

In 1812 he asked congress to declare war on Britain. Madison had helped develop Virginias Constitution 11 years earlier, and it was his 'Virginia Plan' that served as the basis for debate in the development of the U.S. Madison did not want to enter the war, but Britain was seizing US trade ships, and he finally felt he had no choice. This started because France and Britain were at war.

The main event during Madison's presidency was the War of 1812. Right before the British burned down the White House during the War of 1812, she managed to save a number of important documents and a famous painting of George Washington while escaping. She was a lively hostess and put on great parties at the White House. Later, he became the Secretary of State for his friend Thomas Jefferson. During that time he helped the Bill of Rights get passed into law, protecting the basic rights of citizens. Madison served four terms in the United States Congress. These papers described the benefits of a strong and united federal government.

James Madison wrote many essays called the Federalist Papers to help convince states to ratify the Constitution and join the United States. The idea of a federal government was new to some states and many people were unsure if they wanted to join the United States. Although the original intent of the convention was to update the Articles of Confederation, Madison led the charge to develop a full constitution and create the US federal government. Here he became an influential member and worked hard to keep the states united against the British.Īfter the Revolutionary War was over, Madison took a lead role at the Philadelphia Convention. In 1780, Madison became a member of the Continental Congress.
