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James Madison collaborated in many important role in and out of his presidency, his accomplishments made others look up to him because of his bravery and intelligence.

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10 Interesting Facts about James Madison

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Although he was known for being quiet-natured and short-statured, the fourth President of the United States was also a man of bravery and valor. He ran into battle as commander-in-chief when the enemy marched into Washington, and held his ground in the political arena of the Revolutionary period.

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James Madison - 4th U.S. President & Father of the Constitution| Mini Bio | BIO

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This sources explains the achievements of president James Madison and and the great things he did that helped shape what is now known as the United States of America.

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#1 He directed the Philadelphia Convention towards forming a new constitution

The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States. It established U.S. as an association of sovereign states with a weak central government. Also it gave the Congress effectively no power to enforce its requests to the states. Due to this, Madison, as well as several other founding fathers, feared national bankruptcy and disunion. The Philadelphia Convention was held in 1787 to amend the Articles of Confederation. Madison had earlier done extensive scholarly research on various forms of government. He wrote what became known as the Virginia Plan, an outline for a new constitution. At the convention, he convinced other Congressmen that, instead of amending the ineffective Articles, it was time to supersede them with a new constitution. Madison spoke over two hundred times during the convention, which lasted from May 25 to September 17. He is said to be the best informed man at any point during the debate and his performance was rated highly by fellow delegates.

#2 Madison drafted the influential Virginia Plan

#3 He was one of the three contributors to the famous Federalist Papers

#4 James Madison is considered the Father of the Constitution

Nine states were required to ratify the Constitution for it to succeed. However, it was believed that if Virginia, the most populous state at the time, did not ratify the constitution, the new government would fail. Also, it would have disqualified Virginian George Washington from being the first president. The powerful orator Patrick Henry was an Anti-Federalist. This led to a battle between Henry and Madison. Although Henry was by far the more powerful and dramatic speaker, Madison successfully countered his emotional appeals with rational arguments. It was a close battle and it was after much negotiation by Madison that the convention in Virginia approved the Constitution on June 28, 1789 by a vote of 89 to 79. Nine states had ratified the Constitution by June 21, 1788 and it came into effect on March 4, 1789. United States Constitution has had an international impact and it has been a notable model for governance around the world. For his contribution to it, James Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution".

#5 He drafted the United States Bill of Rights

Madison was initially opposed to the inclusion of a bill of rights in the Constitution. However, during the ratification debates, he understood its importance. Also, Madison feared that if this was not done, the Anti-Federalists could open the entire Constitution to reconsideration. On June 8, 1789, Madison introduced his bill proposing amendments consisting of Nine Articles comprising up to 20 potential amendments. 17 amendments were sent to the Senate which further reduced it to 12. 3 to 12 were ratified as additions to the Constitution on December 15, 1791, and became Amendments One through Ten of the Constitution. The Bill of Rights added to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights; clear limitations on the government's power in judicial and other proceedings; and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically delegated to Congress are reserved for the states or the people. James Madison is considered the "Father of the Bill of Rights".

#6 He co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party

#7 He served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was a mentor to Madison. The two had played an important role in the passage of the landmark Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom in 1786. The Act disestablished the Church of England in Virginia and guaranteed freedom of religion to people of all religious faiths. Thomas Jefferson became the third President of U.S in 1801 and he chose Madison for the position of Secretary of State. Along with Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin, Madison became one of the two major influences in Jefferson's cabinet. He also supervised the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 which doubled the size of the United States and was by far the largest territorial gain in U.S. history. James Madison served as the 5th United States Secretary of State from May 2, 1801 to March 3, 1809.

#8 James Madison served as the fourth President of the United States

In the nominations for the 1808 presidential election, Madison faced stiff competition from former Ambassador James Monroe and Vice President George Clinton. Ultimately the Democratic-Republican Party chose Madison as its candidate for president and Clinton as its candidate for vice president. In the United States presidential election of 1808, James Madison easily defeated the Federalist candidate Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. He won 122 electoral votes to Pinckney's 47; and 64.7% of the popular vote. In the 1812 presidential elections, Madison defeated his own party's DeWitt Clinton. He was re-elected with 128 electoral votes to Clinton's 89; and 50.4 percent of the popular vote to his opponent's 47.6%. James Madison served as the fourth President of the United States from March 4, 1809 to March 4, 1817.

