James Madison

Examples of James Madison in the following topics:

• Madison and the Pressure for War

  • In the early nineteenth century, President James Madison faced pressure from Democratic-Republican "war hawks" to go to war with Britain.
  • President James Madison, who was elected as Thomas Jefferson's successor in 1808, was pressured by a faction of young Democratic-Republican congressmen from the South and West of the United States to go to war with Great Britain.
  • Most historians use the term to describe about a dozen members of the Twelfth Congress under President Madison.
  • The older members of the Democratic-Republican Party, led by President James Madison and Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin, also tried unsuccessfully to defeat the war hawks movement, believing that the United States was not prepared for war—which in the end turned out to be true.

• The Madison Presidency

  • James Madison's presidency was characterized by his policies toward American Indians, his economic plans, and the War of 1812,
  • In 1808, Thomas Jefferson's secretary of state, James Madison, was elected president of the United States.
  • Upon assuming office on March 4, 1809, James Madison, in his first Inaugural Address to the nation, stated that the federal government's duty was to convert the American Indians by the, "participation of the improvements of which the human mind and manners are susceptible in a civilized state."
  • Dolley Madison, wife of James Madison, was renowned for her social graces and hospitality and contributed to her husband's popularity as president.
  • An engraving of James Madison by David Edwin from between 1809 and 1817.

• The Limits of Democracy

  • Historians argue that much constitutional thought, from James Madison to Abraham Lincoln and beyond, has focused on the perceived problem of majority tyranny.
  • Madison in particular worried that a small localized majority might threaten citizens' rights, and Thomas Jefferson warned that "an elective despotism is not the government we fought for."
  • The Federalist Papers form a collection of 85 articles and essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, promoting ratification of the United States Constitution.
  • Therefore, in encouraging the states to participate in a strong centralized government under a new constitution and replace the relatively weak Articles of Confederation, Madison argued in his paper "Federalist No. 10" that a special interest may take control of a small area (such as a state), but could not easily take over a large nation.
  • James Madison, co-founder of the Democratic-Republican Party and author of "Federalist No. 10."

• Debate over the Presidency and the Judiciary

  • While waiting for the convention to formally begin, James Madison sketched out his initial draft, which became known as the "Virginia Plan" and which reflected his views as a strong nationalist .
  • The delegates agreed with Madison that the executive function had to be independent of the legislature.
  • Few agreed with Madison that the executive should be elected by the legislature.
  • It was chaired by John Rutledge, and other members included Edmund Randolph, Oliver Ellsworth, James Wilson, and Nathaniel Gorham.
  • James Madison authored the Virginia Plan, which contained important provisions on the presidency and judiciary.

• Dolley Madison and Washington City

  • One of the few bright spots was Dolley Madison, the wife of Secretary of State James Madison .
  • In the approach to the 1808 presidential election, with Thomas Jefferson ready to retire, the Democratic-Republican caucus nominated James Madison to succeed him.
  • In 1812 Madison was re-elected, when war with Great Britain had begun.
  • James Madison's personal servant, the slave Paul Jennings, was an eyewitness at the age of 15.
  • Discuss some of the personal and political accomplishments of Dolley Madison

• Madison's American Indian Policy

  • James Madison's presidency saw the continuation of the American Indian Wars as the United States expanded into and invaded indigenous territory.
  • In his first Inaugural Address upon assuming office on March 4, 1809, James Madison stated that the federal government's duty was to convert the American Indians by the, "participation of the improvements of which the human mind and manners are susceptible in a civilized state."
  • Like most American leaders at the time, Madison had a paternalistic and discriminatory attitude toward American Indians.
  • Although there are scant details, Madison often met with Southeastern and Western American Indians, including the Creek and Osage.
  • During his presidency, Madison's also saw conflicts with the American Indians in the Southeast.

• Marbury v. Madison

  • Madison (1803), was a landmark U.S.
  • Marbury's appointment was not subsequently delivered to him, so he petitioned the Supreme Court to force Jefferson's Secretary of State James Madison to deliver the documents.
  • Nonetheless, the Court stopped short of compelling Madison to hand over Marbury's appointment, instead holding that the provision of the Judiciary Act of 1789 that gave the Supreme Court original jurisdiction over Marbury's claim was itself unconstitutional.
  • Madison, refers to the establishment of the principle of judicial review.
  • Madison created between the executive and judicial branches of government

• Judicial Review and Marbury v. Madison

  • Madison (1803) was a landmark case that laid the foundation for the exercise of judicial review in the United States.
  • Marbury implored the Supreme Court to force Secretary of State James Madison to deliver the documents.
  • The Court acknowledged that Madison's refusal to send forth the commission was both illegal and remediable.
  • Because the appointments were routine in nature, Marshall assumed that new Secretary of State James Madison would ensure their delivery.
  • Madison and the ensuing principle of judicial review

• The Federalist Papers

  • The three people who are generally acknowledged for writing these essays are Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
  • Since Hamilton, Madison, and Jay were considered Federalists, this series of essays became known as The Federalist Papers.
  • One of the most famous Federalist Papers is Federalist No. 10, which was written by Madison and argues that the checks and balances in the Constitution prevent the government from falling victim to factions.
  • Madison also wrote Federalist No. 51, under the name "Publius" or "Public. " He argues here that each branch of government would not be dependent on other branches and, thus, forming factions within the national government.

• The Election of 1816 and the Monroe Presidency

  • The U.S. presidential election of 1816 resulted in an easy win for James Monroe and ushered in the "Era of Good Feelings."
  • The U.S. presidential election of 1816 came at the end of the two-term presidency of Democratic-Republican, James Madison.
  • With the Federalist Party in collapse, Madison's secretary of state, James Monroe of Virginia, had an advantage in winning the presidency against very weak opposition.
  • Monroe was the favorite candidate of both former President Jefferson and retiring President Madison.
  • This portrait of James Monroe can be found in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.