Childhood, Education, and Family, 1751-1836

Born first of twelve children, in home of maternal grandparents, King George County, Virginia, and taken shortly thereafter to the Orange County four thousand acre estate of his parents, James and Nellie Madison, 1751

Enrolled in Donald Robertson’s school, seventy miles from family, in King and Queens County, where for five years he studied classical languages, literature, and math, 1762

Schooled further by tutor of family’s children, Rev. Thomas Martin, graduate of College of New Jersey, 1767

Entered College of New Jersey, in Princeton, where he studied natural science, philosophy, theology, and modern literature and was a member of the American Whig Society, 1769

Graduated in two years with a bachelor's degree, 1771

Returned home to farm, 1772

Began independent study of law, 1773

Married Dolley Payne Todd, twenty-six year old widow of a Philadelphia Quaker lawyer and mother of John Payne Todd, 1794

Died, 1836

Events which made an impression during his youth, 1754-73

Neighbors were going to war in response to the obvious threat from French Canadians who, with the help of Indian allies, were invading Ohio River valley territory already claimed by colonies such as Virginia and were boxing the British colonies between themselves and the Atlantic, 1754-1763

Taxes, via the Stamp Act on paper transactions, levied by a distant parliament, on colonists who were not represented in Parliament, created an uproar in all colonies, including Virginia, 1765

Taxes on imported goods, such as tea, paper, and glass via the Townshend duties, in response to colonial nonimportation agreements, created attention and stirred protest in Virginia, 1767

Traveled from his Virginia home and joined colonial classmates at college in New Jersey--became aware of political unrest evident in all colonies due to British taxes, 1769

News of a Boston massacre, where British troops killed five protesters, reached students at Princeton and infuriated colonists everywhere, 1770

Britain cut the cost of tea but maintained a small tax in order to undercut smugglers and to make a point about its right to tax--one response was the Boston Tea Party about which all colonial tax protesters cheered, 1773

Early political life, 1774-1786

Objected to religious persecution in Virginia, 1774

Supported colonial nonimportation policies, in harmony with colonial Committees of Correspondence which advocated resistance to British policies of importation taxes and payment of court judges’ salaries by the King and became aware of Virginia's House of Burgesses’ call for a continental congress composed of delegates from each colony to discuss Britain's impositions, 1774

Became a part of local military preparations which were developing as part of a continental association throughout the colonies designed to resist importation of British goods, 1774

Elected, at age twenty-three, to the Orange County Committee of Safety, chaired by his father, which had the responsibility of enforcing the economic boycott, 1774

Appointed Colonel in the Orange County militia where he developed skills with rifle and wrote about exceptional accuracy of Virginia riflemen at one hundred yards, but, due to frail physical condition, never personally experienced military action, 1775

Began official political career when chosen as delegate to the Virginia General Assembly which passed resolutions that instructed Virginia delegates to the Continental Congress to propose a Declaration of Independence and directed the appointment of a Virginia Assembly committee to prepare for Virginia a Declaration of Rights and a Constitution, 1776

Proposed the amendment in the religion article of the Declaration of Rights which changed George Mason’s wording, from granting religious "toleration," to religion which is "equally entitled," thus making all religions in Virginia equal before the law, 1776

Supported the bill, passed on December 9, which eliminated taxes for support of religion and made financial support of religion voluntary in Virginia, 1776

Defeated in bid for reelection to Assembly, generally because of failure to satisfy voters with presence (and alcohol) at voting place on election day, 1778

Selected to serve, during wartime stress, on Governor Patrick Henry's advisory council, 1778

Continued to serve on Virginia advisory council under Governor Thomas Jefferson with whom he began lifelong friendship and political collaboration, 1779

Selected as Virginia delegate to Continental Congress, 1779

Drafted an essay titled "Money" that advocated, in terms of confidence in currency, quality over quantity and promoted foreign loans--this study helped prepare him for major concerns relating to congressional finances, including paying and feeding the Continental Army, 1780

Credentialed and seated in Congress, as its youngest member, on March 20, 1780

Assumed a prominent role in Congress: advocated a strong national government, proposed an amendment (which failed) to the newly adopted Articles of Confederation that would have given Congress power to force states to comply, and supported the 1778 Treaty of Alliance, 1781

Promoted a national interest in territory north of the Ohio River and west to the Mississippi River, 1782

Sided with pro-French faction during peace negotiations with Britain, 1783

Ended his term (replaced by James Monroe) as Virginia delegate to Continental Congress on November 2, 1783

Released his longtime personal servant (Billy) and stated his rejection of slavery, 1783

Reelected to Virginia Assembly and defended religious dissenters in opposition to Patrick Henry's "Bill Establishing a Provision [tax money] for Teachers of the Christian Religion", 1784

