1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: As part of Founding Fathers Week, I'm talking about the 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: lives and legacies of our original founders and the impact 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: they've had in our country. James Madison was America's fourth 4 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: president from eighteen oh nine to eighteen seventeen. But he's 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 1: so much more than that. He made a major contribution 6 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: to the ratification of the Constitution by writing the Federalist Papers, 7 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. In his later years, 8 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: he was referred to as Father of the Constitution because 9 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,319 Speaker 1: he composed the first drafts of the US Constitution and 10 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: the Bill of Rights. He founded the Democratic Republican Party 11 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: with Thomas Jefferson in seventeen ninety two, and when Jefferson 12 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:50,959 Speaker 1: became president, he served as his Secretary of State. At 13 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: only five feet four inches talk Madison was the shortest 14 00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: president of the United States history, and I have to say, 15 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: having visited his home, that he's a remarkable figure. He 16 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: is in some ways one of the most interesting of 17 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: all the Founding fathers because he's so complicated, he's so smart. 18 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: His real contributions are all cerebral. He studied, he read, 19 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: he thought, he wrote, and over time he had an 20 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: enormous impact at every level. Remember, the Democratic Republican Party 21 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: that he and Jefferson founded still exists as the Democratic Party, 22 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: the longest surviving political institution in the world today. The 23 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: Bill of Rights is at the heart of our freedom 24 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: and he was the guiding force. In fact, his role 25 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: in the First Congress was amazing. He literally drafted constitutions, 26 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: thought about it. It was sort of a hobby, and so 27 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: he was tremendously prepared to help write the Constitution when 28 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: the founding fathers met in Philadelphia. And I always try 29 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: to remind people the Federalist papers are not some stuffy 30 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: academic document that we read them nowadays really as sort 31 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,679 Speaker 1: of policy in a way that is kind of abstract 32 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: and good for graduate students, but not a hobby for 33 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: most people. But the Federalist papers were written as the 34 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: most important pamphlet and political history. Now they're very complicated 35 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: their long and Madison wrote some of the most important 36 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: of the Federalist papers convincing people have two different things 37 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: that they needed a federal government because the individual states 38 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: would only be gobbled up by France and Britain and Spain, 39 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 1: so they had to come together to survive, and at 40 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: the same time you could write a constitution that protected 41 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: you from your own government. And it's important to remember 42 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: the founding fathers were as worried about domestic repression from 43 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,359 Speaker 1: the government as they were about foreign dangers to America. 44 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: And Madison is the person who, more than anyone else, 45 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: balances those two. As he writes at one point, you know, 46 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: if men were angels, we wouldn't need government. But since 47 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,639 Speaker 1: men aren't angels, how are we going to govern the governors? 48 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: And that he constantly thought about protecting us from our 49 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: own government, something which I would argue is remarkably current today. 50 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: So how did a sickly, soft spoken man five foot 51 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: four inches cent barely one hundred pounds become the father 52 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: of the constitution? Washington Irving described him as a withered 53 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: little apple. John Madison was born March sixteenth, seventeen fifty one, 54 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: the oldest of twelve children, of whom only seven survived 55 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: to adulthood. His father, James Madison Senior, had inherited substantial wealth, 56 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: and his mother, and Elie Conway, was the daughter of 57 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: a tobacco merchant. Because of their wealth, young James Madison 58 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: was afforded private tutors, including a Scottish teacher named Donald Robertson, 59 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: who instructed the young boy between the ages of eleven 60 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: and sixteen in mathematics, geography, and Latin. An often sickly child, 61 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: Madison suffered from what he called sudden attacks, as Madison 62 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: later wrote that he had quote a constitutional tendency to 63 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:16,840 Speaker 1: sudden attacks, somewhat resembling epilepsy, which suspended all intellectual function. 64 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: Imagine how frightening that must have been in the eighteenth century. 65 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:23,679 Speaker 1: He planned to attend the College of William and Mary, 66 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 1: where his later friend Thomas Jefferson attended, but he thought 67 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 1: that Virginia's humid climate would worsen his attacks, so he 68 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: opted to go north to the College of New Jersey, 69 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: which altomly became Princeton University in seventeen seventy one. Madison 70 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: graduated with high marks in classical languages, mathematics, rhetoric, geography, 71 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: and philosophy. After only attending for two years, he wanted 72 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: more education, so Madison became the school's first graduate student, 73 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: studying Hebrew and political philosophy under the university president, John Witherspoon, 74 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: who later on became a signer of the Declaration of Independence. 