James Madison was a very important and famous political leader in the early 1800’s. Although, he may not be as well known as George Washington or Benjamin Franklin, his impact on shaping the U.S. was very significant. Throughout his life, James Madison was always involved in politics within the U.S. After leaving his position as a colonel for the Virginia militia, he was recognized for his writing ability, which became the foundation for shaping his political career (Fritz 21). James Madison was a founding father of the U.S., a father of the Constitution and the fourth President to take office. His lifelong career in politics and government defined his decision making when faced with the major conflict of the War of 1812.
Madison studied Latin, Greek, science, geography, mathematics and philosophy at The College of New Jersey, now Princeton University from 1769 to 1771 (10). In the years after graduating, Madison became part of the Virginia militia. During this time it “may have given James an outlet for his passion of independence,” (16) he was then elected president of the Orange County committee of Safety; whose job was to make sure everyone in the county was loyal to the U.S. This position then kickstarted his career, after being voted a delegate for the Continental Congress at a meeting in Williamsburg, Madison was on his way to Philadelphia. Arriving in March of 1780, serving for many mouths he was disgusted with The Articles of Confederation and when his term was over at the Convention he left to go back to Virginia (24-25).
As Madison had known, the Articles were failing to be an effective implement of Government, Congress then set a new date for a convention to discuss the Articles in May 1787 (Banfield 20). Shays’s...
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...ding nationalism and bringing America together unlike any other president before him.
Bibliography Page
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3. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Hartford Convention (United States History)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.
4. Fritz, Jean. The Great Little Madison. New York: Putnam, 1989. Print.
5. ”The Hartford Convention." ConnecticutHistory.org. CThumanities, n.d.
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6. ”James Madison and the War of 1812." Sparknotes. ETextbooks, 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
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Consistent to eighteenth-century ethos left the Constitution-makers with great faith in universals. They believed in an inexorable view of a self-interested man. Feeling that all me were naturally inclined to be bad they sought a compromising system of checks and balances for government. This was bolstered by the scientific work by Newton, ?in which metaphors sprang as naturally to mens minds as did biological metaphors in the Darwinian atmosphere of the late nineteenth century.? Therefore Madison and others thought to squelch the possibly dangerous majority by setting up a large number and variety of local interests, so that the people will ?be unable to concert and carry into effect their scheme of oppression.? And thus, chief powers went to the propertied.
Though Madison faced many predicaments, he also made many fine choices. As Madison tried solving his problems with negotiation, isolationism failed to ensure the safety of the nation. Madison tried to solve his problems by talking to the leaders of Britain and France. “If you agree to stop attacking…” Madison said, “…the United States will stop trading with your enemy”(Hart 168). This reveals how at first, intervention seemed so farfetched and out of the question and intervention was a first priority. In Madison’s mind, this seemed like such a reasonable request, but apparently, to Napoleon and the King of England, it was way too much to ask. Even though Napoleon promptly agreed to Madison’s...
One’s ability to analyze the motives of the Framers necessitates some understanding of the sense of national instability instilled in the US its first form of government, the Articles of Confederation in granting little power to the central government; in particular, focusing on the economic turmoil and it’s effects on the Framers. In his analysis of America in the Articles, Beard comprehensively summarizes the failures of the Articles as compromising to the “national defense, protection of private property, and advancement of commerce,” (Beard, 36) in the US. Additionally, Beard utilizes these indisputable truths to establish a case for what he believes to be the self-interested influences that urged the Framers to craft an undemocratic Constitution. As Beard puts it, the state centered control of the US under the Articles caused the economic
Everyone has heard the name Alexander Hamilton, but few are familiar with his views and actions regarding the survival of the young American republic. He could be recognized for anything from serving our fledgling country by fighting in the New York militia; to serving his community as a lawyer and as a national tax agent; to beginning his political career as a representative for New York at the National Congress. Though most would agree his most important contribution to our struggling republic was to spearhead the project which formed the doctrine helping to establish the foundation in which modern democracy is based, the Articles of Confederation.
The War of 1812, also known as “Mr. Madison’s War”, was caused by three main disputes between the British and the Americans: several trade acts oppressing America’s trade with both France and Britain, the recruiting of unwilling American men into the Royal Navy, and the British support of Native Americans resisting expansion. Although the unfair actions of the British brought forth much animosity from many Americans, there were still a good number of people opposing the war. There were many arguments between several political parties, and disagreements about the war continued on through the duration of it.
