James Madison (1751-1836) was a statesman, diplomat, and a Founding Father of the United States, who served as the fourth US president from 1809 to 1817. He played an important role in the drafting of the United States Constitution and the implementation of the Bill of Rights, while his presidency was largely characterized by the War of 1812 against Britain.
James Madison was born on 16 March 1751 on his grandmother's plantation, Belle Grove, in the British colony of Virginia. He was the oldest of twelve children born to James Madison Sr. and his wife Eleanor, of whom only seven would survive to adulthood. The elder Madison was one of the largest landowners in Virginia's Piedmont region, owning a 5,000-acre tobacco plantation later referred to as Montpelier, which was worked by approximately 100 slaves. Between the ages of 11 and 16, the young Madison was privately tutored in preparation for a college education. A serious and intellectually curious boy, Madison developed a fondness for studying and was particularly interested in the subjects of mathematics, geography, and languages, becoming proficient in Latin.
In 1769, Madison enrolled in the College of New Jersey (modern Princeton University), choosing it over the more local College of William and Mary because the New Jersey air was deemed better for his health. He underwent an intense study program – often sleeping less than five hours a night – and completed his undergraduate degree in only two years, graduating in 1771; because of this academic exertion, he became seriously ill and was unable to attend his commencement ceremony. He remained at Princeton for another year, studying Hebrew and political philosophy under the college's president, John Witherspoon (and a future signer of the Declaration of Independence). He returned to Montpelier in 1772 and was tasked by his father to tutor his younger siblings.
