James Madison

          James Madison has been known as our fourth president. He has been known as the Father of the Constitution. But what does that mean? Madison was president of the United States. Did that make him a good person? What kind of person was James Madison? Was he moral? Was he virtuous? What do those words even mean, and what is public virtue? I’m going to clarify those three words and what they mean before the main segment of my report.

          Gordon S. Wood wrote in “The Creation of the American Republic” on public virtue: “In a republic, however, each man must somehow be persuaded to submerge his personal wants into the greater good of the whole. This willingness of the individual to sacrifice his private interest for the good of the community—such patriotism or love of country—the 18^th century termed public virtue… The 18^th century mind was thoroughly convinced that a popularly government cannot be supported without virtue.” So public virtue is basically when somebody gives up what they want or need for the greater good of the community (or at least that’s what it meant in the 18^th century). Being virtuous and moral is basically knowing right from wrong and doing right. Having defined these terms, I will now continue.

James Madison is one of my heroes. He did a lot of great things in his life because he had a great mission to fulfill. He was also a moral and virtuous man in doing these things. My report isn’t just about the things Madison did in his life, but how he did them.

          One of the greatest, if not the greatest thing James Madison did in his life was helping with the Constitution. Madison was considered the Father of the Constitution because he spoke his opinion on pretty much every problem in the Constitutional Convention. I believe that he, along with many others who attended the Convention, was inspired by God to make that brilliant document. For example, William Pierce, a delegate from Georgia, wrote this about Madison: “… every person seems to acknowledge his greatness. In the management of every great question he evidently took the lead in the Convention… he always comes forward as the best informed man of any point in debate”.

          This brilliant government we have today is a result of James Madison and others sacrificing their fortunes, honor, and, many of them, their lives. They showed public virtue by sitting in a hot, stuffy room with uncomfortable clothes, arguing and debating for months. They couldn’t even open the windows for air because they knew that this document was too sacred to be lied about by Satan’s followers to the people of the United States.  And to just think that they did all of this, not for their own sake, but for the sake of others and for their country. Do many of us know, or even care that they did that? Many of the people of the United States of America instead teach the next generation the opposite: that the Constitution needs to change because these men were not moral or virtuous. And they only teach it because they don’t even understand what these men did. Everything the founders did in that room in Independence Hall was for someone besides themselves. How much public virtue can you have?

          Madison was the President of the United States, and that’s what he’s best known for. But it shouldn’t be. Madison should be known for what he did in Philadelphia in the hot, humid summer of 1787, but he still did great things as President. Madison was the President during the War of 1812. Can you imagine how hard it would be to be the leader of a country during a war? The British burned down his mansion during the war. He narrowly escaped death, and he didn’t even know that his wife was alive until days later. He was criticized every day for what he did in office. He didn’t have to be President. He didn’t have to deal with every lie that was spread around about him. He had already retired from public life. But he chose to serve his country, for the greater good of the people then and now. That is public virtue.

          Could James Madison have done more for his country than that? Serve as President of the United States of America and play the main role in writing the most brilliant document ever written? Could one man have done more for his country? He could have just sat back, relaxed. He could have said it was impossible to do more, and he would have been right. But James Madison was better than that. He could do more than possible. And yes he did.

          Madison wasn’t just the Father of the most brilliant document ever written, but he was the Father of 2 of the most brilliant documents ever written, and he played a critical part in another one. James Madison was the Father of the Bill of Rights, a document that listed our most important unalienable rights. It took 10 amendments and many hours at work for this to be accomplished. This document, I believe, was inspired by God as well. I also believe this document perfected the Constitution. But the Constitution wasn’t even ratified yet! “What is the point of making the most brilliant government ever known to mankind if this blessed country does not even abide by it?” Madison may have asked himself.

          James Madison had already developed that burning desire for serving his country and he was determined to put this brilliant government into action. The people needed to know why to ratify it. So he helped write the Federalist Papers, to persuade the states to ratify this document. He did even more than that, too. Virginia, his state, had its ratifying convention when eight states had ratified the Constitution. Only one more state was needed, do but this government into effect. But the odds were against James Madison, because Patrick Henry, a great and powerful speaker, was attending the convention. And he was against the Constitution. Even though Patrick Henry spoke loud and clear in his powerful voice, and James Madison had a very weak voice, Virginia ratified the Constitution that day. I believe that God caused that to happen through his servants, one of them being James Madison.

          Madison had done it! He had fought through the long, hard battle and won! Couldn’t he have sat back and enjoyed everything he had worked for? No, because James Madison, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and many, many other great and virtuous men, did these things for you. They gave up everything they had, their liberties, their comfort, their necessities and their lives, for you. Not for themselves, for you. And that is public virtue.

