The 4th President of the United States James Madison was born on this day 1751.

Ten Notes On James Madison.

1. James Madison was our shortest POTUS at 5’4″ he weighed 100 pounds. He had blue eyes and blond hair. His was of English ancestry. He was born on Port Conway, Virginia. His religion was Episcopalian. Because of his height he was nicknamed “Little Jemmy.” He was one of our most educated of founding fathers having graduated from Princeton.

2. James Madison was a key figure at the Constitutional Convention. He presented the Virginia Plan [which would be rejected by the smaller states} and it is because of James Madison that we know a lot of what happened behind closed doors. He was the one who attended the most meetings and he took detailed notes on what was going on at the convention. What everyone was saying and the ideas that were being thrown out there. When he didn’t get is way and had to compromise with the small states on a constitution he was not all together happy but as time went on he would support it and its ratification. Madison would end up being the main author of the United States Constitution he is also the Father of the Bill of Rights. One of our most brilliant Founding Fathers.

3. James Madison wasn’t the most personable of men. The person who balanced him out was his wife Dolley. Dolley more than made up for James Madison’s difficulties in that area. When he was POTUS she was known as a great hostess. Sadly, after Madison’s death in 1831, Dolley would end up having to sell their Montpelier home. She would live in increased poverty in a house across the street from the White House. She died in 1849. James and Dolley Madison had no children. When James married Dolley she was a widow who had two children from that marriage. Aaron Burr introduced James Madison to Dolley. {Dolley Madison initiated the first Easter Egg roll on the White House lawn.}

4. Madison’s presidency is best remembered for the War of 1812 with the British. The most remembered event of the war was when the British captured Washington,D.C. and burned the White House and the Capitol. Madison was away with the troops when the British arrived but Dolley was at the White House and gathered papers and whatever she could before leaving- she also famously saved the portrait of George Washington.

5. James Madison didn’t have good luck with Vice Presidents. His first Vice Daddy George Clinton died in 1812 of a heart attack [the first Vice Daddy to die in office} His second Vice President Elbridge Gerry died in 1814 midway through Madison’s second term. Gerry is the only signer of the Declaration of Independence who is buried in Washington, D.C.

6. The first White House wedding took place in March 1812. Dolley Madison’s sister Lucy Washington married associated Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd.

7. James Madison was the first POTUS to wear trousers rather than knee breeches. The first inauguation ball was held after James Madison’s inauguration. Both of his Vice Presidents were older than he was.

8. James Madison and Zachary Taylor POTUS #12 were second cousins.

9. When James Madison died on June 28th, 1836 at the age of 85 he had been the last surviving signer of the U.S. Constitution. Its too bad he couldn’t have hung on another week- POTUS #2 John Adams #3 Thomas Jefferson and #5 James Monroe all died on July 4th. How cool would it had been if 4 of the first 5 had died on July 4th?

10. James Madison is the one who coined the phrase “Mr. President” for what the leader of the United States should be called.