Made the motion that led to the Mount Vernon Conference which resulted in a meeting between Virginia and Maryland regarding navigation on the Potomac--the first of two interstate agreements which preceded the 1787 Constitutional Convention, 1784

Drafted "Memorial and Remonstrance" which objected to government taxes for support of religion, to the "legal establishment of Christianity," and to the legal establishment of "religion," 1785

Selected member of the Senate-House committee which produced the final draft of Thomas Jefferson's "Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom" which was enacted into law as the Virginia Statute of Religious Liberty, 1786

Attended the Annapolis Convention (the result of a resolution, drafted by Madison, that called for an interstate conference to consider commercial problems) which was aborted, due to lack of quorum, but whose attendees drafted a proposal for all states to meet the following May in Philadelphia, 1786

Founding Father, 1787-1788

Reelected to Continental Congress, 1787

Represented Virginia at Constitutional Convention where he led in drafting a Virginia Plan which proposed a "supreme national government" with three branches--a two house legislature, a national executive, a national judiciary--and wherein he kept a private record of all debates and proceedings, 1787

Took an influential role at Convention through numerous speeches that, in their most significant impact, discredited usefulness of the Articles of Confederation and emphasized the need for a new system of government which (1) provided necessary power to a national government in order to overcome weaknesses of the existing confederation, (2) distributed power among the major branches of government, and (3) derived its power from the people, 1787

Composed for The Federalist papers his first and most famous essay, Number 10, in which he cited the causes of political parties or factions in government, e.g., differences between rich and poor, between opinions in matters of religion, etc., and promoted a solution to tyranny, originating from outright majority rule or between emotional passions, through a broadly representative system of government which would itself be controlled, toward the general public good, by an approved federal constitution, 1787

Completed his contribution of 29 essays to The Federalist which, after the Convention (along with those of Alexander Hamilton and John Jay), advocated a strong national government and were designed to influence its ratification by state assemblies, 1788

Elected as delegate to state constitutional ratification convention where he debated antifederalist Patrick Henry (who warned against the creation of a national empire to the detriment of the states) and promoted adoption of the Constitution, with amendments, in order to overcome the Confederation's obvious weaknesses, 1788

Congressman, 1789-1797

Elected to House of Representatives in First Congress, 1789

Drafted George Washington’s inaugural address, 1789

Drafted and sponsored the Bill of Rights, twelve proposed amendments of which ten were adopted, 1789

Cochaired the six member Senate-House committee which produced the final draft of the two religion clauses in the First Amendment, 1789

Compromised with Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, by agreeing (in regard to the war debt of both Congress and the states--of which the Northern states were more in debt than the Southern) to get enough Southern votes to pass a bill which would include assumption of all state debts in exchange for Northern votes to locate the national capital on the Potomac, 1790

Argued against constitutionality of a national bank because there was no specific provision for it in the Constitution under a "strict constructionist" understanding--the victorious Hamilton argued for a "loose constructionist" understanding and promoted the bank's constitutionality under the Constitution's authority to do whatever was "necessary and proper" for public welfare, 1791

Assumed leadership, in the House of Representatives, of Republican opposition to Hamilton's Federalist interpretation of the Constitution--a difference of opinion as to specifically enumerated or to necessarily implied powers which defined much of the contention between two increasingly separate political parties, 1792

Drafted "Helvidius" essays favoring American support of republican principles in France, in contrast to Hamilton's "Pacificus" essays which supported President Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality in the dispute between Britain and France, 1793

Opposed Federalist (and New York Anglican) John Jay's treaty proposal giving Great Britain most favored nation commercial trading status over the objection of congressional Republicans who advocated honoring the American treaty with France, 1795

Suffered significant Republican defeat in the House of Representatives when it approved, by a 51 to 48 vote, funding for the Jay Treaty which left France feeling betrayed, 1796

Refused peace mission to France due to declining diplomatic relations between the two nations (which Madison blamed on the Jay Treaty), 1797

Returned to Montpelier to again privately read and study law, 1797

Reentry into state politics, 1798-1800

Drafted (secretly, due to potential Sedition Act prosecution) the Virginia Resolutions which upheld the right of a state to assert the unconstitutionality of questionable acts passed by the Federal Congress and which objected to the Alien and Sedition Acts, passed under the administration of John Adams to, generally, suppress criticism from the Republican press and display an unwelcome sign for French and Irish residents--four acts designed to make it more difficult for aliens to become citizens (Naturalization Act), to permit the President to expel any alien considered dangerous to the United States (Alien Act), to allow the President power to restrict or expel any citizen of an enemy country (Alien Enemies Act), and to fine or imprison anyone who printed viewpoints in opposition to the United States government or its officials (Sedition Act), 1798

