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Question: Why was james madison important to u!.s!. history!?!?
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Was:
a President
last founding father to die
principle author of the Constitution
helped craft the "Bill of Rights" (1st 10 Amendments)
Co-Authored the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
Jefferson's Secretary of State

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Madison, James: "fourth president of the United States (1809–17) and one of the Founding Fathers of his country!. At the Constitutional Convention (1787), he influenced the planning and ratification of the U!.S!. Constitution and collaborated with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay in the publication of the Federalist papers!. As a member of the new House of Representatives, he sponsored the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, commonly called the Bill of Rights!. He was secretary of state under President Thomas Jefferson when the Louisiana Territory was purchased from France!. The War of 1812 was fought during his presidency!."

"With his actions buried in secrecy, Federalists and politicians pictured Madison as a timorous pacifist dragged into the War of 1812 (1812–15) by congressional War Hawks, and they denounced the conflict as "Mr!. Madison’s War!." In fact, the president had sought peace but accepted war as inevitable!. As wartime commander in chief he was hampered by the refusal of Congress to heed pleas for naval and military development and made the initial error of entrusting army command to aging veterans of the Revolution!. The small U!.S!. Navy sparkled, but on land defeat followed defeat!."

"By 1814, however, Madison had lowered the average age of generals from 60 to 36 years; victories resulted, ending a war the principal cause of which had been removed by revocation of the Orders in Council the day before the conflict began!. Contemporary public opinion in the United States, Canada, England, and continental Europe proclaimed the result a U!.S!. triumph!. Still the country would never forget the ignominy of the president and his wife having to flee in the face of advancing British troops bent on laying waste Washington, D!.C!., including setting afire the executive mansion, the Capitol, and other public buildings!."Www@QuestionHome@Com

Madison made a major contribution to the ratification of the Constitution by writing, with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, the Federalist essays!. In later years, when he was referred to as the "Father of the Constitution," Madison protested that the document was not "the off-spring of a single brain," but "the work of many heads and many hands!."In Congress, he helped frame the Bill of Rights and enact the first revenue legislation!. Out of his leadership in opposition to Hamilton's financial proposals, which he felt would unduly bestow wealth and power upon northern financiers, came the development of the Republican, or Jeffersonian, Party
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US Constitution
Bill of Rights
President # 4
Founding Father
Served in the war of 1812 as the only President to serve in the army whle in office trying to defend the capitalWww@QuestionHome@Com