James Madison

James Madison was a small, quiet Virginian who studied at the College of New Jersey, now Princeton, and read deeply in history and government. Before the Constitutional Convention of 1787 he studied ancient and modern confederacies, and his Virginia Plan became the starting point for the Constitution; his careful notes are the main record of the debates. With Alexander Hamilton and John Jay he wrote The Federalist essays urging ratification, including Federalist No. 10 on factions and No. 51 on checks and balances. In the first Congress he drafted the amendments that became the Bill of Rights. He also worked with Jefferson for religious freedom in Virginia and later founded the Democratic-Republican party with him. He served as Jefferson's Secretary of State and became the fourth president in 1809. His presidency included the War of 1812 against Britain, during which British troops burned Washington. His wife Dolley became famous as a hostess. Madison owned enslaved people throughout his life. He was the last of the Constitution's framers to die.

James Madison is also an author in the library: author page and works.

Faith: Raised Anglican; he championed religious freedom and the disestablishment of Virginia's Anglican Church. His personal beliefs are not well documented. Source: Wikipedia