James Madison and slavery facts for kids

James Madison was an important leader in early American history. He was one of the Founding Fathers and later became the fourth President of the United States. Madison grew up on a large farm called a plantation. Many enslaved people worked on this plantation. His views on slavery were complicated throughout his life. He saw slavery as a necessary part of the Southern economy. However, he also worried about a society that relied so much on enslaved people.

Madison's Thoughts on Slavery

During the American Revolutionary War, Madison had an interesting idea. Some people suggested giving enslaved people to soldiers as a bonus. Madison thought it would be better to offer freedom to Black people if they joined the army. He wrote that this would be more in line with the idea of liberty.

At the meeting where the U.S. Constitution was written, Madison spoke about slavery. He felt that where slavery existed, the idea of a republic was weaker. He wanted to stop new enslaved people from being brought into the country right away. However, the final Constitution allowed the international slave trade to continue until 1808.

Compromises and Colonization

Madison first disagreed with the 20-year ban on ending the international slave trade. But he later accepted it as a necessary compromise. This compromise helped the northern states agree to the Constitution. He believed it was a big step forward for humanity.

Madison also suggested how to count people for the House of Representatives. This led to the Three-fifths Compromise. This rule counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a free person. Later, during the Missouri crisis (1819–1821), Madison supported slavery spreading into new western lands.

Madison thought that formerly enslaved people might not fit well into Southern society. In the late 1780s, he became interested in a plan. This plan involved African Americans creating their own colonies in Africa. Madison became president of the American Colonization Society. This group helped create the settlement of Liberia for former slaves.

Madison's Personal Views

Madison supported a republican government, where citizens have power. But he believed slavery made the South more like an aristocracy, ruled by a few wealthy families. He saw enslaved people as property, even though he disagreed with slavery in his mind. He also thought slavery would naturally spread out and lessen as the country expanded west.

Madison never fully solved the problem of supporting a republic while owning slaves. He relied on the slave system his whole life. Visitors to his plantation noted that enslaved people were well housed and fed. According to Paul Jennings, one of Madison's younger slaves, Madison was never angry or had his slaves whipped. He preferred to talk to them instead. Madison never openly said that Black people were less capable. He seemed open-minded about race.

Madison's Ownership of Slaves

When Madison moved to Washington, D.C., in 1801, he became Secretary of State. He brought enslaved people from his home, Montpelier, with him. He also hired out enslaved people in Washington, D.C. He paid their owners directly, not the enslaved people who did the work.

During his time as president, some of the enslaved people at the White House included John Freeman, Jennings, Sukey, Joseph Bolden, Jim, and Abram. Historian Elizabeth Dowling Taylor called Madison a "garden-variety slaveholder." This means he was a typical slave owner of his time. Madison avoided extreme cruelty to prevent criticism and slave revolts. His enslaved people worked from dawn to dusk, six days a week, with Sundays off.

By 1801, Madison owned over 100 enslaved people at Montpelier. In the 1820s and 1830s, Madison sold land and enslaved people to pay off his debts. When Madison died in 1836, he owned 36 taxable enslaved people. He did not free any of his enslaved people during his life or in his will.

After Madison's Death

When Madison died, he left his remaining enslaved people to his wife, Dolley. He asked her to sell them only if they agreed. However, Dolley did not follow this wish. She sold the Montpelier plantation and many enslaved people to pay off the Madisons' debts. This included Jennings, whom she had planned to free after her own death.

After Dolley's death, the remaining enslaved people were given to her son, John Payne Todd. They were not granted their freedom until his death several years later.