Research topic: James Madison

James Madison 1751-1836, 4th President of the United States (1809-17), b. Port Conway, Va. Early Career A member of the Virginia planter class, he attended the College of New Jersey (now Princeton Univ.), graduating in 1771. Like George Washington and others, he opposed the colonial measures of the British. His distinctive contribution to the colonial cause was a deep knowledge and understanding of government and political philosophy—resources that first proved their value in 1776 when Madison helped to draft a constitution for the new state of Virginia. He served in the Continental... Read more