author
James Madison
1751–1836
Best known as the "Father of the Constitution," this small, sharp-minded Virginian helped shape the framework of the United States and later served as its fourth president. His career stretched from the Revolution to the early republic, with lasting influence on religious liberty, constitutional design, and the Bill of Rights.
5 Audiobooks
The Federalist Papers
by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison
The Federalist Papers
by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison
State of the Union Addresses
by James Madison
The Journal of the Debates in the Convention which Framed the Constitution of the United States, May-September 1787. Volume 2
by United States. Constitutional Convention (1787), James Madison
The Journal of the Debates in the Convention which Framed the Constitution of the United States, May-September 1787. Volume 1
by United States. Constitutional Convention (1787), James Madison
About the author
Born in Virginia in 1751, James Madison studied at the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, and became one of the key political thinkers of the founding era. He played a central role at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where his preparation and ideas earned him a lasting reputation as a chief architect of the Constitution.
Madison also worked with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay on The Federalist Papers, a series of essays defending the proposed Constitution. In the first Congress, he guided amendments that became the Bill of Rights, even though he had originally questioned whether a separate bill of rights was necessary. He was also an important advocate for religious freedom in Virginia.
Later, Madison served as secretary of state under Thomas Jefferson and then as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. His presidency was dominated by the War of 1812, and after leaving office he returned to Montpelier, where he remained engaged in public questions until his death in 1836.