James Madison: A Life from Beginning to End

Biographies of US Presidents - Hourly History #4

by Henry Freeman, Hourly History

James MadisonThere have been countless words written about the Founding Fathers. As the people who crafted the documents that would win Americans freedom from Great Britain and establish a constitutional republic, they were indeed a special group. One of the most overlooked Founders is James Madison. His life was as extraordinary as the others, but for some reason, he doesn't often find himself in the popularity column.

Inside you will read about...- Early Life
- Early Political Career
- Father of the Constitution
- The Federalist Papers
- Politician and Statesman
- President 1809-1817
- Personal Life
- Later Years

This ebook will introduce you to James Madison. Besides becoming the 4th president of the United States, he served in government for most of his life. You will meet him as he goes off to college, when he returns home to Montpelier, and when he decides to assist with the greatest achievement of his life, the writing of the U. S. Constitution. James Madison was a man not to be forgotten. This ebook will prove to you why

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Ebooks, Historical

50 pages, Paperback

Published May 13, 2019

About the author

Henry Freeman is an author and archaeologist. He has a passion for history and loves to travel the world exploring various historical sites.

Henry graduated from the University of Cambridge with a double major in History and Archaeology and shortly after that started his career as an archaeologist.

After traveling the world getting first-hand experience with history, Henry was determined to take up his dream of becoming a best-selling author.

He decided to partner up with the newly formed publishing company Hourly History writing short, concise and straightforward history books that never takes more than one hour to read.

Reviews

[William Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good quick overview of Madison. Of course, there is so much more to explore.

[CRG · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The censorial power is in the people over the government, and not in the government over the people.”—Madison

James Madison is known as the “Father of the Constitution.”He was born on March 16, 1751, in Port Conway, Virginia. Madison graduated in 1771, from Princeton University. There, Madison studied Latin, Greek, science, and philosophy, among other subjects.

In 1789, Madison won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, a legislative body that he had helped envision.

James Madison became a tremendous instrumental behind the Bill of Rights, submitting his suggested amendments to the Constitution to Congress in June 1789.

Madison wanted to ensure that Americans had freedom of speech, were protected against "unreasonable searches and seizures," and received "a speedy and public trial" if faced with charges, among other recommendations. A revised version of his proposal was adopted that September, following much debated:

1.- The First Amendment Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

2.- The Second Amendment Right to keep and bear arms to maintain a well-regulated militia.

3.- The Third Amendment prevents Government from forcing homeowners to soldiers to use their homes. (Before the Revolutionary War, laws gave British soldiers the right to take over private homes.)

4.- The Fourth Amendment bars the government from unreasonable search and seizure of an individual or their private property.

5.- The Fifth Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes. It states that serious criminal charges must be started by a grand jury.  A person cannot be tried twice for the same offense (double jeopardy) or have property taken away without just compensation. People have the right against self-incrimination and cannot be imprisoned without due process of law (fair procedures and trials.)

6.- The Sixth Amendment provides additional protections to people accused of crimes, such as the right to a speedy and public trial, trial by an impartial jury in criminal cases, and to be informed of criminal charges. Witnesses must face the accused, and the accused is allowed his or her witnesses and to be represented by a lawyer. 

7.- The Seventh Amendment extends the right to a jury trial in federal civil cases.

8.- The Eighth Amendment bars excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishment.

9.- The Ninth Amendment states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out.

10.- The Tenth Amendment says that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution. If it isn’t listed, it belongs to the states or the people.

James Madison knew what a totalitarian power does to justice.

Madison wrote a system of checks and balances.

There are three main branches of the government:
* Executive - the president
* Legislative - the congress
* Judicial - the court system

Under this system, no one branch of government can do anything without the approval of the other.

James Madison is best known for being the 4th President of the United States between 1809-1817, but about all, Madison was a great thinker and an outstanding human being.

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Madison: A Life From Beginning to End by a group called Hourly History presents a series of publications that present episodes and personalities in a proposed one hour read. This one has a subtitle One Hour History US Presidents Book 3. This seems perfect for my purposes as I seek material for English as Second Language learners. I looked at this work to determine what I believe the level of English required to read a non-fiction book in one hour.

To criticize a one-hour read for not presenting complete information that comes from deep research is ridiculous. The authors note that Madison's thinking was influenced by "Enlightenment thinkers, philosophers such as John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu, Thomas Hobbes, and Thomas Paine." (p. 15). The book goes on to give a summary of the tenets of these philosophers in the following two pages. What can the reader get out of this? Do further reading; these authors have pointed the reader in the right direction.

Revisionist historians have criticized the group known as the Founding Fathers for owning slaves while at the same time struggling to create a country with maximum freedom for all individuals. This group of authors points out that what was true at the time should be viewed through the dynamic lens of history, not by the standards that have evolved to what we have today, standards that evolved from a base established by the Founders.

The content language of the book is written at junior high school to no higher than grade 10 level. I believe this is appropriate for English as a Second Language learner. The authors manage to deliver interesting content and facts at this language level. The Madison White House served ice cream at a time when there wasn't refrigeration. Not an earth-shaking revelation, but interesting. Madison had his face on a USD 5000 bill. I didn't know such a bill existed. Note: The past tense is appropriate here, the bill has been discontinued, at least up to now.

Readers can skip to page 42 of this 50-page book to a section titled Notable Facts About James Madison to find a bunch of material that can be tailored for great one-liners in a trivia contest.

Overall, this book is good value for the money if you have Kindle Unlimited. I find a purchase price of USD 2.99 a bit steep for a fifty-page book.

