James Madison as Father of the Constitution

James Madison
Portrait by John Vanderlyn, 1816
4th President of the United States
In office March 4, 1809 – March 4, 1817
Vice President	George Clinton (1809–1812) None (1812–1813)[a] Elbridge Gerry (1813–1814) None (1814–1817)[a]
Preceded by	Thomas Jefferson
Succeeded by	James Monroe
5th United States Secretary of State
In office May 2, 1801 – March 3, 1809
President	Thomas Jefferson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia
In office March 4, 1789 – March 4, 1797
Delegate from Virginia to the Congress of the Confederation
In office November 6, 1786 – October 30, 1787
In office March 1, 1781 – November 1, 1783
Personal details
Born	(1751-03-16)March 16, 1751 Port Conway, Virginia, British America
Died	June 28, 1836(1836-06-28) (aged 85) Montpelier, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic–Republican
Spouse	Dolley Todd ​ (m. 1794)​
Parents	James Madison Sr. Nelly Madison

James Madison (March 16, 1751^[b] – June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the 4th president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. He is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. Disillusioned by the weak national government established by the Articles of Confederation, he helped organize the Constitutional Convention, which produced a new constitution. Madison's Virginia Plan served as the basis for the Constitutional Convention's deliberations, and he was one of the most influential individuals at the convention. He became one of the leaders in the movement to ratify the Constitution, and he joined with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay in writing The Federalist Papers, a series of pro-ratification essays that was one of the most influential works of political science in American history.
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