1775-1783

James Madison cared about achieving results, not about taking credit. Neither soldier nor orator, low on charisma, and high on intelligence, Madison worked towards his lifelong goal of a self-governing constitutional republic for the United States of America. He blended his talents with those of his most talented contemporaries. Working with George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe he joined with them in pursuit of his goal.

Presents the history behind the Declaration of Independence and what makes it such an important document in American history.

"Historian David O. Stewart restores James Madison, sometimes overshadowed by his fellow Founders, to his proper place as the most significant framer of the new nation. Short, plain, balding, neither soldier nor orator, low on charisma and high on intelligence, Madison cared more about achieving results than taking the credit. To reach his lifelong goal of a self-governing constitutional republic, he blended his talents with those of key partners. It was Madison who led the drive for the Constitutional Convention and pressed for an effective new government as his patron George Washington lent the effort legitimacy; Madison who wrote the Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton to secure the Constitution's ratification; Madison who corrected the greatest blunder of the Constitution by drafting and securing passage of the Bill of Rights with Washington's support; Madison who joined Thomas Jefferson to found the nation's first political party and move the nation toward broad democratic principles; Madison, with James Monroe, who guided the new nation through its first war in 1812, really its Second War of Independence; and it was Madison who handed the reins of government to the last of the Founders, his old friend and sometime rival Monroe. These were the main characters in his life. But it was his final partnership that allowed Madison to escape his natural shyness and reach the greatest heights. Dolley was the woman he married in middle age and who presided over both him and an enlivened White House. This partnership was a love story, a unique one that sustained Madison through his political rise, his presidency, and a fruitful retirement"--.

Examines the events leading to the writing of the Declaration of Independence, its drafting, and legacy, and includes a visual chronology and source notes.

Examines the ideas and agendas that led to the American Revolution and explains how those ideas influenced the creation of a democratic nation.

The author compares the intellectual understanding of the Enlightenment of Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, and shows how the personal experiences and regional cultural traditions of each man shaped his interpretation of that movement and how those ideals played into the birth of the new nation.

Provides brief character sketches of the key figures of the American Revolution, revealing the ambiguities, complexities, and uncertainties of the founding generation as well as their achievements.

A collection of writings by Thomas Jefferson that demonstrate his views on freedom and the ideas that became the foundation of the Declaration of Independence.

By the 1760s, American colonists were fed up with British rule. Cries for revolution rung out across the land, and Thomas Jefferson drafted a document that declared the colonies' independence. Track the turning points of the Revolutionary War. Full-Color Photographs, Further Reading, Glossary, Hands-On Activities, Index, Photo Captions, Sidebars, Table of Contents, Websites.