#9 He led the nation during the difficult War of 1812

In the beginning of the 19th century Great Britain was involved in a conflict with France. America's policy was to trade with both the nations. However, in 1807, Britain passed the Orders in Council which required neutral countries to obtain a license from its authorities before trading with France or French colonies. Also, the British seized several U.S. ships and forced captured crewmen to serve in the British navy. These factors led to tension between U.K. and America. On June 18, 1812, President Madison signed the declaration of war upon the United Kingdom, beginning the War of 1812. Madison faced many challenges during the war including a superior enemy, divided cabinet, obstructionist governors, incompetent generals, and militia who refused to fight outside their states. U.S. suffered many costly defeats at the hands of British, Canadian and Native American forces. These included the burning of the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., in August 1814. However, American troops were able to repulse British invasions in New York, Baltimore and New Orleans. The War of 1812 ended with the Treaty of Ghent in December 1814 restoring the status to "the state existing before the war". The War of 1812 increased national pride in America and led to a prosperous age known as the Era of Good Feelings.

#10 The final years of his presidency saw unprecedented prosperity in America

After the war of 1812, the Madison administration focused on domestic affairs. The government budget was brought back into surplus; an effective taxation system based on tariffs was implemented; a well-funded standing professional military was established; pensions were extended to orphans and widows of the War of 1812 for a period of 5 years at the rate of half pay; and the Tariff of 1816 was passed to protect U.S. manufactured items from overseas competition. The Tariff of 1816 was the first actual protectionist measure in U.S. and it greatly helped the American industries compete with foreign goods in the domestic market. Though Madison had long opposed a national bank, in 1816, he chartered the Second Bank of the United States with a twenty-year term. The final years of the presidency of Madison years began an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity, which was called the Era of Good Feelings. James Madison is usually ranked among the top ten U.S. presidents by scholars.

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10 Major Accomplishments of US President James Madison

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The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States. It established U.S. as an association of sovereign states with a weak central government. Also it gave the Congress effectively no power to enforce its requests to the states. Due to this, Madison, as well as several other founding fathers, feared national bankruptcy and disunion.

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This source gives a brief description of the hard work and how intelligent Madison was. It indicates his achievements and characteristics. This shows why Madison was a great candidate to serve as president.

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Like his close friend Thomas Jefferson, James Madison came from a prosperous family of Virginia planters, received an excellent education, and quickly found himself drawn into the debates over independence. In 1776, he became a delegate to the revolutionary Virginia Convention, where he worked closely with Thomas Jefferson to push through religious freedom statutes, among other liberal measures. The youngest member of the Continental Congress, Madison was small in stature. His soft spoken, shy demeanor was a foil for his brilliant persistence in advocating his political agenda. Madison emerged as a respected leader of the congress, known for his hard work and careful preparation.

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Scholarly essays, speeches, photos, and other resources on James Madison, the 4th US president (1809-1817), known as the father of the Constitution, he was secretary of state and one of the authors of the Federalist Papers

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James Madison became president in March 4, 1809. Madison ran against Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 election, where the Democratic-Republican Party. During Madison's presidency, he repealed the non-intercourse Act which allowed them to trade with any country except Great Britain. In 1812, Madison asked congress for a declaration of war against the British. Madison also led the nation during the difficult war of 1812.

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James Madison played a role in the planning and ratification of the U.S. Constitution. He also worked with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton in the publication of the Federalists Papers. Madison was a member of the House of Representatives and expose the first 10 amendment to the Constitution.

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James Madison was born on March 16, 1751, Virginia. He was a statesman and one of the Founding Fathers. He attended Princeton University where he completed the four-years course in two years. He then married Dolly Payne and died in June 28, 1836.