James Madison was the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. He is best known as the father of the Constitution for his leading role in shaping the document. Madison designed the Constitution’s system of checks and balances at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The system balances the power between Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court. It gives each branch some control over the actions of the others. This way, one branch of government can't become too powerful. Madison also helped create the U.S. federal system. This system divides power between the central government and the states. Most importantly, in 1789, he drafted the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The amendments are called the Bill of Rights.
Like his predecessor, Thomas Jefferson, Madison was a Virginia man. He served as secretary of state under President Jefferson from 1801 to 1809. During this time, Madison worked extra hard to keep America out of wars that were happening all over Europe. In 1812, however, Madison led America into a war with Great Britain. Great Britain was interfering with American trading ships. They were also becoming allies with the indigenous peoples in the west. The British encouraged the indigenous people to attack Americans.
Madison realized that his nation needed to fight back, even though they were unprepared. At one point in the War of 1812, British troops captured Washington, D.C. They destroyed the White House and other government buildings. But their success was only temporary. America won the war in 1815 when General Andrew Jackson defeated the British in the south.
The British invasion caused Madison and his wife, Dolly, to flee Washington, D.C. Dolly was famous for throwing lavish parties at the White House. The fact that the White House was burned by the British didn’t stop her. She continued her presidential entertaining from a new Washington home. Madison served out his second term while the White House was rebuilt. The war had brought an era of good feeling. Americans were more united. The economy was growing. Madison left office in 1817. He retired to Montpelier, his estate in Virginia.