75 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: When he graduated with his graduate degree, Madison, unsure what 76 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 1: to do, started in local politics, becoming a member of 77 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: the Orange County Committee of Public Safety in seventeen seventy four. 78 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 1: That committee oversaw the local militia in the event of 79 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: a war of Independence against the British. Remember the Second 80 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: Amendment rose out of these experiences. It is these Committee 81 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: of Public Safety who are arming and training militia which 82 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: enables the Americans to survive when the British tried to 83 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: conquer them. His seizure attacks actually prevented him from joining 84 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: the military, as on July twenty eighth, seventeen seventy five, 85 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: at the age of twenty four, he collapsed during a 86 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: military drill. But in October seventeen seventy five, he was 87 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 1: commissioned ast colonel of the Orange County Militia, serving alongside 88 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: his father until he was elected as a delegate to 89 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: the fifth Virginia Convention. Madison, in the most important friendship 90 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: of his life, met Jefferson in the fall of seventeen 91 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,679 Speaker 1: seventy six when they both were members of the Virginia 92 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: House of Delegates. Hard to imagine two people who were different. 93 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: Jefferson was six foot two and described as straight as 94 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: a gun barrel. Madison was five foot four inches and 95 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 1: barely one hundred pounds. Imagine the two of them hanging 96 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,679 Speaker 1: out together. But what brought them together was their minds. 97 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: Jefferson was described as quick witted and Madison was painfully 98 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 1: shy and reserved. But Madison thought all the time, and 99 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: Madison could hold his own with Jefferson, the pair connected 100 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: and a friendship began, which lasted for decades. In seventeen 101 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 1: seventy seven, Madison lost his seat in the House of 102 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: Delegates because he refused to participate in the long standing 103 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: Virginia custom of treating voters to whiskey, because he felt 104 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 1: it was the same as buying votes. In other words, 105 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: back then, you showed up annually at the polling place 106 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: and you got free liquor, and the candidate who gave 107 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: away the most free liquor got elected. Now, Madison was 108 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: not alone Washington. When he first ran, refused to buy 109 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: any alcohol because he was a military hero, very famous, 110 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: and he came in last because all the local neighbors said, 111 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: wait a second, if you're not going to buy me 112 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: a drink, why am I going to vote for you? 113 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: The following year, Washington bought more liquor for the voters 114 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: than anybody else in that particular race. So Madison was 115 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: faced with trying to deal with the country whose patterns were, 116 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: shall we say, a little different than Madison would have liked. 117 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: But despite all that, in seventeen seventy eight, Madison was 118 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: elected to the Virginia Governor's eight member Council of State. 119 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: When Jefferson was elected governor of Virginia in seventeen seventy nine, Madison, 120 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: as a member of the Council of State, worked closely 121 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: with him, talking daily and offering his advice. And remember 122 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: this is in the middle of a war. In seventeen eighty, 123 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: at the age of twenty nine, Madison became the younger 124 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: remember the Continental Congress. At the time, Jefferson was Minister 125 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: to France and did not attend the convention, but he 126 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: frequently sent Madison books and letters. Madison supported efforts to 127 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: strengthen the power of the federal government. He knew that 128 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: the Continental Congress system the Articles of Confederation simply wasn't work. 129 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: He made several unsuccessful attempts to compromise with delegates who 130 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: wanted strong state governments. He kept trying to convince them, 131 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: you can't have strong state governments and survive because these 132 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: foreign powers are going to pick us off one by 133 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: one and gradually subvert all of North America. Madison took 134 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 1: detailed notes and not only who was present every day, 135 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: but exactly what was said and by who. Madison avoided 136 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: any long absences, did not miss a single day of debate, 137 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: later writing quote, it happened also that I was not 138 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: absent a single day, no more than a casual fraction 139 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: of an hour in any day, so I could not 140 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: have lost a single speech, unless a very short one. 141 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: These notes were one of the few things that historians 142 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,320 Speaker 1: have from this time, as delegates were forbidden from talking 143 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: about anything in the proceedings in fear of leaking it 144 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: to the public, the opposite of modern transparency, and the 145 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: notes themselves were not published until after he died. In 146 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 1: seventeen eighty four. Madison returns to Montpelier to study law 147 