4.JAMES MADISON ( Hello, Dolley )
Born: March 16, 1751, Port Conway, Virginia
Died: June 28, 1836, Montpelier, Virginia
Term: March 4, 1809- March 4, 1817
Political Party: Democratic- Republican
Vice President(s): George Clinton, Elbridge Gerry
First Lady: Dolley Todd Madison
Before the Presidency: James Madison grew up a sickly child in a well to do family in Virginia. Though younger than the other Founding Fathers, he was still old enough to remember the fear brought on by the French and Indian War. And, much like Jefferson, he had something of a sponge for a brain, wanting to learn as much as he could. He attended the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) and majored in Greek and Latin. Back home, he entered law in 1772 but found little interest in it. In 1774 he joined a local group called the Committee on Safety. A pro revolution group.
Things moved fast for young James Madison after that. He was appointed as a delegate to the revolutionary Virginia Convention in 1776 and he would strike up a friendship with the older Thomas Jefferson. Madison would end up being Jefferson’s closet adviser over the years as well as his closest personal friend. He also served in the Virginia Council of State during the back end of the war.
Madison became the youngest member of the Continental Congress in 1780 and would become a major player in that body. In 1784, Madison was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates where he battled Patrick Henry over the issue of Separation of Church and State though on the surface, it appeared to be more of a tax issue.
It was Madison who helped to spark the idea of a Constitutional Convention and he would lead the Virginia delegation. Madison supported a strong central Government and was something of an activist in this regard. It was his persuasive skills that would earn him the title, “Father of the Constitution”.
Of course, Madison didn’t write the Constitution, no one person did (Madison certainly contributed of course). But he was one of three people, along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, to promote the new Constitution in the form of what would be known as the Federalist Papers. He wrote twenty nine essays, most of them emphasizing the need for a central Republican government. Much of the intent of the Constitution was laid out, in part, because of Madison’s essays in particular.
Once the United States was established, Madison was elected to the House of Representatives in 1789, defeating a future President and ally, James Monroe. Madison was President Washington’s largest supporter in the House, and he was the one who would shepherd through the Bill of Rights in 1791. He later would break with Washington over both foreign and domestic policies, and he opposed Hamilton’s more radical approach to a centralized Government.
Still in the House, Madison would be very critical of President Adams’ policies, in particular, the controversial Alien and Seduction Acts. He then rejoined the Virginia House of Delegates where he campaigned hard for Thomas Jefferson’s bid for President. Once Jefferson was elected, Madison would become his Secretary of State. As Secretary of State, Madison lobbied hard for the Louisiana Purchase, the embargo against the Barbary Pirates, end the practice of impressing American Men into the British and French navies.
And, when it was time for President Jefferson to turn in his spurs, it was Madison who he hand picked to succeed him in the White House.
Summary of offices held:
1781-1783: Virginia Congress of the Confederation
1783-1786: Continental Congress
1786-1787: Constitutional Congress
1787-1789: Virginia House of Delegates
1789-1797: House of Representatives
1799- 1801: Virginia House of Delegates
1801-1809: US Secretary of State
What was going on: The Cumberland Road, New Madrid earthquake, War of 1812
Scandals within the administration: none that we know of
Why he was a good President: Well, basically, he got us through a very costly war, and he managed to do it without overstepping his authority. He didn’t actually declare war on Britain, instead abiding by the Constitution and letting Congress make that decision. And, despite his unpopularity, he managed to shepherd the country with a steady hand, even while he had to run the country away from the White House.
Why he was a bad President: Madison was not what you would call a forceful man. In fact, it goes without saying that he was overshadowed by his legendary charming wife, Dolley. There was also some criticism that he could have handled the War of 1812 better (There’s a reason Ontario is not a US state I guess).
What could have saved his Presidency: Well, maybe if he had conquered Canada
. Actually, he may have been better off if he had dealt with the British by more diplomatic means. Also, the war took much of his time away from the domestic issues of the day. No doubt there were events going on that would lead to the panic of 1819 under Monroe’s administration. Also, if he had married someone other than Dolley Todd, who may have been the person who really saved Madison’s tenure.
What could have destroyed his Presidency: Actually, losing the War of 1812 tops the list, obviously. We also came very close to war with France, who hadn’t stopped the practice of harassing Americans into service. A war with both France and Britain (who also happened to be at war with each other- again) would no doubt have been disastrous to the point that James Madison might have been our last President.
Election of 1808: Though popular, President Jefferson would leave his successor with a variety of problems starting with the embargo against England and France which had a devastating effect on the economy. It was at the point where New England was threatening to secede from the Union. So, this would not be a cakewalk for Secretary Madison.
In some ways, 1808 was a copy of 1804 in that the Federalists again nominated the ticket of Charles Pinckney and Rufus King. The Democrat- Republicans, since they couldn’t nominate Jefferson, went with the next best thing in Madison, but they kept the current Vice President, George Clinton, on the ticket. Madison was man of small stature, physically speaking, and the Federalist newspapers exploited that fact. He also had to deal with factions within his own party that he was, in reality, just another clone of Alexander Hamilton (probably not a smart move considering the way Hamilton had died). Even Clinton, though the VP candidate, announced his own candidacy for President. Indeed, it was only through Jefferson’s persuasion that convinced the Republicans to ultimately rally around Madison.
As for the general election. There wasn’t much doubt as to who would win. While not as lopsided as Jefferson’s victory four years before, Madison’s victory was still relatively easy with a 122 to 44 margin.
First term: Once in the White House, the first thing President Madison did was to lift the embargo on Britain, something that may have been a mistake. He also had to deal with a dispute with Spain over the West Florida territory (The US maintained it was part of the Louisiana Purchase). He also would appoint James Monroe as his Secretary of State in 1811.
