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JAMES MADISON Fourth President of the United States Born in 1751 - Died in 1836

James Madison was born in Virginia. He had eleven younger brothers and sisters. He was sick a lot when he was a child and the family hired a private tutor * to teach him until he was 11. Then he went to a boarding school which was 70 miles from his home. There he spent five years studying Latin, Greek, French, Italian,
algebra * , geometry * and geography.

When he was 18 he entered college. He studied hard and finished college in two years instead of three.

After he graduated, he didn't know what he wanted to do. He could go back to the family plantation and farm, or he could become a minister. He thought about becoming a lawyer. He would just keep studying.

Constitution of the United States

He decided to help in the government. He served in the Continental Congress. Some say that without James Madison, the Constitution * would not have been written. He is called the Father of the Constitution.

He had studied a lot and taken a lot of notes. When the men met to talk about a constitution, Madison spoke 161 times. He knew about every subject being discussed.

He was elected president in 1809. His wife Dolley enjoyed entertaining in the White House. It is said she had a smile and a pleasant word for everyone.

After he retired from being the president, he and Dolley returned to Montpelier, the family estate. He died there in 1836. His wife then returned to Washington and lived there for the last 13 years of her life.

This biography by Patsy Stevens, a retired teacher, was written in 2001.

The Making of the Constitution and the Foundation of the U.S. Legal System and Government
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

A frequent question: "Who wrote this biography and when was it written?" Look on this Reference Citations Chart.

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PRINTABLES Alphabetical Order James Madison Word Search James Madison Crossword Puzzle James Madison - Word Scramble James Madison - Word Match * Madison Study Sheet Worksheet Color a picture of James Madison Print James Madison Test

RESEARCH LINKS

James Madison Early America.com James Madison American Presidents, Life Portraits Listen to stories about this president. Celebrate the Constitution games and activities from Scholastic Events Leading to the War of 1812 Lesson Plan Lesson Snips.com (You must register to access lessons.) James Madison Lesson Plan Lesson Snips.com The British Attack on the Capital Lesson Plan Lesson Snips.com Information about James Madison (Look in the box top left) at Humanities Web James Madison Ducksters The Articles of Confederation video lesson (Click on the topics "Interactive Media Files", be sure volume is turned up.) Whitehouse 101 fun facts about the presidents James Madison Quotes Famous Quotes by QuoteDepot.Net From Word Central's Student Dictionary by Merriam - Webster (Pronunciation note: the schwa sound is shown by ə) tutor Pronunciation: 't(y)oot-ər Function: noun : a person who has the responsibility of instructing and guiding another... algebra Pronunciation: 'al-jə-brə Function: noun : a branch of mathematics that explores the relationships between numbers and the operations used to work with them and that uses letters or other symbols to represent them ... geometry Pronunciation: jE-'ahm-ə-trE Function: noun : a branch of mathematics that deals with points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids... constitution Pronunciation: "kahn(t)-stə-'t(y)oo-shən Function: noun a : the basic beliefs and laws of a nation, state, or social group that establish the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it b : a document containing a constitution ... James Madison Reader By Carole Marsh / Gallopade International Delve into the lives of some of the most famous and influential people to come out of the 50 States of America. This activity book is concise and informative summary of James Madison's life, and contains a variety of activities, including crosswords, fill in the blanks, scrambled words, codes, connect the dots, and more that help you learn about the "Father of the Constitution." A glossary and pop quiz are included as well. 12 pages, paperback. U.S. Constitution, Thematic Unit By Teacher Created Resources Thematic Units from Teacher Created Materials are literature based, cross-curricular, and ready to use. They provide activities, many of them hands-on, for all areas of the curriculum, including math, science, language arts, social studies, physical education, art, and music. Each book offers two or more literature-based units and lesson plans plus cross-curricular activities and worksheets, a culminating activity, management ideas, and a bibliography. The books used in this unit (that need to be purchased or borrowed) are: Shh!We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz, We the People by Peter Spier, and The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz. Complete and comprehensive, these reproducible units are designed with student interest and teacher usability in mind. The planning is complete. U.S. Constitution Coloring Book By Carole Marsh & Sherry Moss(Editor) / Gallopade International The Faith of America's First Ladies By Jane Hampton Cook / Amg Publishers Modern-day pressures for supermodel beauty, high-powered careers, and perfect families place a spotlight on a woman's achievements instead of her worth. This book, using stories from numerous First Ladies, shows how they triumphed while experiencing intense pressure. By using their stories, along with a Hebrew proverb and biblical principles, Jane Cook explains that God is the true source of value and worth. Women will be encouraged to view their roles, talents, and responsibilities as opportunities to allow God to shine through them. Highlights include: Abigail Adams' commitment to serving as the primary caretaker for her family during the Revolution shows the worth of working with eager hands, (Proverbs 31:13). Laura Bush's heart of compassion shows the significance of extending hands to the poor and needy in times of crisis, (Proverbs 31:20). Louisa Adams' remarkable solo journey to Paris under siege by Napoleon shows the value of steadfastness during a time of terror threats, (Proverbs 31:21). Barbara Bush's wit and quips reveal the splendor of celebrating joy in life, (Proverbs 31:25). Martha Washington's willingness to knit shirts and socks for soldiers during the Revolution shows the value of leading by example, (Proverbs 31:19). Anna Harrison's words of wisdom and prayers for her children and grandchildren deliver a family legacy of faith and leadership. (Proverbs 31:26). A LIBRARY OF ONLINE BOOKS and BOOK PREVIEWS James Madison online book by Sydney Howard Gay Memoirs and Letters of Dolly Madison by Dolley Madison, Lucia Beverly Cutts (public domain, full view) Order here Father of the Constitution: A Story About James Madison by Barbara Mitchell (selected pages) Order here James Madison by Garry Wills (selected pages) Order here How to Draw the Life and Times of James Madison by Roderic Schmidt (selected pages) Order here James Madison, easy biography by Lynn George (selected pages) Order here Preview these Amazon books using the links below. James Madison, Patriot, Politician, and President by David B. Mattern (selected pages) A Picture Book of Dolley and James Madison by David A. Adler, Michael S. Adler (selected pages) James Madison, Presidential Leaders by Jeremy Roberts (selected pages) James Madison, Profiles of the Presidents by Andrew Santella (selected pages) James Madison, Presidents and Their Times by Dan Elish (selected pages) James Madison Fourth President of the United States by Megan M. Gunderson (selected pages) Dolly Madison Saves History online book by Roger Smalley (selected pages)