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: and to attempt an unsuccessful career in land speculation. He 148 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 1: was a genuine intellectual. He wasn't the kind of guy 149 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: who's going to be very good at going out and 150 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: figuring out the right places to buy land. And then 151 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: holding out until he got the price he wanted. Who 152 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: didn't interest him. He wanted to read books, he wanted 153 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: to think, He wanted to be part of the life 154 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: of the mind. He then served again in the Virginia 155 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 1: House of Deugas from seventeen eighty four to seventeen eighty six, 156 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: while they helped to ratify Jefferson's the Statute of Virginia 157 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 1: for Religious Freedom. At the time, Jefferson was serving as 158 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 1: Minister of France and went on able to advocate for 159 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: his statute. This was truly a great breakthrough moment. Madison 160 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,959 Speaker 1: wrote to the General Assembly the Commonweal Virginia on June twentieth, 161 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 1: seventeen eighty five. And I'm quoting this because it's so 162 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,599 Speaker 1: important and such a key break in the development of 163 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: religious liberty. Quote. The religion, then of every man, must 164 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: be left to the conviction and conscience of every man, 165 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,599 Speaker 1: and it is the right of every man to exercise 166 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: it as these may dictate. This right is in its 167 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: nature and unalienable right. It is unalienable because the opinions 168 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: of men, depending only on the evidence contemplated by their 169 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: own minds, cannot follow the dictates of other men. It 170 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: is unalienable also because what is here a right towards 171 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:39,679 Speaker 1: men is a duty towards the creator. Now, remember, Jefferson 172 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: and Madison are arguing for your right of conscience. And 173 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 1: a time when virtually every government had an official religion, 174 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: and for example, the British for a very long period 175 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: of time persecuted priests because they represented an alien Catholic 176 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 1: religion based in Rome and they did not represent the 177 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: Church of England. Conversely, there were Catholic countries which would 178 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: prosecute Protestants because they weren't obedient to the dominant religion. 179 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 1: So this whole notion that your conscience, not the government's rules, 180 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: are what will define religion, was an enormous breakthrough and 181 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: a great expansion of human freedom. Now, Madison kept working 182 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 1: on how do we get to a strong enough government, 183 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: and in preparation for the seventeen eighty seven Constitutional Convention, 184 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 1: Madison drafted what would later be known as the Virginia Plan. 185 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: He spent thirty six months think about that three years 186 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: in the library studying political philosophy and past attempts at 187 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: forming government. The Virginia Plan outlined a government consisting of 188 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: three branches with checks and balances. This was really based 189 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: on the work of a French theoretician, Montesquieu, who'd come 190 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 1: up with this notion that you could maximize freedom by 191 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: balancing power between three different elements. If I could quote 192 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 1: from the time, quote resolve that his depinion of this 193 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: committee that a national government ought to be established consisting 194 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: of a supreme legislative, judiciary, and executive. And of course 195 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: those are the building blocks of the US Constitution, and 196 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: we today work within the framework that Madison had defined. 197 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 1: He's often referred to as the father of the Constitution, 198 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: but he argued it was a team effort, writing in 199 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: a letter to William Cogswell on March tenth, eighteen thirty four, quote, 200 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: you give me a credit to which I have no 201 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,719 Speaker 1: claim in calling me the writer of the Constitution of 202 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 1: the United States. This was not like the fabled Goddess 203 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:40,559 Speaker 1: of Wisdom, the offspring of a single brain. It ought 204 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 1: to be regarded as the work of many heads and 205 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: many hands. Now, that sense, I think was sincere in 206 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: madisone's part. He realized something we sometimes forget in the 207 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: egocentric Washington of today, that it takes teams for a 208 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: free society to govern itself. It takes teams to get 209 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: things done. And Ronald Reagan used to have a little 210 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: sign on his desk to sit it's amazing which you 211 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: can get done if you don't mind who gets the credit. 