James Madison | |
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4th President of the United States | |
In office March 4, 1809 – March 4, 1817 |
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Vice President |
George Clinton (1809–1812) None (1812–1813) Elbridge Gerry (1813–1814) None (1814–1817) |
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 |
Preceded by | John Marshall |
Succeeded by | Robert Smith |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 15th district |
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In office March 4, 1793 – March 4, 1797 |
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Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | John Dawson |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 5th district |
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In office March 4, 1789 – March 4, 1793 |
|
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | George Hancock |
Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation from Virginia |
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In office March 1, 1781 – November 1, 1783 |
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Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Thomas Jefferson |
Personal details | |
Born |
Port Conway, Virginia, British America |
March 16, 1751
Died | June 28, 1836 Orange, Virginia, U.S. |
(aged 85)
Political party | Democratic-Republican (founder 1791) |
Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) |
Spouse(s) | Dolley Payne Todd (1794–1836) |
Children | John (stepson) |
Alma mater | Princeton University |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Colony of Virginia |
Service/branch | Virginia Militia |
Years of service | 1775 |
Rank | Colonel |
The Madison Cabinet | ||
---|---|---|
Office | Name | Term |
President | James Madison | 1809–1817 |
Vice President | George Clinton | 1809–1812 |
Elbridge Gerry | 1813–1814 | |
Secretary of State | Robert Smith | 1809–1811 |
James Monroe | 1811–1817 | |
Secretary of Treasury | Albert Gallatin | 1809–1814 |
George W. Campbell | 1814 | |
Alexander J. Dallas | 1814–1816 | |
William H. Crawford | 1816–1817 | |
Secretary of War | William Eustis | 1809–1813 |
John Armstrong, Jr. | 1813–1814 | |
James Monroe | 1814–1815 | |
William H. Crawford | 1815–1816 | |
Attorney General | Caesar A. Rodney | 1809–1811 |
William Pinkney | 1811–1814 | |
Richard Rush | 1814–1817 | |
Secretary of the Navy | Paul Hamilton | 1809–1813 |
William Jones | 1813–1814 | |
Benjamin W. Crowninshield | 1814–1817 |
James Madison, Jr., (March 16 [O.S. March 5], 1751 – June 28, 1836) was an American statesman and Founding Father who served as the fourth 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 United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Madison inherited his plantation Montpelier in Virginia and owned hundreds of slaves during his lifetime. He served as both a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and as a member of the Continental Congress prior to the Constitutional Convention. After the Convention, he became one of the leaders in the movement to ratify the Constitution, both in Virginia and nationally. His collaboration with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay produced The Federalist Papers, among the most important treatises in support of the Constitution. Madison's political views changed throughout his life. During deliberations on the Constitution, he favored a strong national government, but later preferred stronger state governments, before settling between the two extremes later in his life.
In 1789, Madison became a leader in the new House of Representatives, drafting many basic laws. He is noted for drafting the first ten amendments to the Constitution, and thus is known also as the "Father of the Bill of Rights." He worked closely with President George Washington to organize the new federal government. Breaking with Hamilton and the Federalist Party in 1791, he and Thomas Jefferson organized the Democratic-Republican Party. In response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, Jefferson and Madison drafted the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, arguing that states can nullify unconstitutional laws.