Thinking about the American Revolution: James Madison

[James Madison]

Thinking about the American Revolution: James Madison

“To cherish peace and friendly intercourse with all nations having correspondent dispositions; to maintain sincere neutrality toward belligerent nations; to prefer in all cases amicable discussion and reasonable accommodation of differences to a decision of them by an appeal to arms; to exclude foreign intrigues and foreign partialities, so degrading to all countries and so baneful to free ones; to foster a spirit of independence too just to invade the rights of others, too proud to surrender our own, too liberal to indulge unworthy prejudices ourselves and too elevated not to look down upon them in other; … to avoid the slightest interference with the right of conscience or the functions of religion, so wisely exempted from civil jurisdiction; … to keep within the requisite limits a standing military force, always remembering that an armed and trained militia is the firmest bulwark of republics — that without standing armies their liberty can never be in danger, nor with large ones safe; … ”
— James Madison (1809) in his 1st Inaugural Address

Today we continue the examination of our founding fathers by considering the contributions of James Madison. This American politician and political philosopher worked untiringly to launch our republic via a sound Constitution and democratic republic dedicated to the freedom of our people. He became our 4th President after serving in the Continental Congress and the 1st House of Representatives.

During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, he became the primary author of the United States Constitution; he is often given the title of “The Father of the Constitution,” a title that he hesitantly accepted. In support for the ratification of that Constitution, Madison joined Alexander Hamilton and John Jay in writing the Federalist Papers which defended this new form of government. Madison actively supported the ratification of this Constitution in the Virginia legislature. As a member of the 1st Congress after the ratification by the thirteen states, he fought for the inclusion of a statement of rights to be included in the Constitution; these became the first ten Amendments to the Constitution, the ‘Bill of Rights.’ As a result of his efforts, he was also acclaimed as “The Father of the Bill of Rights.”

“Wherever the real power in a Government lies, there is the danger of oppression. In our Governments, the real power lies in the majority of the Community, and the invasion of private rights is chiefly to be apprehended, not from the acts of Government contrary to the sense of its constituents, but from acts in which the Government is the mere instrument of the major number of the constituents.”

James Madison in a letter to Thomas Jefferson (1788)

He was an active legislator throughout the first four Congresses. He opposed most of Alexander Hamilton’s legislative agenda as well as John Jay’s Treaty with the British; Madison along with Jefferson supported the French rather than the English. He was Jefferson’s protégé and a vocal defender of a strict interpretation of the Constitution and states’ rights. During Jefferson’s Presidency, he was Secretary of State and negotiated the ‘Louisiana Purchase’ which doubled the size of our nation. In 1809, Madison became the successor as President. He guided our nation through the ‘War of 1812’ which established our economic independence from the British and our equal standing in the international community.

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind of self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

— James Madison

He was a tireless crusader for American freedom, a guide in the establishment of a strong nation, and a defender of the rights of our people. Let’s examine some of his ideas in more detail…

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