James Madison

Julie Nikkola

History 110

May 16, 2012

Book Review:

James Madison and the Creation of the American Republic

By: Jack N. Rakove

Harper Collins Publisher 1990 in the United States of America

181 pages

This book follows the life of James Madison as a youth all the way through retirement. . Madison is the oldest of twelve children, of which only seven survive into adult hood. Jack Rakove provides the beginning of Madison’s schooling from childhood where he attends school in the neighboring King & Queen County School; here he studied Latin, Greek, French, geometry, algebra, and literature. Madison later returns home to be tutored for two more years. Madison attends college at the College of New Jersey, which later is known as Princeton. He travels on horseback over 300 miles to attend the school. Madison is frail and sickly most of his youth and the cause is blamed on a nervous condition. Upon completion of college Madison returns home to Montpelier. For a while Madison considered a career in the religious ministry, but could not make up his mind. Upon his return home Madison also considered studying law or joining the military, but with his health condition still poor he became depressed leading to thoughts of an early death.

The events leading up to the American Revolution changed Madison’s ambitions dramatically. The events of the Boston Tea Party and the following series of bills passed by the House of Commons caused great ire for Madison and politics became his main preoccupation. Madison’s main concerns were religion, since this was once a choice for his future, and trade policies between the United States and Britain. This was the start of what was going to be a long and successful political career for Madison. Madison became involved in the movement toward American independence. Madison was considered the genius behind the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. He became the fourth president of the United States and oversaw the...