James madison biography reviews of movies

Note: Hi, when I review books, or anything really, I’m big on discussing what works and what doesn’t work. That often involves spoilers, and seriously I do mean SPOILERS. If you’re not cool with that, that’s totally fine. I have a spoiler-free review that you can read here on Goodreads. But if you’re cool with spoilers, then let’s sit back and chat about this book.

Note: This book is a part of my Presidential Book Challenge in honor of the 2020 Presidential Elections.

A Brief Summary

-Taken from Goodreads–
The best one-volume biography of Madison’s life, Ketcham’s biography not only traces Madison’s career, it gives readers a sense of the man. As Madison said of his early years in Virginia under the study of Donald Robertson, who introduced him to thinkers like Montaigne and Montesquieu, “all that I have been in life I owe largely to that man.” It also captures a side of Madison that is less rarely on display (including a portrait of the beautiful Dolley Madison).

What works

• Overall, I thought it was a decent read and I enjoyed it much more than my last presidential book.
• There was this absolutely incredible attention to detail (see side question section) throughout the book. I was impressed at how easily I found myself immersed in the words.
• The narrative flowed well, and while the tone of the writing often read as more academic, there was still enough of a story feel that I didn’t feel like I was reading someone’s thesis paper.

What May or May Not Work

• I will start off by saying that as the hard-copy version I was using was big and its text was small, visually it made any progress I made reading-wise feel less than what it was.
• While I was thoroughly satisfied with the majority of how James Madison’s life was presented, mainly from the creation of the Constitution th

An admiring biography of America’s fourth president.

James Madison (1751-1836) is known as the “Father of the Constitution.” Madison agreed—but only in retirement. The son of an influential planter and already a widely admired Virginia leader, he arrived in Philadelphia in 1787 with plans for a fundamental redesign of American government. Cost delivers a vivid account of Madison’s energetic efforts, followed by his role in the first Congress. Under his shrewd political leadership, that body produced tax laws and the Bill of Rights, among other significant accomplishments. “If Madison had suddenly dropped dead on September 29, 1789,” writes Cost, “he would still be remembered as one of the greatest Founding Fathers.” He did not, of course, and opposed Alexander Hamilton’s plans for a national bank, a national assumption of state debts, and policies to encourage industry (topics the author covered in his 2018 book, The Price of Greatness). Other historians claim that Madison reversed himself to become a Jeffersonian advocate of minimal government. However, Cost maintains that Madison remained consistent in affirming that government must ensure that its benefits were distributed equally. He opposed Hamilton’s proposals because they favored a privileged class. Jeffersonian ideals triumphed with the 1800 election, and Madison, serving as Jefferson’s secretary of state, enjoyed smooth sailing. By the time Madison became president in 1809, Hamilton was gone, but his realistic view of America’s place in the world trumped Jefferson’s virtuous, agrarian republic, which had no hope of dealing with powerful Britain. Unprepared for war in 1812, the U.S. bumbled through, but according to Cost, Madison showed his usual political acumen. Financing the war proved almost impossible, so he authorized a national bank. He supported internal improvements and the first protective tariff, co-opting Hamilton’s best economic ideas to lay the groundwork for America’s expl

Founding Father, 4th U.S. president (1809 to 1817)

For other uses, see James Madison (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with James Maddison.

James Madison (March 16, 1751 [O.S. March 5, 1750] – June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

Madison was born into a prominent slave-owning planter family in Virginia. In 1774, strongly opposed to British taxation, Madison joined with the Pat

(1751-1836)

Who Was James Madison?

One of America's Founding Fathers, James Madison wrote the first drafts of the U.S. Constitution, co-wrote the Federalist Papers and sponsored the Bill of Rights. He established the Democrat-Republican Party with President Thomas Jefferson and became president himself in 1808. Madison initiated the War of 1812 and served two terms in the White House with first lady Dolley Madison. He died on June 28, 1836, at the Montpelier estate in Orange County, Virginia.

Early Life

Born on March 16, 1751, in Port Conway, Virginia, Madison grew up in Orange County, Virginia. He was the oldest of 12 children, seven of whom lived to adulthood. His father, James, was a successful planter and owned more than 3,000 acres of land and dozens of slaves. He was also an influential figure in county affairs.

In 1762, Madison was sent to a boarding school run by Donald Robertson in King and Queen County, Virginia. He returned to his father's estate in Orange County, Virginia — called Montpelier — five years later. His father had him stay home and receive private tutoring because he was concerned about Madison's health. He would experience bouts of ill health throughout his life. After two years, Madison finally went to college in 1769, enrolling at the College of New Jersey — now known as Princeton University. There, Madison studied Latin, Greek, science and philosophy among other subjects. Graduating in 1771, he stayed on a while longer to continue his studies with the school's president, Reverend John Witherspoon.

Revolutionary Times

Returning to Virginia in 1772, Madison soon found himself caught up in the tensions between the colonists and the British authorities. He was elected to the Orange County Committee of Safety in December 1774 and joined the Virginia militia as a colonel the following year. Writing to college friend William Bradford, Madison sensed that "There is something at hand that shall greatly augment the