212 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: I think Madison thoroughly understood that principle. Hi, this is newt. 213 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: In my new book, March the Majority, The Real Story 214 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 1: of the Republican Revolution, I offer strategies and insights for 215 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: everyday citizens and for season politicians. It's both a guide 216 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: for political success and for winning back the Majority In 217 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, March to the Majority outlines the sixteen 218 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: year campaign to write the Contract with America. Explains how 219 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 1: we elected the first Republican House majority in forty years 220 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:48,079 Speaker 1: in how we worked with President Bill Clinton to pass 221 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 1: major reforms, including four consecutive balance budgets. March to the 222 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: Majority tells the behind the scenes story of how we 223 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: got it done. Go to ginglishtre sixty dot com slash 224 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,959 Speaker 1: book in order your copy now. Order it today at 225 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: ginglishly sixty dot com slash book. Once the Constitution was 226 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:17,559 Speaker 1: presented to the States for ratification, Madison, along with Jefferson 227 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: and Jay, published a series of newspaper essays, and Madison, 228 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: Jay and Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers, writing under the 229 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: pseudonym Publius. Madison authored twenty nine of the essays, published 230 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 1: between October seventeen eighty seven and May seventeen eighty eight. 231 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: In his twenty nine essays, Madison argued the case for 232 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: a strong central government with checks and balances. No one 233 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: emphasizes the founding fathers were as concerned about government being 234 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: too powerful as they were concerned about government being too weak, 235 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: and they wanted to protect you from the very government 236 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: that they had set up to protect the nation. In 237 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 1: Federalist Paper number fifty one, Madison wrote the very famous quote, 238 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: if men were angels, no government would be necessary. If 239 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls, 240 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 1: when government would be necessary. In framing a government which 241 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 1: is to be administered by men over men, the great 242 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: difficulty lies in this You must first enable the government 243 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: to control the government, and in the next place, oblige 244 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: it to control itself. Close quote, and I would argue 245 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: that that is the central crisis of the American system today. 246 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 1: There is none of the sense of balance that Madison 247 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: and Jefferson believed in so deeply. After the ratification of 248 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: the Constitution, Madison attempted to run for the Senate, but 249 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: Patrick Henry, who had been opposed to the Constitution and 250 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: wanted a strong Virginia, successfully worked against it. Instead, Madison 251 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: won the election to the US House of Representatives in 252 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: seventeen eighty nine, ironically over James Monroe, who later on 253 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: to become president following Madison. Madison served in the US 254 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: House until seventeen ninety seven, at a time of enormous 255 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: initial creation of all the principles of the House. So 256 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: he's there as somebody very widely respected, very well known, 257 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: and at first he doesn't want a bill of rights. 258 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: He argues that quote, the government can only exert the 259 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: power specified by the Constitution. But his friend Jefferson was 260 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: adamantly in favor of a bill of rights, thought the 261 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 1: Constitution was too strong and would become a danger to freedom. 262 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: Jefferson's view was spreading throughout the States, and there was 263 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:36,359 Speaker 1: a real danger that the Constitution could only be ratified 264 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: with a bill of rights. So Madison, accepting reality, compiles 265 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: a list of nineteen proposals out of hundreds of suggestions 266 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: they got from the state's ratification debates. In his notes 267 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: for speech in Congress, written around June seventeen eighty nine, 268 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: Madison outlined his reasons for urging the amendments. These included 269 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: first to prove that federalist are the friends to liberty. 270 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:04,479 Speaker 1: Second to remove any remaining worries, Third to bring in 271 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: North Carolina and Rhode Island, and fourth to improve the constitution. 272 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: Notice the practicality, it's North Carolina and Rhode Island that 273 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: won't come in. Therefore you have to have some kind 274 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 1: of compromise. In these notes, Madison wrote that the Bill 275 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: of Rights was useful, not essential, and that's because he 276 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:26,880 Speaker 1: actually thought the Constitution that he had helped draft already 277 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: limited government. But people like Jefferson wanted a little extra guarantee, 278 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: if you will, that even a bad government would be restricted. 279 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: And most of the time the Supreme Court has interpreted 280 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: the Bill of Rights to in fact restrict government. The 281 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: Bill of Rights was the rights of individuals against government. 282 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,679 Speaker 1: Something we tend to forget that our founding fathers were 283 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: as much afraid of strong central government as they felt 284 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 1: the need to have the government strong enough to defend 285 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: us from foreigners. The Congress looked at the nineteen proposals 286 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: ultimately adopted twelve of them as amendments on our Cobe 287 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,639 Speaker 1: Second seventeen eighty nine, President George Washington sent copies of 288 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 1: these twelve amendments to states, and by December fifteenth, seventeen 289 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,160 Speaker 1: ninety one, three fourths of states ratified ten of them, 290 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: and they became what we call the Bill of Rights. 