James Madison
James Madison (1751-1836) was the 4th President of the United States, Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson, and a member of the United States House of Representatives in the first four Congresses. Madison is often hailed as the “Founder of the Constitution.” He represented Virginia in the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where he distinguished himself as one of the most brilliant and active delegates. With Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, he composed The Federalist Papers, a thorough defense of the U.S. Constitution and its republican principles; Madison is the author of some of the most important Federalist Papers, including #10, his defense of large congressional districts, and #51, his defense of checks and balances. Alongside Jefferson, he was one of the founders of the Democratic-Republican Party.
In this video, Dr. James Ceaser of the University of Virginia delivers the 2021 Constitution Day Lecture entitled, “James Madison: The Founder of Modern Founding.” This lecture was co-sponsored by the Jack Miller Center.
The lecture starts at 7:11.
Preferred Editions:
Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, The Pacificus-Helvidius Debates (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2007).
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, The Federalist Papers (New York: Signet, 2003).
James Madison, Notes of Debate in the Federal Convention of 1787, ed. Adrienne Koch (Athens: University of Ohio Press, 1966).
James Madison, Writings, ed. Jack Rakove (New York: Library of America, 1999).
Insightful Secondary Literature:
Richard Brookhiser, James Madison (New York: Basic Books, 2013).
Ralph Ketcham, James Madison: A Biography (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1990).
Useful External Links:
The Great Thinkers: The Federalist