American Presidents

A Site to Complement C-SPAN's 20th Anniversary Television Series, American Presidents: Life Portraits
March-December 1999
JamesMadison
Read | Listen
to a letter from President Madison

Portrait Gallery

Did You Know?

• He was president during the War of 1812 which his critics dubbed "Mr. Madison's War."
• He was a central figure in the development of the United States Constitution and kept the most complete notes of anyone at the Constitutional Convention.
• Both of his vice presidents died in office.
• Madison stood close to five feet five inches and weighed one hundred pounds.

More...


Key Events in the Administration
James Madison
 (March 16, 1751 - June 28, 1836)
Life Facts

Personal:
• First Lady: Dolley Madison, Wife
• Wife's Maiden Name: Dolley Payne Todd
• Number of Children: None
• Education Level: College
• School Attended: Princeton University
• Religion: Episcopalian
• Profession: farmer, planter
• Military Service: Colonel

Public Service:
• Dates of Presidency: 3/4/1809 - 3/3/1817
• Presidency Number: 4
• Number of Terms: 2
• Why Presidency Ended: End of 2nd term
• Party: Democratic-Republican
• His Vice President(s): George Clinton, Elbridge Gerry
• Cabinet Service: Secretary of State (Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809)
• House of Representatives: Virginia (1789-1797)
• Colonial Government: VA House of Delegates (1776-1777), Continental Congress (1780-1783)
• Other Offices: Virginia House of Delegates; Delegate to the Virginia Convention; Member of the Council of State; Delegate to the Annapolis Convention

Footnotes  

Methodology and Resources

Presidential Places

Birthplace: Conway House
Gravesite: Montpelier
Museum: The James Madison Museum

Reference Material

Bibliography
Inaugural Address
Related Links
C-SPAN in the Classroom
Papers: DC, Washington, 202-707-5387
Watch American Presidents Programs from
C-SPAN's Archives

• From Montpelier - Montpelier Station,VA. Guests included: Jack Rakove, Professor of History, Stanford University; Holly Shulman, Research Associate Professor, University of Virginia, and Co-Editor of the Papers of Dolley Madison; Kathleen Stiso Mullins, Executive Director, Montpelier; and Lynne Lewis, Senior Archaeologist, National Trust for Historic Preservation. Watch |  Order Videotape    
• CHAT with Gerard W. Gawalt, an American History Specialist in the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress. Read the Transcript      
• Programming on James Madison:
• Re-air of LIVE from Montpelier Watch
• Discovering Madison -- Montpelier Video Watch 
• Madison and the Burning of Washington D.C. Watch
• Madison Gravesites Watch 
• Dolley Madison at Montpelier Watch
• Booknotes with Lance Banning on The Sacred Fire of Liberty Watch 
• Booknotes with Jack Rakove on Original Meanings Watch   

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