291 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:16,959 Speaker 1: While in the House Representatives, Madison worked with President Washington 292 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 1: and Thomas Jefferson, but in seventeen ninety one and seventeen 293 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: ninety two Madison disagreed with Secuary Treasury Hamilton's proposal to 294 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: establish a national bank. He further broke with the Federal's 295 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: Party over the support of Great Britain during its war 296 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: with France. Remember we'd just been fighting with Britain a 297 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:36,639 Speaker 1: decade earlier for our freedom, and here we were now 298 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:41,680 Speaker 1: siding with Britain against the French Revolution. Madison, with Jefferson 299 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 1: and some anti federalists, founded the Democratic Republican Party. Madison 300 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 1: spoke often on the idea of political parties. In a 301 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: speech to the Constitutional Convention on the Right of Suffrage 302 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: in August seventeen eighty seventy, said quote no free country 303 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:59,640 Speaker 1: has ever been without parties, which are a natural offspring 304 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 1: of freeak. A generation later, in a June twenty fifth, 305 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,400 Speaker 1: eighteen twenty four letter to Henry Lee, he wrote, quote, 306 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: the Constitution itself, whether written or prescriptive, influenced as his 307 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:15,919 Speaker 1: exposition and administration will be by those causes, must be 308 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: an unfailing source of party distinctions, and the very peculiarity 309 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: which gives pre eminent value to that of the United States. 310 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:27,680 Speaker 1: The partition of power between different governments, as well as 311 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: between different departments of government opens a new door for 312 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: controversies and parties. So Madison understands the reality that in 313 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:39,639 Speaker 1: a free society people will organize themselves into parties, and 314 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 1: his study of political systems over the ages had convinced 315 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,440 Speaker 1: him that it was almost a natural evolution, something which 316 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:50,160 Speaker 1: Washington wished would not have happened, but in fact Madison 317 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: knew it would inevitably happen. In seventeen ninety nine, Madison 318 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 1: returned to the Virginia House of Delegates, where he campaigned 319 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: for Thomas Jefferson to be the third press in the 320 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: United States, and when Jefferson won, Madison became Secretary of 321 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: State and stayed there until his own election to the 322 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: presidency in eighteen oh eight. As Secretary of State, Madison 323 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: helped to persuade Congress to ratify and fund the Louisiana purchase, 324 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:17,639 Speaker 1: which doubled the size of the country. Look at a 325 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: map sometime and realized that when the French decided they 326 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: couldn't defend their control of what had been Spanish territory 327 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: starting with New Orleans, and that they would sell the 328 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 1: United States the Mississippi and all of its tributaries, which 329 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:35,639 Speaker 1: includes the Missouri. They were literally for fifteen million dollars, 330 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 1: giving up half of a continent. And it's an enormous moment, 331 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: and Madison is the only people who convinced Congress to 332 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: pay for it. And a July twenty ninth, eighteen oh 333 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: three letter to Robert Livingston, Madison wrote, it will be 334 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: of great importance to take the regulation and settlement of 335 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: that territory out of other hands into those the United States. 336 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: We will be able to manage both for the general 337 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: interest and conveniency. Despite their efforts, Jefferson and Madison could 338 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:06,360 Speaker 1: not convince the Spanish to sell West Florida. Had they 339 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: not bought the Louisiana purchase, and had either the French 340 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: or the Spanish or some other country maintained it, the 341 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 1: United States would have been truncated, stopping at the Mississippi River. 342 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,880 Speaker 1: That's how big a decision was. As it is, they 343 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:39,679 Speaker 1: went all the way to the Pacific, in line with 344 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: what Washington had done. Thomas Jefferson refused to run for 345 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 1: a third term, endorsing Madison instead. The Federalist Party candidate 346 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:51,399 Speaker 1: Charles Coatsworth Pinney unsuccessfully ran for president in the election 347 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 1: of eighteen oh four, losing to Jefferson. Almost immediately, anti 348 00:21:56,440 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: Madison newspapers published across the country with cartoons ridiculed uielding 349 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:04,919 Speaker 1: Madison's small stature and Jefferson's embargo of all trade with 350 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: England and France. The Federalist Party charged that Madison supported 351 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,679 Speaker 1: the embargo to build up domestic manufacturing at the expense 352 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,360 Speaker 1: of foreign trade. One critic asked, why is the embargo 353 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:20,119 Speaker 1: like sickness, because it weakens us. It was not just 354 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,880 Speaker 1: a Federalist Party that was against Madison. A small group 355 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 1: of Democratic Republicans were also against Madison as a candidate, 356 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:30,280 Speaker 1: fearing that Madison's quiet nature meant he was a Hamiltonian 357 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: Federalist in disguise, Jefferson stood up for his friend and 358 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: convinced some members of the Democratic Republican Party to vote 359 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: for Madison. George Clinton, Jefferson's vice president, was among these, 360 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:45,720 Speaker 1: and he, after accepting the vice presidential nomination with Madison, 361 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:50,200 Speaker 1: announced his own candidacy for president. But Madison won by 362 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 1: a landslide of one hundred and twenty two electoral votes 363 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: against Pickney's forty seven. Clinton managed to squeeze six electoral 364 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: votes from his home state and carried twelve states to 365 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: Paintney's five, which means, of course, four of the first 366 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 1: five presidents were in fact from the state of Virginia. 