Download - ‘Father of the Constitution’
‘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 deserters
o 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.