Who was James Madison?
Mr. Madison also holds the unfortunate distinction of having been the first President of the United States to have to ask the Congress to declare a war–the British-American War Of 1812 To 1815, which was a disaster for the United States in many ways; before the Treaty Of Ghent of 1814, Madison’s popularity as President fell sharply, the United States suffered the humiliation of having British troops invade American soil, and the war achieved none of the objectives for which it was fought.
At his inauguration, James Madison, a small, wizened man, appeared old and worn; Washington Irving described him as “but a withered little apple-John.” But whatever his deficiencies in charm, Madison’s buxom wife Dolley compensated for them with her warmth and gaiety. She was the toast of Washington. Born in 1751, Madison was brought up in Orange County, Virginia, and attended Princeton (then called the College of New Jersey). A student of history and government, well-read in law, he participated in the framing of the Virginia Constitution in 1776, served in the Continental Congress, and was a leader in the Virginia Assembly. When delegates to the Constitutional Convention assembled at Philadelphia, the 36-year-old Madison took frequent and emphatic part in the debates. Madison made a major contribution to the ratification of the Constitution by writing, with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, the Federalist essays. In later years, when he was referred to as the “Father of the Constituti
James Madison was born and raised in Virginia. He graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1771 and became a lawyer. As a politician, he served in the Continental Congress and the Virginia Assembly. The “Father of the Consitution,” was an avid participant at the Constitutional Convention, and wrote some of the Federalist papers, which helped ratify the Constitution. Prior to his own Presidential ascension, Madison was President Jefferon’s Secretary of State. As President, Madison was faced with a dilema. Both Britain and France, two of the U.S. trade partners who were also rivals, were attacking U.S. ships on the seas. The War of 1812 began, and was won.