367 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 1: After Madison was elected, but before Jefferson left office, Congress 368 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:17,720 Speaker 1: passed the Non Intercourse Act of eighteen oh nine, replacing 369 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:23,000 Speaker 1: Jeffersons embargo. This allowed world trade except for Britain and 370 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: France to resume. The bill also said that if England 371 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:30,680 Speaker 1: and France removed their trade restrictions, the president could resume trade. However, 372 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:34,879 Speaker 1: when neither country responded to the request to remove restrictions, 373 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 1: Congress passed Mason's Bill number two, a bill that removed 374 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: their trade restrictions for three months, stating that just one 375 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 1: of them removed their restrictions in American trade by March three, 376 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: eighteen eleven, and the other one failed to do so 377 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:52,399 Speaker 1: within three months, the president would reinstate the restrictions on 378 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:57,080 Speaker 1: the other country. France decided to remove their restrictions through 379 00:23:57,119 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 1: the Cadore Letter of August eighteen ten, leading Madison to 380 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:05,199 Speaker 1: implement Macon's Bill number two and two stages, first in 381 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:09,159 Speaker 1: November eighteen ten and then in March eighteen eleven. The 382 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 1: British insisted that American ships would continue to be seized 383 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: until France lifted their restriction on British trade, thus treating 384 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:21,639 Speaker 1: US exports as part of their war strategy. Congress responded 385 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: by voting for military preparations and in April eighteen twelve 386 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: a ninety day embargo. Madison came before Congress with his 387 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,439 Speaker 1: list of complaints against the British, including the arming of 388 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:37,880 Speaker 1: Indians and trade restrictions. The House voted for war on 389 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: June fourth, eighteen twelve. However, the Senate debated for more 390 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 1: than two weeks and would not vote for war until 391 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: June seventeenth. For Madison, this issue of war provided the 392 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 1: opportunity to seize Canada and drive the Spanish from West Florida, 393 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: which they unsuccessfully tried to obtain During the Jefferson administration, 394 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:01,320 Speaker 1: Madison and the pro war members wanted election invasion of Canada. 395 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:05,119 Speaker 1: Their plan was to separate Upper Canada around modern day 396 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: Ontario from the northwest part, cutting off the pro British 397 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:13,120 Speaker 1: Indian tribes from British colonies which supported them. This plan 398 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: ended in a disaster, and by the fall of eighteen twelve, 399 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 1: one American force surrendered at Detroit, another was defeated near 400 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: Niagara Falls, and a third never made it across the 401 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 1: Niagara River. In just a few months, much of the 402 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: Northwest territory fell to British forces. In the spring of 403 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 1: eighteen thirteen, things were looking up when commodore Oliver Hazard 404 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:38,879 Speaker 1: Perry defeated a British fleet on the southwestern tip of 405 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,159 Speaker 1: Lake Erie, followed by a sacking of the Canadian capital 406 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: of York, which is the present day Toronto. This allowed 407 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 1: for Madison to send a force commanded by future President 408 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:52,360 Speaker 1: William Henry Harrison against a Native American leader to Cumsa 409 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: at the Battle of the Thames in western Ontario. They 410 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,919 Speaker 1: beat the Indians badly, and of course that set the 411 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 1: stage for Harrison to be become a hero and eventually president. However, 412 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:06,119 Speaker 1: things went back against the United States in late spring 413 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: eighteen fourteen as the British, who had now defeated Napoleon, 414 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 1: shifted their resources against the Americans and went on the offensive. 415 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,199 Speaker 1: British troops raided American ports from Georgia to Maine, and 416 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: they occupied half of Maine. British troops then targeted the 417 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 1: nation's capitol in Washington, d C. The American government fell, 418 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 1: with British troops torching the White House and many other 419 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,399 Speaker 1: federal buildings in retaliation for burning the Canadian Parliament buildings 420 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 1: the year earlier. In fact, in my entire congressional career, 421 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:41,119 Speaker 1: I kept going up and down a very curvy stone stairway, 422 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: which is called the British stairway, because that's what they 423 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: ran up with the torches in order to burn down 424 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: the Capitol. British were stalled in Baltimore. They were unable 425 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:54,159 Speaker 1: to get past Fort McHenry, and actually it was a 426 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 1: great ironic moment. They had taken Francis Scott Key on 427 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 1: board the British ship and were holding him because they 428 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:04,159 Speaker 1: thought he knew some secrets and they didn't want him 429 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: to reveal them in terms of whether the British were 