Democratic-RepublicanPresident · Virginia
James Madison"Father of the Constitution"
1809 first electedLeft office 18178 years servedBorn 1751 in Port Conway, Colony of Virginia, British AmericaDied 1836
Biography
Born March 16, 1751, at Port Conway, Virginia, and raised at Montpelier, his family's plantation. A brilliant, studious figure, he played a central role at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where his detailed notes and influence over the document's structure earned him the title "Father of the Constitution." He also co-authored the Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay to help secure the Constitution's ratification, and later drafted the Bill of Rights as a member of the first House of Representatives. He served as Secretary of State under Thomas Jefferson before being elected the 4th President of the United States in 1808, serving two terms. His presidency was dominated by the War of 1812 against Britain, during which the British burned Washington, D.C., including the White House, forcing Madison and the government to briefly flee the capital.
Additional Info
Spouse
Dolley Payne (m. 1794)
Vice President
George Clinton (1809–1812), Vacant (1812–1813), Elbridge Gerry (1813–1814), Vacant (1814–1817)
Prior Offices
5th United States Secretary of State, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Delegate from Virginia to the Congress of the Confederation
Fun Fact
Madison was the smallest and shortest U.S. president, standing at about 5'4" and weighing around 100 pounds — a stark contrast to his outsized influence on American government. He was also the last surviving member of the Constitutional Convention by the time he died in 1836, and his wife, Dolley Madison, is famously credited with saving a portrait of George Washington from the White House before the British burned it down in 1814.
Election History
No election records found in the database yet.