the great little madison
The Great Little Madison- Jean Fritz
James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, was born on March 16, 1751 to Nellie Conway Madison and James Madison, Sr. in Orange County Virginia. He was the eldest of twelve children, only seven of whom survived infancy. He attended school in Virginia for part of his youth and tutored at home until the age of eighteen, when he enrolled at the College of New Jersey, later known as Princeton University. He excelled at his studies, graduating early in 1771. He was frail and sickly, however, and suffered a nervous disorder that affected his spirits greatly as a young man. He lacked ambition until the outbreak of the American Revolution, when he devoted himself entirely into politics.
Madison was elected to office for the first time in 1774. Two years later, he took a seat at the Virginia Constitutional Convention, which played a major role in the drive toward American independence from the British Crown. Between 1777 and 1779, he was a member of the Virginia Council of State, serving Virginia governors Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, who became his lifelong friend. In 1780, Madison was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress, which met at Philadelphia. At twenty-nine, he was the youngest member of this Congress.
With the end of the Revolution in 1783 came the need to form a strong government for the United States. Madison took a leading role at the Constitutional Convention, drafting the Virginia Plan which became the basis of the U.S. Constitution. In defense of the Constitution during the crucial period of its ratification by the states, Madison authored a series of papers with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay which became known collectively as The Federalist.
During the presidential administrations of George Washington and John Adams, Madison became a major leader of the Democratic-Republicans along with Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson's pro-French politics and fear of a strong, commercial centralized
James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, was born on March 16, 1751 to Nellie Conway Madison and James Madison, Sr. in Orange County Virginia. He was the eldest of twelve children, only seven of whom survived infancy. He attended school in Virginia for part of his youth and tutored at home until the age of eighteen, when he enrolled at the College of New Jersey, later known as Princeton University. He excelled at his studies, graduating early in 1771. He was frail and sickly, however, and suffered a nervous disorder that affected his spirits greatly as a young man. He lacked ambition until the outbreak of the American Revolution, when he devoted himself entirely into politics.
Madison was elected to office for the first time in 1774. Two years later, he took a seat at the Virginia Constitutional Convention, which played a major role in the drive toward American independence from the British Crown. Between 1777 and 1779, he was a member of the Virginia Council of State, serving Virginia governors Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, who became his lifelong friend. In 1780, Madison was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress, which met at Philadelphia. At twenty-nine, he was the youngest member of this Congress.
With the end of the Revolution in 1783 came the need to form a strong government for the United States. Madison took a leading role at the Constitutional Convention, drafting the Virginia Plan which became the basis of the U.S. Constitution. In defense of the Constitution during the crucial period of its ratification by the states, Madison authored a series of papers with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay which became known collectively as The Federalist.
During the presidential administrations of George Washington and John Adams, Madison became a major leader of the Democratic-Republicans along with Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson's pro-French politics and fear of a strong, commercial centralized