‘Father of the Constitution’

James Madison

Abby Bilenkin, Nicholas Cooper, Phoebe Lai, Angela Wang

Also known as the face on the $5000 bill (fun fact of the day!)

ART THOU MAD, SON?

Life before presidency● Born: March 16, 1751, Port Conway, Virginia● Education: College of New Jersey (now Princeton

University, graduated 1771)● Marriage: September 15, 1794, to Dolley Payne

Todd ● No children (one raised from Dolley’s first

marriage)

Dolley Payne

Early Political Career

Began politics in VA State Legislature in order to reform & help the people

Worked with Madison to draft VA’s Statute of Religious Freedom

1776 1778 1784

VA Convention

VA Council of State

VA House of Delegates

1789→

Responsible for Constitutional Convention

Const. Conv.:● Authored VA Plan● Persuaded VA to give up

their NW territory to Congress

● Drafted Constitution (AKA Father of Constitution)

1787with GW until policies aligned w/ Federalists.

1793 1800→

w/ Jefferson→ Democrat-Republicans

Jefferson President, Madison Secretary of State

● Presidential Terms: 4th President of the United States (1809–1813; 1813-1817)

● Political Affiliation: Democratic-Republican● Died: June 28, 1836, Montpelier, Orange County,

Virginia

Presidential Career

Ran with: George Clinton as VP (supported for Jefferson) for the Republicans

Against: Charles Cotesworth Pinckney of the Federalist Party with Rufus King as VP

Won with a 122 to 47 electoral vote

1st Election: 1808

George Clinton Charles Pinckney

Issues: Shaky pre-term Foreign Relations

• French vs Brits: US caught in crossfire

• Impressment: British forced/enslaved US merchants to join British navy

• Chesapeake-Leopard Incident (June 22, 1807)o British warship Leopard fired at US frigate Chesapeake, looking for

Brit. Navy deserterso US captain of Chesapeake surrenders & Brits take 4 U.S men

hostage

● UPROAR! Partly responsible for Madison’s decision to declare War of 1812

British warship Leopard fires at US frigate Chesapeake

Shaky Pre-term Foreign Policies

• Jefferson’s Embargo act: prevented U.S ships from trading overseas → economic depressiono Replaced by 1809 Non-Intercourse Act just

before Madison’s term (allowed ships to trade everywhere but France and England)

o Offered to continue trade if Britain & France respected US neutrality...they didn’t.

• Madison’s attempt: Macon’s Bill # 2…(next slide)

1st term Issue (1808): Foreign Trade

• Madison signed Macon’s Bill #2 (1810): removed all France & Brit. trade restrictions as long as they respected neutralityo Looked good on paper; Napoleon claimed to

respect neutrality...but he lied.o Repealed his naval blockade on Britain so he

could use US ships insteado This would end neutrality

● Macon’s Bill #2 didn’t work...and ultimately couldn’t prevent war

Re-election of 1812

● Ran against DeWitt Clinton and Jared Ingersoll

● VP: Elbridge Gerry

● Won with a 128 to 89 electoral vote total, and won all

Southern States

Jared IngersollElbridge Gerry DeWitt Clinton

2nd term issues: War Hawks

• War Hawks = Western congressmen eager for land o demanded US to declare war on GB, expel

Spanish from Florida, invade Canada

• Madison yields to War Hawks - US declares war o Ended in disaster: War Hawk’s quick move

to attack Canada ended in surrender & most NW territory falls to British

• 1814: After defeating Napoleon, Brits go offensiveo Brit ships raided ports from Georgia to Maineo Stopped only in Baltimore: Brits couldn’t blast past Fort

McHenry

• DC captured and burned by Brits in 1814

• Although Madison vowed to rebuild capital, attack was a heavy blow to US

2nd Term Issue - British Offense +Capture of Capital

2nd Term Issue: End of the War of 1812

• Ratification of Treaty of Ghent ended war, brought back pre-war status quo

• Began Era of Good Feelings - less fighting between parties, more patriotism

• Although Americans suffered many losses during war, treaty outcome was relatively favorable for them

Treaty of Ghent

2nd Term Issue: Rechartering Bank of US

• Hamilton’s 1st Bank charter expired in 1811 after 20 years

• As Republican, Madison opposed 1st Bank (creation of national banks not in Bill of Rights)o Felt no need to renew 1st Bank but to recharter (opposed by

conservatives & state bankers)

• No bank = BAD NEWS: US in massive debt after War of 1812

o To deal with debt, private banks issue paper banknotes → major inflation

● 1816: Madison learns he needs one, and recharters the Bank!

● Overall: Madison’s delay of the bank recharter took a long time to solve problems but successfully implement 2nd Bank of US

Wise Words

“Philosophy is common sense with big words”-James Madison

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Works Cited

Kelly, Martin. "James Madison-4th President of the United

States." About.com. About.com, n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.

"James Madison." The White House. The White House, n.d.

Web. 30 Nov. 2013.

"Miller Center." American President: James Madison: Domestic Affairs. University of

Virginia, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.

"War of 1812." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013

"War of 1812 Evaluation." War of 1812 Evaluation. The National Society United State Daughters, 29 Aug. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.