James Madison Jr. And His Impact On The American People

“Father of the Constitution” and His Impact on the American People

On March 16, 1751, James Madison Jr. was born in Port Conway, Virginia. His father, James Madison Sr., was a wealthy Virginia plantation owner, an educator, and an Enlightenment scholar who served as the President of the College William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. His mother, Nelly Conway Madison, was the daughter of a prominent planter and tobacco merchant Francis Conway. The Madison’s gave birth to twelve children, while James Madison Jr. was the eldest only six children survived adolescence. Since many years were spent on Montpelier, the family plantation, not much is known about James Madison Jr.’s childhood. At the age of 12, he left to attend Robertson’s school in King and

James Madison Jr. was often sick from stress induced seizures and epileptic fits, therefore he never joined the military. Undeniably, James Madison Jr. experienced a considerable amount of accomplishment during his lifetime, much of which had been opportunities presented by his very own father. In 1774, James Madison Jr.’s father helped to get his son elected on the Orange County Committee of Safety, in addition he was appointed as a colonel despite having no military experience. In 1784, James Madison Jr.’s family wealth played a significant role in getting him elected as a Virginia House Delegate. During the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, he submitted the Virginia Plan which became the blue print of the Constitution, hence being named as the “Father of the Constitution” and a “Founding Father”. James Madison Jr. began to advance in politics as a co-author of the Federalists Papers alongside Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. During the writing of The Federalist No. 51, James Madison Jr. wrote, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary” (Madison par. 4). As a young politician, he understood the true nature of human beings