Elected to Virginia House of Delegates, 1799

Defended a state’s constitutional right under the First Amendment to declare its opinion without retribution, 1799

Chaired the committee which drafted a Virginia Report in further protest of the Alien and Sedition Acts as being unconstitutional, as well as being an abridgment of the right to free speech, 1800

Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809

Embedded his name forever in the journals of law (Marbury v. Madison) by refusing to issue necessary documents to judges appointed by President Adams immediately prior to inauguration of President Jefferson--a case in which, for the first time, the Supreme Court overturned a law passed by Congress as being unconstitutional, 1803

Provided instructions to American diplomats Robert Livingston of New York and James Monroe of Virginia who were involved in negotiating, for fifteen million dollars, the Louisiana Purchase which doubled the territorial size of the United States (including New Orleans) and gave it control of both sides of the Mississippi River, 1803

Rejected the Monroe-Pinkney Treaty, as negotiated with Britain by Monroe and William Pinkney of Maryland, because it failed to favorably overcome basic commercial shipping and impressment problems to the benefit of the United States, 1806

Implemented an Embargo Act, as a tool to pressure both Britain and France to a satisfactory commercial treaty, after British attack on the American ship Chesapeake, 1807

President of the United States, 1809-1817

Inaugurated as fourth President, with George Clinton of New York as Vice President, 1809

Ordered annexation of West Florida which belonged to Spain but was already settled by a majority of Americans, 1810

Named James Monroe Secretary of State, 1811

Vetoed as unconstitutional, i.e., in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, two bills passed by Congress: one, relating to an Episcopal church, because it exceeded "the rightful authority to which governments are limited by the essential distinction between civil and religious functions, and . . . would be a precedent for giving to religious societies as such a legal agency in carrying into effect a public and civil duty" and another, relating to a Baptist church, because it comprised "a principle and precedent for the appropriation of funds of the United States for the use and support of religious societies," 1811

Delivered to Congress a war message against Great Britain for interference with commercial and navigational rights of a neutral nation and for instigation of Indian attacks along Western frontier, 1812

Second inauguration as President, with Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts as Vice President, 1813

Abandoned Washington prior to attack by British who landed in Chesapeake Bay, overcame minimal militia resistance before entering the nation's capital, and set fire to public buildings, including the capitol and the President's house, 1814

Announced Treaty of Ghent which ended war with Great Britain, gave amnesty to all Indians, pledged to end African slave trade traffic, and released all prisoners, 1815

Delivered last annual message, which reminded Americans they were a part of the world's only existing Constitutional republic and that it had survived for over 40 years, 1816

Vetoed as unconstitutional, on final day of Presidency, a bill (providing for federal financing of roads and canals) in which he reminded America that the Constitution gives to government only certain enumerated powers, 1817

Life after Presidency, 1817-1836

Retired to Montpelier farm and became one of America's elder statesmen, 1817

Founded American Colonization Society whose charter was dedicated to sending free blacks to an African refuge, 1817

Condemned slavery as evil and supported emancipation, 1819

Advocated total separation between religion and government, 1819

Refused to allow publication of his Constitutional Convention notes until after his death, 1821

Declared that understanding and application of the Constitution derived authority from its final wording, not from the debates which preceded it, 1821

Advocated public education as the best protection for public welfare and liberty; asserted it was not with his approval that congressional chaplains were appointed in the First Congress, 1822

Supported the University of Virginia as a secular public institution, 1823

Visited for the last time with Jefferson at Monticello, 1825

Followed Jefferson as Rector (President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees) at the University of Virginia, 1826

Elected as delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention wherein he advocated compromise in revising the state constitution to expand voting privileges, 1829

Drafted final advice to his country: "that the Union of the States be cherished and perpetuated," 1834

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brant, Irving. James Madison: The Nationalist 1780-1787. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1948.

Eckenrode, H. J. Separation of Church and State In Virginia: A Study in the Development of the Revolution. Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1910; reprint edition, New York: Da Capo Press, 1971.

Hutchinson, William T., William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds. The Papers of James Madison. 17 vols. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962-1991.

Ketcham, Ralph. James Madison: A Biography. New York: Macmillan, 1971.

Levy, Leonard W. The Establishment Clause: Religion and the First Amendment, 2d ed. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 1994.

Malone, Dumas and Basil Rauch. Empire for Liberty: The Genesis and Growth of the United States of America. 2 vols. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1960.

Peterson, Merrill D. ed. James Madison: A Biography in His Own Words. New York: Newsweek, 1974.

Rutland, Robert Allen, ed. The Presidency of James Madison. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 1990.

Copyright 2000 Gene Garman