when he came in. His plantation experienced a steady financial collapse, due to price declines in tobacco and his stepson's mismanagement. In his retirement, Madison occasionally became involved in public affairs. He helped Jefferson establish the University of Virginia. In 1826, after the death of Jefferson, Madison was appointed as the second rector of the university. He retained the position as college chancellor for ten years until his death in 1836.
In 1829, at the age of 78, Madison was chosen as a representative to the Virginia Constitutional Convention for revision of the commonwealth's constitution. It was his last appearance as a statesman.
Personal life
On September 15, 1794, Madison married Dolley Payne Todd, a 26-year-old widow of John Todd, a Quaker farmer who died during a yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia. Dolly became a renowned figure in Washington, D.C., and excelled at hosting dinners and other important political occasions. She helped to establish the modern image of the first lady of the United States as an individual who has a leading role in the social affairs of the nation.
Madison never had children, but he adopted Dolley's one surviving son, John Payne Todd (known as Payne), after the marriage.
At age 50, Madison inherited the large plantation of Montpelier and other possessions, including his father's numerous slaves.
Death
Madison died of congestive heart failure on June 28, 1836, at the age of 85. He was buried in the family cemetery at Montpelier.
According to one common account of his final moments, he was given his breakfast, which he tried eating but was unable to swallow. His favorite niece, who sat by to keep him company, asked him, "What is the matter, Uncle James?" Madison died immediately after he replied, "Nothing more than a change of mind, my dear."
Memorials
Montpelier, the Madison family's plantation, has been designated a National Historic Landmark. The James Madison Memorial Building is part of the United States Library of Congress and serves as the official memorial to Madison. In 1986, Congress created the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation as part of the bicentennial celebration of the Constitution. Other memorials include Madison, Wisconsin and Madison County, Alabama which were both named for Madison, as were Madison Square Garden, James Madison University, and the USS James Madison. In 2021, the Madison Metropolitan School District renamed James Madison Memorial High School following community opposition to commemorating someone who used slave labor.
Interesting facts about James Madison
- Madison's family had lived in Virginia since the mid-17th century.
- At a height of only five feet, four inches (163 cm), Madison was the shortest U.S. president.
- Madison never weighed more than 100 pounds (45 kg).
- Madison's wife, Dolley Madison, is known for saving a portrait of George Washington during the War of 1812.
- He left significant sums of money to the American Colonization Society, Princeton and the University of Virginia.
- Throughout his life, Madison owned over one hundred African American slaves. He, however, advocated for humane treatment of slaves and ensured that his slaves had milk cows and meals for their daily food.
- After Madison's death, Dolley sold Montpelier, its remaining slaves, and the furnishings to pay off outstanding debts.
James Madison quotes
- "The purpose of the Constitution is to restrict the majority's ability to harm a minority."
- "Democracy is the most vile form of government."
- "If man is not fit to govern himself, how can he be fit to govern someone else?"
- The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded."
- "If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
Images for kids
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Madison's portrait as Congressional delegate at age 32 when he was already recognized as a contributor to politics and government. Portrait by Charles Willson Peale
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First page of the original handwritten copy of the U.S. Constitution
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Gouverneur Morris signs the Constitution before George Washington. Madison sits next to Robert Morris, in front of Benjamin Franklin. Painting by John Henry Hintermeister, 1925.
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Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic-Republican Party with Madison and broadly represented Southern interests.
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The 1803 Louisiana Purchase totaled 827,987 square miles (2,144,480 square kilometers), doubling the size of the United States.
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James Madison as Secretary of State painted by Gilbert Stuart, c. 1805–1807
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James Madison as President, engraving by David Edwin from between 1809 and 1817
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Battle of Tippecanoe took place in the Northwest Territory on November 7, 1811.
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Montpelier, Madison's tobacco plantation in Virginia
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A life-sized statue of Madison at James Madison University
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See also
In Spanish: James Madison para niños