430 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:10,120 Speaker 1: going to land. So he's watching the night long battle 431 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:13,439 Speaker 1: in which the British tried to bombard Fort McHenry and 432 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 1: force it to surrender. Francis Scott Key writes a poem, 433 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:22,200 Speaker 1: the Star Spangled Banner. It's attached to a British drinking 434 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: song and becomes the national anthem, but it's based on 435 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: real history, which is this night where he really could 436 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: see the Star Spangled banner still waving despite all the 437 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,440 Speaker 1: effort of the British bombardment. However, the British then turned 438 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: their sights to New Orleans. They wanted to use that 439 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 1: city in the coming peace negotiations. They thought if they 440 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: could seize New Orleans, they would give them a bargaining chip. 441 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,680 Speaker 1: About six thousand British soldiers moved against the city. These 442 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: were professional soldiers who had done very well in the 443 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: Peninsula campaign, has stood up against the French army. By 444 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 1: any reasonable projection, they were going to win. New Orleans 445 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 1: was protected by four thousand and American soldiers commanded by 446 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:08,200 Speaker 1: Andrew Jackson and with New Orleans citizens rallying to the cause. Now, 447 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 1: this was one of those cases where the British didn't 448 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:15,439 Speaker 1: understand that Americans had lived a lifetime with rifles. Because 449 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:19,359 Speaker 1: the Americans almost universally had been involved in hunting, and 450 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: because they had rifles which fired much longer than muskets, 451 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 1: and because they were basically protecting themselves behind cotton bales, 452 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,719 Speaker 1: the British were just going to get slaughtered, and they 453 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,920 Speaker 1: didn't get it. As something they would never have done 454 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 1: against Napoleon. They charged across the field because they had 455 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 1: contempt for the Americans. Of the six thousand British soldiers, 456 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: about two thousand died within a few minutes. The remaining 457 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: British soldiers were demoralized, through down their weapons and surrendered immediately. 458 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:51,960 Speaker 1: For two thousand British dead, about seventy Americans died. However, 459 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: the peace treaty had already been made about two weeks earlier, 460 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 1: but because of communications, nobody knew it, so what happened 461 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: was in an unnecessary battle. The British were both defeated 462 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 1: and lost a number of very fine soldiers. The Americans 463 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:09,960 Speaker 1: won a great victory and frankly from the standpoint of 464 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: American history. It is winning in New Orleans that launches 465 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: Andrew Jackson into a career which becomes one of the 466 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 1: most powerful in the first half of the nineteenth century 467 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 1: at changing America and creating a more populous nation. While 468 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: the war ultomately failed, the few victories did return Madison 469 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 1: to a high point of popularity around the country. Throughout 470 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: the war, many New England merchants ignored trade embargoes, traded 471 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: freely with both France and Britain during the War of 472 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: eighteen twelve, and some Federalists talked about seceding from the Union. 473 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 1: As far as they were concerned, their future was in 474 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: the Atlantic Ocean, dealing with the British, not dealing with Washington, 475 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: d c. And Virginians. However, the Federalists ultimately understood that 476 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 1: the country was going to survive, and many Americans came 477 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,479 Speaker 1: to the conclusion that the Federalists were sort of are 478 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: on patriotic. There was already a party that had been 479 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: weakened by Jefferson and Madison, and it collapsed after this 480 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: effort to talk about secession. During Madison's presidency of the 481 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:14,239 Speaker 1: War of eighteen twelve, international affairs took up a lot 482 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: of his time, but the one domestic issue of the 483 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:19,640 Speaker 1: country dealt with was the rechartering of the Bank of 484 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: the United States, whose charter was set to expire in 485 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: eighteen twelve. Remember, the charter of the original bank had 486 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: been Alexander Hamilton's great effort to create a national financial 487 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: system that would enable the economy to grow. Now, the 488 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 1: rechartering of the bank had three different camps in Congress, 489 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: Democratic Republicans who thought the bank was unconstitutional, state backing 490 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 1: interests that were tired of having a federal bank, an 491 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,960 Speaker 1: anti British federalist who objected to stock in the bank 492 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:51,600 Speaker 1: held by Britains. So the War of eighteen twelve started 493 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,479 Speaker 1: without a national bank that could support war loans. In 494 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 1: eighteen sixteen, with Madison's support, which was a switch from 495 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: his opposition again Hamilton the generation earlier, the second bank 496 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 1: was chartered with a twenty year term. Critics of Madison 497 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: claimed that his support of a national bank revealed he 498 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:12,600 Speaker 1: was really a federalist. And it's interesting that Madison, I 499 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: think partly because of his style being quiet, being studious, 500 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 1: being intellectual, he didn't feel like the kind of populist 501 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,400 Speaker 1: the jefferson and the Jeffersonians were the most comfortable, but 502 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: in fact he was probably their best thinker as a Jeffersonian. 