James Madison

He didn't sign the Declaration of Independence or fight in the Revolutionary War, but no one did more to create the United States of America than James Madison.

His influence is seen in a remarkable document, the Constitution, which not only established a system of government that has served America so well for more than two centuries but also guaranteed the fundamental rights of American citizens.

Framing that document, as Madison readily acknowledged, was a collaborative effort.

Yet so important were his contributions that the quiet, diminutive Virginian won the nickname 'Father of the Constitution'.

This book explores the childhood and youth of James Madison, revealing some of the people, ideas, and events that would shape his later thinking.

A man of keen intellect and great foresight, America's fourth president helped lay the foundation of the world's longest-lasting democracy.