[Thom Swennes · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Madison was born, as the eldest of twelve children. He was born on the family plantation of Mount Pleasant (later to be rechristened Montpelier), Virginia, on March 16, 1757. He, like all of the Founding Fathers of the United States, enjoyed a good education. He attended the College of New Jersey that would later be renamed Princeton University. In May 1787, a Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to revise and-or replace the Articles of Confederation. They had proven to be too vague and superficial to hold a new and nascent country together. James Madison, the just thirty years old, was a man in his element. He had previously helped to draft the Virginia State Constitution and used its example to form one for all of the thirteen new states. This document wasn’t automatically accepted, as is but underwent many changes and revisions. Madison’s revolutionary thoughts on government weren’t just the product of his own thinking. Men as Thomas Hobbes, Thomas Paine, Charles de Montesquieu, and John Locke all influenced the creation of this unique document that has survived and flourished for almost two and a half centuries. He held Deist views toward religion and never discussed his beliefs in public. This is really strange as through his efforts, religious freedoms that are guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution can almost entirely be attributed to him. The separation of church and state can equally be ascribed to this young, progressive-thinking Patriot. Whereas George Washington is rightfully known as Father of Our Country, Thomas Jefferson as Father of the Declaration of the United States, James Madison can rightly be seen as the Father of the United States Constitution.

I must admit that I knew more about Madison’s wife Dolley than I knew about her husband, the fourth President of the United States. This short biography has opened my eyes about a man that was instrumental in creating the country into what it is today. I grant you that tens of thousands have also contributed but James Madison laid the foundations. To me and to all Americans he should be remembered, respected, and loved as the little big man.

[Andrew runnels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is like a short history lesson.

The book presents a concise overview of James Madison's life, offering a wealth of information within a condensed timeframe. Its accessible format facilitates ease of comprehension, making it particularly suitable for individuals seeking a brief yet informative summary of the subject matter. This resource is highly recommended for those interested in efficient learning methodologies.

[Georgianna Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but interesting

This short book gives the highlights of James Madison's political career and personal life. I think all Americans should spend a little time and effort getting to know the amazing men and women who built this country and those who came after them. Books like these are a great way to get started!

[Terry Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be most definitely read in an hour. Its a short 50 pages and has essential information. The reading level, however, is probability at a 9th grade level, making this an ideal source book for your grade 6 to 10 students.
The book is not intended to be comprehensive. I gave this a 4 star rating because it is concise.

[Thordur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good biography.

If you want to know James Madison better this is a good place to start. For me this biography opened my eyes to the fact that there great spirits like Madison among the founding fathers, a one seldom mentioned, a quiet one and short in size, but very clever indeed.

[Debbie Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating!

As Father of the Constitution of the United States, James Madison did much to shape America into what it is today. This book shares many facts that I did not know about James Madison.

[Eryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not kidding when it says "Hourly History". I didn't know much about Madison, so it's a good primer before I read "The Federalist Papers", and it barely took an hour. If you have a kid who has to learn about him, this is a good book to start with.

[David Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Madison had a vision for America

Although I was born and raised in Madison Wisconsin, I knew virtually nothing about the man. I think he would be honored I know that the city/Capitol reflects his personality most of the time.

[Vonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, brought to you by Hourly History, is just one of many that give a short 'life from beginning to end '. I recommend hourlyhistory.com for a great selection of short, brief, ebooks on many things historical.

[richard stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true founding leader

I never knew the value that James Madison brought to the founding of the United states. We live with the constitution and the bill of rights, but how many people give thought to how it came about

[Mark Byers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief but so informative!

Very well-written, breezy, but I learned so much about a man I knew little about. Could definitely be read in one sitting but I stretched it out a bit to savor it longer. A keeper!

[Michael Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read.

Hit the big points and tied them all together. Good summary of accomplishments and tied them to other founding fathers.

[Cory P Clarys · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok

Not really In depth
It’s a pretty simple read a a basic high level account of his life. Need to read more

[Steven Northover · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author presents a readable, high-level view of James Madison's life and influence on the US. I found myself agreeing with many of his points. But not all of them. Our points of disagreement are likely due to our difference of opinion for what "federalism" means. Madison created, in the US Constitution, a federal government structure with very limited responsibilities and obligations. The Constitution provided sufficient authority and power to fulfill those limited obligations. This is the opposite of a strong central government. Federalism has never meant all power would reside at the federal level.

On the plus side, this is an easy read for someone who wants an overview of both Madison and the early years of the US government. It could form the basis for additional research and readings to help one understand how this nation began and how far we have strayed from the ideals of Constitutionally limited government as a safeguard for individual liberty.

[Eileen Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting

I was shocked to learn how important James Madison was in shaping our country. Typically you hear of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. I was passed to learn these new facts as I read this book.
Once again Henry Freeman has written a book that came be used by teachers and students. The wording of the book is very easy to understand and paints a vivid picture of the life of this great president.

[Igor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative for a Brazilian.

The only 'but' was that I have found it a little biased.

[Robin Dix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our founding fathers sure led interesting and productive lives. Everyone should revisit history.

[Brook · Rating 1 out of 5]

the one star that I give this book is not necessarily a direct indication of what I think the quality of the research is. It is somewhat to the quality of the writing, and somewhat to the quality of the research. I have read longer histories of some of the earlier founders, and they go into more depth about Madison. It is indeed possible that the current author has uncovered documentation or correspondence that was not known before. However I feel like this is at best a cursory look that mister Madison. there is more to be written here. I also doubt the depth of the research of the author.

I do not intend this to be a personal assault.