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James Madison
James Madison, the eldest child of
James and Eleanor Conway Madison was born in 1751 in the home of
his maternal grandmother and step grandfather, on the
Rappahannock River . Young James received his early education
largely from his grandmother at home. When he was about 12, he
was enrolled in the school of Donald Robertson in King and Queen
County. After three or four years with Robertson, he studied for
a year or so with Reverend Thomas Martin and in 1769 enrolled in
the College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton University).
As Madison was already well grounded in the classics, he
concentrated on the study of history, government and public law.
In 1771 he received his degree and after some months of
postgraduate study, he returned home to Virginia.
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However due to overwork, he remained in bad health for several
years i.e. from 1772-1775. During this time Madison suffered
from epileptic hysteria but was not diagnosed. Uncertain about a
career, Madison devoted his time to extensive reading in
literature, theology and law. Before long a growing interest in
political and religious freedom led him to a serious study of
public law and the forms and principles of government. Madison's
understanding of public affairs developed during the decade of
colonial resistance to British measures, 1765-1775. He served on
the Orange county Committee of Safety from 1774. In 1776 he was
elected to the Virginia convention that declared the colony
independent from Britain and drafted a new state constitution.
At this time he worked closely with Virginia legislator Thomas
Jefferson (1743-1826) in a great effort establish religious
freedom as part of the Virginia law. Madison wrote the article
of the declaration of rights that asserted the right of all “to
the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of
conscience.”
Madison’s skills led to his election to Continental Congress in
1779 and he took his seat with the Virginia delegation in 1980,
just 4 days before his 29th birthday. He was not only the
youngest man in Congress but also probably the least imposing.
Madison was short, only 5ft, 4inches, weighed 100lbs, slight
reserved and hesitant in taking the floor . But these drawbacks
did not stop him from making a speedy and accurate appraisal of
the condition of the country. After the first few months, he
assumed a leading role in Congress. In the spring of 1784,
Madison again ran for election to the Virginia assembly and won.
He served for three years and advocated the strengthening of the
federal government during this time. He consistently supported
measures, at both state and national levels, which would
safeguard the rights of the individual. Madison also continued
to oppose any connection between the church and state.
Madison was one of the first delegates to arrive in Philadelphia
for the Constitutional Convention, three weeks before the
convention opened. He came equipped with two papers A Study of
Ancient and Modern Confederacies, and Vices of the Political
System of the United States. Madison took day-by-day notes of
the debates at the Constitutional Convention, which furnish the
only comprehensive history of the proceedings. Madison always
came forward as the best-informed man of any point in debate. In
the following year, Madison worked to get the Constitution
accepted and made plans with fellow supporters to write a series
of articles explaining and defending the Constitution. These
articles are collectively known as the Federalist and of the
total 85; Madison is credited with the authorship of at least
26.
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In the spring of 1788, James Madison participated in the
Virginia ratification convention and took the floor 35 times in
the first four days of the point-by-point examination of the
constitution. Madison had come well prepared; he knew every
article of the proposed Constitution and all the arguments used
against it. In the final tally, the convention approved
ratification by a vote of 89 to 79. In 1789 Madison was elected
to the first of four consecutive terms that he served in the
House. In the following years, Madison parted with his former
Federalist friends and renewed his friendship with Thomas
Jefferson.
During his third term of Congress, at the age of 43, Madison
married a young widow, Dolly Payne Todd. Dolly was a handsome,
vivacious widow who rejected church discipline and loved social
activities. In the years following his marriage, James Madison
served as secretary of state to Thomas Jefferson. In 1808 he was
elected to the office of the President of the United States. The
eight years of Madison’s presidency were dominated by continuing
tensions between the governments of the United States, Britain
and France. After much deliberation, Madison finally declared
war on Britain in 1812. However, the country was ill prepared
for the war and during Madison’s second term in the office of
President, he was forced to flee from Washington. On his return,
he saw that the British had devastated the capital.
Growing prosperity and a spirit of expansion in the United
States marked the final two years of Madison’s presidency.
Madison’s final years were troubled by chronic illness but his
interest for the nation was undiminished. During his last years,
Madison was confined to his home, where he died in 1836.
There are no particular myths surrounding the life of James
Madison. It is impossible to refute the importance of Madison’s
role in the destiny of the nation. Not only is he considered the
father of the Constitution but also one of the founding fathers
of the nation. Therefore Madison played a huge role in American
history, without his contributions, it is entirely possible that
the Constitution may not have been in its present form. His
tireless efforts to form a centralized government and one in
which people were free to live according to the dictates of
their conscience are the greatest achievements of his life in
public service.
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