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Biographies in this Series

Reference citations information for these biographies

Presidents of the United States	George Washington	John Adams	Thomas Jefferson	James Madison	James Monroe	Andrew Jackson
	Martin Van Buren	Abraham Lincoln	Theodore Roosevelt	Franklin D. Roosevelt	Harry S. Truman	Dwight D. Eisenhower
	John F. Kennedy	Lyndon B. Johnson	Jimmy Carter	Ronald Reagan	Barack Obama	Calvin Coolidge
American Patriots	Benjamin Franklin	Francis Scott Key	Deborah Sampson	Molly Pitcher
World Leaders	Constantine	Alexander the Great	Winston Churchill
Inventors	Alexander Graham Bell	Johann Gutenberg	Cyrus McCormick	The Wright Brothers	Henry Ford	Thomas A. Edison
	Sequoyah	Nikola Tesla	Michael Faraday	Dean Kamen	Jack Kilby	Leonardo Da Vinci
	Donald O'Neal
Explorers	Christopher Columbus	Meriwether Lewis	Robert Peary	John Muir	Matthew Henson	Sir Edmund Hillary
	Kit Carson	Johnny Appleseed	Daniel Boone
Women who made a difference	Clara Barton	Helen Keller	Florence Nightingale	Joan of Arc	Amelia Earhart	Annie Oakley
	Susan B. Anthony	Elizabeth Keckly	Harriet Tubman	Anne Frank	Eleanor Roosevelt	Madam C.J. Walker
	Sadako Sasaki	Henrietta Lacks
Scientists	George Washington Carver	Sir Isaac Newton	Marie Curie	Louis Pasteur	Albert Einstein	Galileo
	Lise Meitner	Norman Borlaug	Benjamin Banneker
Educators	Noah Webster	Booker T. Washington	Aristotle	Mary McLeod Bethune
Physicians	Hippocrates	Walter Reed	Albert Schweitzer
Religious Leaders	George Muller	Increase Mather
Athletes	Lou Gehrig	Wilma Rudolph	Tiger Woods	Michael Phelps
Civil Rights Leaders	Martin Luther King	Rosa Parks	Sojourner Truth	Frederick Douglass	Mary Ann Shadd Cary	James Forten
	Gandhi	César Chávez	William Wilberforce	Nelson Mandela
Composers	Beethoven	Mozart
Authors	Laura Ingalls Wilder	Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)	Ernest Hemingway	Greg Mortenson	Phillis Wheatley
Artists	John James Audubon	Gutzon Borglum	Ansel Adams	Dale Chihuly	Van Gogh	Michelangelo
	Rembrandt	Grandma Moses	Cassatt	Renoir	Cezanne	Rockwell

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