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James Madison (1751)close

James Madison was born in King George County, Virginia. Madison became a member of the Virginia legislature, participated in the creation of the Virginia Constitution, and in 1776, served in the Continental Congress. He played a leading role in the debates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and was instrumental in framing the Constitution of the United States. Although he was honored as the "Father of the Constitution," he was too modest to accept such a title, calling it the "work of many heads and many hands." When Madison entered the White House in 1809 as the fourth president of the United States, his wife Dolly quickly became a popular hostess know for her many gala parties.
During Madison's administration, friction between the United States and the British led to the War of 1812. During one raid on Washington, British marines set fire to the White House, forcing Madison and his wife to flee into the Virginia woods.

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