503 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:32,720 Speaker 1: Madison's nomination for a second term came fifteen days before 504 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:35,600 Speaker 1: the announcement of the War of eighteen twelve. Madison won 505 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 1: the endorsement of Congress, but about one third of the 506 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: Democratic Republican legislators boycotted the nominating caucus altogether. For second place, 507 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 1: the caucus chose John Langdon of New Hampshire. However, Langdon 508 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:52,800 Speaker 1: declined and they then chose Eldridge Gary, a signer of 509 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:56,160 Speaker 1: the Declaration Independence. And remember it is Elbridge Gary who 510 00:31:56,200 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 1: ultimately draws a map in eighteen twelve in Massachusetts, which 511 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: had a congressional district that looked really weird, and somebody 512 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 1: said that looks like a salamander, and somebody said, no, no, 513 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: that's a jerrymander. And that's where the term jerrymander comes from. 514 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: A group of New York Democratic Republicans who participated in 515 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 1: the boycott supported DeWitt Clinton, the nephew of former Vice 516 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: President George Clinton, who had died during Madison's term. They 517 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 1: were hoping to form a coalition opposed to Madison for 518 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,560 Speaker 1: not moving decisively towards war and American citizens who wanted 519 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 1: almost anyone in office but Madison. These Democratic Republicans met 520 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: with the Federalist Party to discuss a unification strategy, and 521 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 1: Clinton was nominated for president for the Federalist Party, with 522 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 1: Jared Ingisol for Vice President. Clinton, who unlike Madison, was 523 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: only a New York mayor and had no national claim, 524 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 1: chose to tailor their election against Madison, saying quote one 525 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: thing to war Democratic Republicans, another to peace Democratic Republicans, 526 00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 1: and something else again to anti war Federalists. Their message 527 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:05,440 Speaker 1: actually turned Federalist John Quincy Adams against his party, and 528 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 1: he decided to endorse Madison. Madison easily won, carrying one 529 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty eight electoral votes to Clinton's eighty nine. 530 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 1: Madison chose not to run for a third time, which 531 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: reinforced George Washington's president and in fact, up until Franklin 532 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 1: del Noa Roosevelt, nobody would run beyond two terms. Madison 533 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:29,360 Speaker 1: goes back home to his plantation, Montpelier, to live out 534 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: the rest of his life. While he was retired. He 535 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: was a real strong supporter of Jefferson's University of Virginia, 536 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 1: serving on its board, succeeding Jefferson as head of the 537 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: university in eighteen twenty six. Three years later, Madison served 538 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:47,120 Speaker 1: again as a delegate at the Virginia Constitutional Convention, negotiating 539 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 1: compromises between the large slave holding plantations and western farmers. 540 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 1: While delegate, he denounced the right of states to declare 541 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:58,720 Speaker 1: federal laws on constitutional when they went against state interest. 542 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:02,520 Speaker 1: He was also a founding member of the American Colonization Society, 543 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: which favored the gradual abolition of slavery and resetting slaves 544 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:10,040 Speaker 1: and free blacks back to Africa. On June twenty eight, 545 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,839 Speaker 1: eighteen thirty six, after being bed bound for chronic rheumatism 546 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:18,240 Speaker 1: and livered dysfunction for six months, Madison died. His family 547 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,400 Speaker 1: hoped he would make it to the fourth of July 548 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:23,160 Speaker 1: because he wanted him to die on that day, like 549 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:28,839 Speaker 1: President Jefferson, President Adams, and President Monroe, all of whom 550 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:33,319 Speaker 1: had managed to die on our national holiday. I think 551 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: it's important to recognize that Madison shapes so much of 552 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:40,919 Speaker 1: our politics. He shapes the Constitution, he shapes the Bill 553 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:43,840 Speaker 1: of Rights. He really shapes the way the house functions 554 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 1: as an institution. He is a perennial figure who, over 555 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 1: a period of almost forty years, is decisively involved in 556 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 1: creating the America that we now live in. And I 557 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:57,920 Speaker 1: think that Madison, in that sense, clearly is an immortal. 558 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 1: Newtsworld is produced by GINGERSH three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our 559 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:09,920 Speaker 1: executive producer is Guernsey Sloan. Our researcher is Rachel Peterson. 560 00:35:10,239 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: The artwork for the show was created by Steve Penley. 561 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:16,440 Speaker 1: Special thanks to the team at GINGERSH three sixty. If 562 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:19,200 Speaker 1: you've been enjoying Newtsworld, I hope you'll go to Apple 563 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:22,319 Speaker 1: Podcasts and both rate us with five stars and give 564 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,160 Speaker 1: us a review so others can learn what it's all about. 565 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 1: Right now, listeners of Newsworld can sign up for my 566 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 1: three free weekly columns at gingersthree sixty dot com slash newsletter. 567 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:37,000 Speaker 1: I'm newt Gingrish. This is Newsworld.