The date was March 16, 1751. A baby boy was born at Port Conway, Virginia. When he was born, no one knew he would grow up to be the fourth president and the Father of our constitution. James Madison was born to Nelly Conway Madison and James Madison, being the first out of twelve children.

James Madison grew up on a Virginian plantation where his life was majority focused. At the age of eleven, he needed education his family could provide him, so he was sent away to the school of Donald Robertson.

Most young planters from Virginia, James' home state, went to the College of William and Mary. This college had links to the Episcopal Church. James requested a more liberal school and decided to attend Princeton.

Madison finished his college in two years, instead of four like other college members at Princeton. James Madison had health condition that made him frail and made his nerves act up. This postponed his return to his family.

Finding his career and working with politics took a while for him to get into. At a friend's coffee house in Philadelphia, many men were talking about politics and he became interested in the subject matter.

When the Continental Congress held its first meeting, towns were to set up committees of safety. James decided to be a candidate for a seat on the local Orange County committee of safety. He got the position.

Later, after performing a great committee position, James was chosen to be one of two delegates for Orange County. Because of this position, he moved to Williamsburg, Virginia in 1776, where finally he could make religious contributions. For years Madison waited for the chance to work side by side with Thomas Jefferson in the Governor's Council. The next year Jefferson became governor and eventually became the third president of the United States.

Madison later returned to Montpelier. He became involved in public affairs. Eventually this led him to serve from 1784 to 1787 in Virginia's State Legislature.

Many men came along while Madison served in this position bringing up ideas of statewide establishments and bills wanted to be passed. Those he opposed, he fought to rectify by his opinion. In many cases he was not successful.

James Madison worked very hard on preparing to draft a constitution. After making the Virginia Plans and being a scholar at work, he was ready for his most difficult task. This difficult task was persuading three-fourths of the state to ratify it. This requirement was not made so the new draft of the Constitution couldn't be adopted. This was in 1789. The same year he was elected the U.S. House of Representatives.

Though his bachelor days were over, by 1794 he decided it was time to settle down with a family. He found his devoted, loving wife. Her name was Dolly Payne Todd. They got married September the 15^th of that same year.

In 1801, James Madison was appointed Secretary of State. He was also John Adams' Chief Minister. This therefore gave him the duty to take an active part in the official social life of the new capital.

The next major highlight of his life was in 1808, when elected the fourth President of the United States of America. He had been a Republican candidate.

On March 04, 1801 James Madison gave his inauguration address and with his bad health condition made it worse while saying it. He got through by talking a total of less than ten minutes.

In 1812, a war with Britain was officially declared. The President, who had been reelected that same year, became upset about the war. Many months Madison was cooped up in his office, while at home Dolly waited for him. At this time he lay close to his death. Finally in 1814, peace between France and Britain was declared. After peace was declared, there was an unexpected attack on the nation's capital. With this in mind, James' wife Dolly gathered up some of their momentous belongings. The attack expectations were lost.

James and Dolly Madison returned to Montpelier in the 1830's. His family had grown exorbitantly. James began to farm like he did in his younger years.

James Madison died on June 28, 1836 at home in Montpelier on his family estate. His closest friends, Jefferson and Monroe, had already passed on. Today we still remember him as the fourth President of the United States and the Father of our Constitution.