James Madison: A Biography, Ralph Louis Ketcham

A conservative lawyer friend of mind reccomended Ketcham's James Madison: A Biography. This is an excellent look into the life of the Father of the Constitution. Madison was a farmer, a scholar, a patriot, and, like Jefferson, Mason, Randolph and Washington, a Virginian.

Many of the issues that Madison faced; state's rights, taxation, maintaining a peace-time army and executive power in times of crisis or war, are as current as today's headlines.

Not only did Madison draft the Constitution Madison, he also co-authored The Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. Later he and Hamilton would part political company. Hamilton remained staunchly Federalist while Madison wanted the federal government limited by the states.

Born to a life of privelege, he would be involved either in a visible or invisible role in almost all of the challenges faced by our young nation. From the drafting of the Constitution to the tumultuous election of 1800, through the Louisiana Purchase and finally the pivitol War of 1812 — Madison was there and influenced all of it.

During the Jefferson administration Madison served practically as Jefferson's Prime Minister. The two Virginians, Jefferson the elder and Madison the younger, would collaborate until Jefferson's death.

Madison stuggled to maintain republican values even at a time when the nation was drifting towards war. At times he held back waiting for the nation and the Congress to come to a consensus that he had already reached. Sometimes he would use executive power to act decisively even without Congress' blessing.

Madison's presidency, especially his successful prosecutionof the War of 1812, set the new nation on an equal footing with the great powers of Europe. Madison helped set us on a path that lead to greatness. It is up to his modern day successors to see whether we can stay the course.

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