Graduated from the College of New Jersey (1771) and was elected to the Virginia Convention
in 1776. A member of the Govenor's Council (1777-80) and elected to the Continental Congress
in 1780 as its youngest member. Madison entered the Virginia legislature in 1783. It was
primarily at Madison's persuasion that the Constitutional Convention was called and he played
a major role in its formulation. Together with Hamilton and Jay, Madison was one of the
Federalist authors. As a member of the House of Representatives in 1789 he sponsored the Bill
Of Rights. In 1791, he broke with the Federalist party to join Jefferson and Monroe in forming
the Democratic-Republican party. He retired from Congress in 1797. From 1799-1800, he served
in the Virginia legislature. He was secretary of state under Jefferson and elected as the fourth
President in 1809.
In 1812, he asked Congress for a declaration of war against Great Britain during the European
wars with France. After the war, he negotiated an agreement for permanent demilitarization
of the frontier between the U.S. and Canada (The Rush-Bagot Agreement). After leaving office
in 1817, he retired to his estate at Montpelier. |
Chrysoma Associates Limited