On September 17, 1787, the Philadelphia Convention sent their new constitution to the states for ratification. The Federalists highly approved of the Constitution because it allowed for a more central and powerful government that was previously undermined under the Articles of Confederation. The Anti-Federalists, however, didn’t want a powerful central government, but, instead, powerful state governments; in response to the Constitution, many Anti-Federalists began writing essays and creating pamphlets as a means of arguing against it. In retaliation to the Anti-Federalists attempt at getting states to not ratify the Constitution, many Federalists developed a group of essays known as the Federalist Papers, which argued for the ratification of the new law system.
Like myself, Madison was shy yet persistent when it came to things he felt passionate about. To Madison that was politics. At the start of his political career in 1776 he started working very closely with Thomas Jefferson. As Madison grew in his career he became a very respected leader in congress and eventually was one that helped pushed the idea for national convention to draft the constitution. During Madison’s career, he wrote many political articles and papers. Some of his most well-known writings are the “Virginia Plan” and contribution to the “Federalist Papers”. The “Virginia Plan” ended up being so well done that it was the blueprint for the constitution when it was being
The delegates who had made their way to Philadelphia to attend the Constitutional Convention had dealt with several issues prior to their coming to Pennsylvania in 1787. Just four years prior to the Convention, The Paris Peace Treaty with Britain was agreed upon and signed with the assistance of Benjamin Franklin as America’s first ambassador. Only months, before the convention was underway in February of 1787, Shays rebellion had started and would cause for issues. This conflict however, would be one of the major reason why the convention would come together to look at the Articles of...
James Madison was no stranger to opposition. In publishing an essay referred to today as Federalist Essay No. 10, Madison participated in a persuasive attempt to ratify the Constitution, a document he drafted and for which he is credited as its “Father”. Along with John Jay, who became the United States’ first Supreme Court Chief Justice, and Alexander Hamilton, who became the first Secretary of the Treasury, Madison articulates in his writing the necessity of the Constitution as a remedy for the extant ills of an infant nation recently freed from the grasp of distant monarchical rule. This young nation faltered under the first endeavor of organized government, the Articles of Confederation. The Articles were designed during a period of emerging
Monroe became the state legislator of Virginia in 1782, served three years in Congress starting in 1784, and became Minister to France from 1794 to 1796. He also governed Virginia from 1799 to 1802 and became the Secretary of State during the Madison Presidency. While serving in this position he helped in the negotiations of the War of 1812(Sauer, 2001, p.235-36). Monroe was chosen for candidacy by his predecessor James Madison. He served two terms as president and had virtually no opposition in either election. This was due to the fall of the Federalist Party. At the end of Monroe's first term he dealt with The Panic of 1819 and in the Missouri Compromise during 1820 (Text, 2005). The most important and most influential document of this time would come at the end of his last term, the Monroe Document.
As a president, Madison failed to maximize his power and authority while he held the office. Most importantly, he failed to use his power in order to control his commander. The former president failed to regulate his own office. When he ordered the US Army to protect Native lands from intrusion by settlers, to the chagrin of his military commander Andrew Jackson, they resisted carrying out the president's order. And by 1815, with a population of 400,000 European-American settlers in Ohio, Indian rights to their lands had effectively become invalid.
Jensen Merrill. The Founding of a Nation; A History of the American Revolution 1763-1776. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968.
After the Battle of Trenton, Monroe went back the college of William and Mary to study law. He served many positions in the U.S. including secretary of state, a member of congress, and a U.S. senator. Monroe was also the last president of the ‘Virginia Dynasty’.
During the birth of the new nation, the Founding Fathers sought to construct a system of checks and balances which were catalyzed by the common fear of tyrannical government and based upon the ideologies of the Enlightenment. In 1787, while the infant nation was wobbling on the weak footings of the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention was adjourned and disputes around power and representation mustered new plans for the future. Although the Convention intended to revise and rework the Articles, James Madison, alongside...
The Articles of Confederation was the first government of the United States. The Articles had created a very weak national government. At the time the Articles were approved, they had served the will of the people. Americans had just fought a war to get freedom from a great national authority--King George III (Patterson 34). But after this government was put to use, it was evident that it was not going to keep peace between the states. The conflicts got so frequent and malicious that George Washington wondered if the “United” States should be called a Union (Patterson 35). Shays’ Rebellion finally made it evident to the public that the government needed a change.