James
Madison
James Madison (1751-1836) was the fourth president of the
United States (1809-1817) and had a distinguished public
career that covered more than 40 years. He served as
secretary of state, and ultimately president. Madison’s
work on the
Constitution of the United States gave him his best
opportunity to exercise his great talents. He had an
intense concern for religious and intellectual freedom and
that concern had led him to seek the strongest possible
safeguards of individual liberty. Madison can be
considered more responsible for making the Bill of Rights
part of the Constitution than any other person.
Read his first inaugural address.
