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 * James Madison **
 * //Born: //**//March 16, 1751-Port Conway, Virginia
 * Died:** June 28, 1836-Orange County, Virginia
 * Terms:** March 4, 1809 to March 3, 1817-Served two terms
 * Vice Presidents:** George Clinton (1809-1812), Elbridge Gerry (1813-1814)-Both died in office
 * Political Party:** Democratic-Republican //

//James Madison is a name known and respected by many. His accomplishments have helped shape America. Despite those same accomplishments, his time in leading the United States was very unimpressive. He is remembered by many as The Father of the Constitution and always will be. Sadly most of his accomplishments appear outside his Presidency. It is due to this important fact that James Madison’s Presidency should be graded with a C-. //

//James Madison entered his Presidency with two main goals that tie directly together. The goals were to stabilize relations with France and Britain, and avoid war with those same two countries. For the most part, if he failed at one he was going to fail at the other. He inherited quite a few problems from Thomas Jefferson, the President before him. The nation’s relations with Britain and France were quickly becoming very negative. The Non-Importation Act, and America’s wanted neutrality was the main cause of these negative interactions. To the dismay of Madison and his administration, all efforts to correct the mistakes of the previous administration failed. Macon’s Bill No. 2, while having good intentions, simply pitted Britain against the United States and pushed for the now inevitable war. Along with Macon’s Bill came the failure of Madison’s first goal, and along with that failure was war, the failure of his second goal. While Madison did unquestionably fail, not all his mistakes can be considered his fault. Truthfully, Jefferson and his administration were as much at fault as Madison and his. //

//Congress, all throughout Madison’s reign as President, was dominated by the Democratic - Republican Party. Because this was Madison’s own party one would assume his relationship with Congress would be great. This was not so, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t able to accomplish anything. In conjunction with Congress, Madison was able to pass some very important pieces of legislation. His administration inherited the Non-Intercourse Act. It was put in place to end abuse to American shipping and sailors. It allowed trade with all nations except France and Britain, those who were abusing American ships. The Act also stated that if either France or Britain accepted America’s neutrality they would be exempt from non-intercourse. When Madison took office, this Act wasn’t working well. In an effort to accomplish the same goal, Macon’s Bill No. 2 was passed. It repealed the Non-Importation Act and offered both Britain and France the acceptance of their neutrality. Faced with the direct decision, Napoleon (of France) agreed and Britain refused. Due to their refusal, non-importation was once again evoked against Britain. The overall decision in making the legislation was not popular. While it repealed the despised Non-Importation Act, it didn’t stop the idea all together. Even with trade to France restored, America was still hurt economically. The bill also pushed America even farther in the direction of war. Despite the majority of Madison’s own party in Congress, Madison had difficulty in his next affair: the declaration of war. The war was caused due to the continued British impressments, Indian unrest (mainly provoked by British), and the rise of “War Hawks”, Madison asked Congress to on June 1, 1812. After heavy debates the Congress declared war on June 18, 1812. The division of Congress was due to the South and West wanting war and New England voting against it. Near the end of Madison’s Presidency, a charter for the Second Bank of the United States was passed. The bank lasted until President Jackson, who vetoed the renewal of the bank’s charter. Overall, James Madison had an average relationship with the Congress of the time. It can’t be said that he had them wrapped around his finger nor that they worked against him. This becomes increasingly evident in the division of Congress, especially in the declaration of war. Madison was never known to have a strong voice and that probably led to his lack of dominance or presence in many Congressional affairs. //

//Madison’s Presidency was never very positive. Most of the more noteworthy actions taken, turned out negatively. Because of the overall negativity, finding the most positive action is quite difficult. Despite its negative connotation, the entering of the War of 1812 was probably one of the most positive actions taken by Madison and his administration. Though the war itself tends to come across in a negative light, it is the results that show its positives. At the end of the war America was finally able to no longer be dependent on Britain for its economy. In fact, the strains of war helped boost American industry. This large move away from an agricultural economy greatly helped in the shaping of the American economy of today. While many people had split opinions of the war it also caused some growth in American unity. The Americans were brought together once again to fight a common foe, the British. In fact, because of the strange similarity to the Revolutionary War, some refer to the War of 1812 as America’s Second War for Independence. //

//Finding the most negative action taken by Madison and his administration is nearly as difficult as choosing the most positive. The problem is different however, where there was so little to choose from before, there is now an overabundance. All things considered, Macon’s Bill No. 2 is probably the most negative. The Bill was passed with very good intentions, but was not thought out very well. By offering either France or Britain the ability to be exempt from non-intercourse they were making themselves choose a side. When the French accepted the offer and the British refused, the American’s had unwittingly aligned themselves with the French, at least in the eyes of the British. This supposed alliance led to the War of 1812 which the still recovering American’s probably weren’t ready for. //

//The most lasting action taken by Madison and his administration is the creation of the Second National Bank. As previously mentioned, it lasted into the Presidency of Andrew Jackson. While that may not be an overly lengthy amount of time, the affects of the Bank have lasted far longer. The Bank’s creation undoubtedly helped America’s economy, especially in the time of war. Overall, the Second National Bank not only affected the economy of America then, but that of America now. //

//While the many accomplishments of James Madison are known throughout the land, very few of them can be attributed to a success in his Presidency. The Father of the Constitution was simply not a good leader. It is due completely to his poor leadership skills as President that he should receive that grade he did. The grade is based on only Madison’s Presidency, and if it was based on his life as a whole, would undoubtedly be higher. To say that the famous James Madison was an excellent President would be a lie, but to say that he was an excellent man with respected character would not. //

//Sources: //

"12th United States Congress." //Wikipedia//. Web. 24 Sep 2009. .

"James Madison." //POTUS//. Web. 24 Sep 2009. .

"James Madison's Presidency." //Public Bookshelf//. Web. 24 Sep 2009. .

William A. Degregorio,. //The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents//. 6th Edition. Fort Lee: Barricade Books Inc., 2005. Print. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">