James Madison as Father of the Constitution
James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the 4th president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. He is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. Disillusioned by the weak national government established by the Articles of Confederation, he helped organize the Constitutional Convention, which produced a new constitution. Madison's Virginia Plan served as the basis for the Constitutional Convention's deliberations, and he was one of the most influential individuals at the convention. He became one of the leaders in the movement to ratify the Constitution, and he joined with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay in writing The Federalist Papers, a series of pro-ratification essays that was one of the most influential works of political science in American history.
James Madison | |
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Portrait by John Vanderlyn, 1816 | |
4th President of the United States | |
In office March 4, 1809 – March 4, 1817 | |
Vice President |
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Preceded by | Thomas Jefferson |
Succeeded by | James Monroe |
5th United States Secretary of State | |
In office May 2, 1801 – March 3, 1809 | |
President | Thomas Jefferson |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia | |
In office March 4, 1789 – March 4, 1797 | |
Delegate from Virginia to the Congress of the Confederation | |
In office November 6, 1786 – October 30, 1787 | |
In office March 1, 1781 – November 1, 1783 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Port Conway, Virginia, British America | March 16, 1751
Died | June 28, 1836 85) Montpelier, Virginia, U.S. | (aged
Political party | Democratic–Republican |
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