Fourth President: James Madison - 0 comments

James Madison is known as the Father of the Constitution. He was instrumental in getting the Convention together, and pushed hard for a more centralized, powerful government than the Articles of Confederation has provided.

He wasn't a great President, however. Outmaneuvered by the British & French, he got the country into a messy war, which ultimately ended in a draw. Historical Highlight: his First Lady Dolley Madison was known for wearing a turban. Turbans! Think any first lady could get away with that?

Madison was president from 1809-1817. The model for my sketch is a portrait by Chester Harding, completed around 1829, a dozen years after Madison retired.