But, of course, Madison will always be remembered as the President during the war of 1812, which was really a war that lasted for three years. Relations with Britain had soured to the point that each nations battleships began to engage with each other. Relations with Canada were also crumbling as they were being accused of inciting unrest in New England, the one area that was never enamored with Virginia politics.
So, the United States was preparing for war against Britain. There was also some sabre rattling for war with France after they sunk a merchant ship with flour to British troops in Spain (There were still trade agreements apparently). Luckily cooler heads prevailed or we may have become the United States of Europe or something.
In the end, the US would declare war with Britain and even though the British would try and back off, at least initially, and because they didn’t have cell phones in those days, the die was cast. By July 1812, the Americans were fighting in Canada and not with great success. This, not surprisingly would be a factor in the upcoming election.
Election of 1812: With the war in Britain not exactly going to plan (there was talk that it was a ploy to expand the territory of the US even more), it was to no surprise hat it would take a toll on the Madison re-election campaign. The war caused a rift with the Republicans yet again with a third of the delegation boycotting the convention altogether. The remaining delegates again went with Madison, with Elbridge Gerry as his running mate (Vice President Clinton had died in April).
The Federalists, desperate for one of their own in the White House, negotiated with disgruntled Republicans and decided on another Democrat- Republican, Dewitt Clinton, nephew of the late Vice President, as their nominee with Federalist Jared Ingersoll as their running mate.
They may have won too, had the Populist tactics not been exposed. They had different messages depending on the region they were in, something that would compel one John Quincy Adams to break from the party. The tactics probably not only lost them the election to the not very popular Madison, but probably was the death knell to the Federalist Party.
In the end, it was a relatively close election, but Madison ultimately won out with slightly more than half the popular vote. The electoral vote was fairly close too. Still, it signaled the end of what would be the Federalist Party.
Second Term: Basically, the second term was dominated by the war of 1812. By now, the British had brought the war to the United States, but they suffered basically the same results that the Americans had in Canada. They were famously repelled in the battles of Baltimore and New Orleans, both of which became legendary in American lore. In Baltimore’s case, it inspired one Francis Scott Key to write a patriotic poem that would one day become the American National Anthem. The Battle of New Orleans created a national hero in the form of Andrew Jackson, certainly one of the most divisive Presidents in American history to be sure. Another future President, William Henry Harrison, also became a significant figure during the war.
Of course, I can’t talk about the War of 1812 without mentioning the sacking of Washington in 1814 (just before the battle of Baltimore turned the tide against the British). President Madison and Dolley had to flee the White House before the British burned it to the ground but not before Dolley had the staff take as many artifacts with them as possible. The British may have burned the White House, but they couldn’t take the historical treasures with them. More importantly, they couldn’t take away the American spirit.
In the end, the British and Americans agreed to end the war in a stalemate. Now some patriots will swear the Americans won the war, and in one way, they did, in the sense that Britain was unable to get their colonies back (they had unrealistic goals too it seems). Others will say the Americans lost the war much like they lost Vietnam. Not really true, either. No, the Americans gained nothing from this folly but they didn’t lose anything either, well, maybe a bunch of lives, but strategically speaking, well, you get the point.
So, it was a stalemate and the world lived on.
There wasn’t much to report in the waning years of the Madison administration except that he would recharter a National Bank in Philadelphia, something one of our friendly war heroes will destroy a couple decades later.
Post Presidency: Madison retired to his plantation at Montpelier. He would serve on the board at the University of Virginia and would take over as rector upon Thomas Jefferson’s death in 1826. And, though, like Jefferson, he never relinquished his slaves, he nonetheless joined up with the American Colonization Society which called for the gradual abolition of slavery.
By the mid-1830s and in his eighties, Madison’s health took a turn for the worse and he passed away quietly on June 28, 1836. He left well loved though as more than 100 people, including some of his slaves, attended his funeral
Odd notes: At 5”4, Madison is the shortest of all the Presidents in American history
It is said the his First Lady, Dolley Madison, was in fact more popular than he was.
Along with Thomas Jefferson, Madison was once arrested (carriage riding was once illegal on Sundays)
Final Summary: It’s safe to say that Madison had a very complicated eight years dominated by the problems with France and especially Britain. One shouldn’t forget there were also some strained relations with Spain over Florida, which would eventually be ceded to the US. It was really a pigheaded move to wage war with Britain and Madison is lucky he didn’t end up the Dubya of his era. On the plus side, he was a stickler to the Constitution, even if it went against his own interest. After all, he helped to create it after all. I said something in the six pack thread that good people don’t always make good Presidents. Madison, no doubt, was a well-meaning person and it is because of him that we have the rights that we do have under the Constitution.
But I think the War of 1812 definitely taints his Presidency quite a bit. Though certainly not as arrogant as Adams, who dealt with considerably less comparatively, I have to question whether he should have waged war with Britain to begin with. There was a mood of expansionism in the United States (all through the nineteenth century actually) and I think Madison may have fell under that spell himself, especially in regard to Florida.
At least they named a cupcake company after his wife
Overall rating: C+
https://millercenter.org/president/madison
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/james-madison#:~:text=Fun%20Facts&text=The%20smallest%20 president%2C%20Madison%20was,weighed%20only%20a%20 hundred%20pounds.&text=While%20enjoying%20a%20Sund ay%20drive,riding%20was%20illegal%20on%20Sundays.& text=Madison%20wrote%20George%20Washington's%20fir st%20speech%20as%20president%20of%20the%20United%2 0States.