The Presidency of James Madison

Paper Summary:

This paper gives an historical analysis of James Madison and his Presidency, focusing on his commitment to the separation of church and state. This commitment influenced the decisions he made and the political ideology that he upheld. The paper traces Madison's political career and its interconnection with the birth of the US. Madison's famous treatise on separation of church and state entitled "The Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments," is analyzed. The paper concludes by reinforcing James Madison's commitment to the separation of church and state and the protection of individual liberty.

From the Paper:

" From the early days of the development of the British colonies into an independent nation, Madison was involved. As a student of history, government, and law, he took part in framing the Virginia Constitution in 1776 and held membership in the Virginia Assembly ("James Madison"). Madison served in the Continental Congress and engaged in frequent debates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia ("James Madison"). Together with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, Madison made a major contribution to ratifying the Constitution by writing the Federalist essays, which were in favor of the creation of a more powerful federal government to replace the ailing Confederation. The essays earned him the title of "Father of the Constitution," although he claimed the document was "the work of many heads and many hands" ("James Madison"). He also shared in framing the Bill of Rights and passing the first revenue legislation."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Boston, Rob. "James Madison and Church-State Separation."
• Church & State. March 01 2001. EBSCOHost. University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL. 27 Sept. 2006.
• Felzenberg, Alvin S. "James Madison, the clearest thinker." The Christian Science Monitor. March 16 2001. EBSCOHost. University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL. 27 Sept. 2006.
• "James Madison." The White House. Retrieved September 22 2006 from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jm4.html.
• Loconte, Joseph. "Faith and the founding: the influence of religion on the politics of James Madison." Journal of Church and State. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOHost. University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL. 29 Sept. 2006.

More papers on The Presidency of James Madison:

• Research Paper # 95240 : "James Madison"
• Research Paper # 95646 : "James Madison's Role"
• Book Review # 101827 : "James Madison and the Creation of the American Republic"

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