JAMES MADISON

An admiring biography of America’s fourth president.

James Madison (1751-1836) is known as the “Father of the Constitution.” Madison agreed—but only in retirement. The son of an influential planter and already a widely admired Virginia leader, he arrived in Philadelphia in 1787 with plans for a fundamental redesign of American government. Cost delivers a vivid account of Madison’s energetic efforts, followed by his role in the first Congress. Under his shrewd political leadership, that body produced tax laws and the Bill of Rights, among other significant accomplishments. “If Madison had suddenly dropped dead on September 29, 1789,” writes Cost, “he would still be remembered as one of the greatest Founding Fathers.” He did not, of course, and opposed Alexander Hamilton’s plans for a national bank, a national assumption of state debts, and policies to encourage industry (topics the author covered in his 2018 book, The Price of Greatness). Other historians claim that Madison reversed himself to become a Jeffersonian advocate of minimal government. However, Cost maintains that Madison remained consistent in affirming that government must ensure that its benefits were distributed equally. He opposed Hamilton’s proposals because they favored a privileged class. Jeffersonian ideals triumphed with the 1800 election, and Madison, serving as Jefferson’s secretary of state, enjoyed smooth sailing. By the time Madison became president in 1809, Hamilton was gone, but his realistic view of America’s place in the world trumped Jefferson’s virtuous, agrarian republic, which had no hope of dealing with powerful Britain. Unprepared for war in 1812, the U.S. bumbled through, but according to Cost, Madison showed his usual political acumen. Financing the war proved almost impossible, so he authorized a national bank. He supported internal improvements and the first protective tariff, co-opting Hamilton’s best economic ideas to lay the groundwork for America’s explosive growth.

One of many Madison biographies, Cost’s book deserves high marks as a skillful study of an iconic historical figure.