          James Madison is my hero for not only doing all of these great things, but doing them for me. I have many other heroes, but Madison is one of my favorites, along with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Madison once said, “Each generation should be made to bear the burden of its own wars, instead of carrying them on, at the expense of other generations.”

Key of Liberty Notes: Page 6

Henry Knox was in Boston, and he went to New York for ammunition. The bad cannons weighed a ton. Knox brought the cannons over a lake and dragged them through snow, but he never gave up. He used his money for oxen to help him through hills and swamps in the winter. There were no roads and fallen trees everywhere. Two cannons fell in the lake, but Knox went after them and got them. Cannons sunk in the mud. He was at a roadblock, and he had three choices: 1. Give up. 2. Hit the wall (mediocrity). 3. Pray. 60 cannons got to Boston with Knox. 2,400 men built ramparts and set up cannons all night. A storm comes in, and Washington is frustrated because he can’t fight the British. The loyalists and British left Washington, and he got Boston without fighting. Instead of killing the extra people in Boston, Washington forgives them.

Key of Liberty Notes: Page 5

1608: Jamestown

1620: Pilgrims

1650: John Washington (George Washington’s grandfather)

George Washington

Age 6: George’s father died

Age 11: George went to the West Indies, where he got smallpox. This made him immune to the disease during the war. George is also 6’1’’. His stepbrother Lawrence, who was fourteen years older than him, also died.

Age 14: George wanted to enlist in the British Navy, but his mother wouldn’t let him.

Age 15: George became a surveyor. His sister-in-law’s father was watching him.

Age 18: George bought lots of land.

Age 20: Fairfax puts Washington as a major in the Virginia Militia.

Age 21: Washington went on a trip with Nathaniel Gist. He walked 33 miles a day and he almost died multiple times. Washington became a colonel. He went to the Ohio Valley to fight the French with Indians.

Age 23: Washington worked with many soldiers such as Thomas Gage, Horatio Gates, and Charles Lee. He was now under General Braddock, who joined him. Washington got sick and strayed behind, and General Braddock went right into a trap. There was so much confusion that the British were shooting each other. Braddock and many other leaders were killed. Washington had two horses shot out from under him, a bullet hole in his hat and three in his coat, but he survived, regrouped the men, and retreated. Washington was now lost and mad again, but his reputation grew because he survived.

Key of Liberty Notes: Page 4

King Richard had five sons. The first and second tried to overtake him, but they died in battle. The third died. The fourth was also named Richard, and he was the next king in 1189. The fifth was John Lackland, and he got Ireland. In 1215, King Richard (Richard’s son) wanted to take the holy land back, so he left. John Lackland took the throne, and he taxed the people. When Richard tried to come back, John sent people to Germany to put Richard in jail. However, Barons got Richard out and took him back to England. John then goes to France and gets the king to attack Richard in England. Richard forgave John, but when John came back, Richard was shot. He forgave the killer, and then he died. John became the next king because Richard sons all mysteriously died. John taxed the Barons and got money for war, nice clothes, diamonds, and feasts. John kept taking money, so the Barons complained to John and threatened him. They offered a charter to him (the Magna Carta), but John wouldn’t sign it. Finally, he died a year later.

Key of Liberty Notes: Page 3

Judicial

Judges

Executive (Enforces Laws)

President

Legislative (Makes Laws)

House of Representatives

Must be:

>25 or more years old

>7 years a citizen of the United States

>An inhabitant of the state that the people which they are representing live in

Also:

>They have a four year term

>Half of them are elected every two years

>The governor of their state appoints a new representative if they leave

>They elect their own officers

>They have power of impeachment

Senate

Must be:

>35 or more years old

>9 years a citizen of the United States

>An inhabitant of the state they are representing

Also:

>They have a six year term

>One-third of them are elected every two years

>There are two per state

>They are led by the Vice President

>The Vice President can’t vote unless he needs to break a tie

>They appoint their president if the Vice President leaves

>They run trials for impeachment

Key of Liberty Notes: Page 2

“Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”—1 Corinthians

America’s government is a Limited Extended Commercial Federal Democratic Republic.

In 1574, King Phillip of Spain hated the Dutch because they interpreted the Bible differently than he did. So, King Phillip fought the Dutch. England told the Dutch that they would help them, but the Dutch were starving, especially in Leyden. The people of Leyden pulled down their dikes, and they still wouldn’t give up. Eight thousand of them die, and the people of Spain (who were fighting them) mocked them. Suddenly, a huge storm knocked down the wall. In the morning, the Spaniards are nowhere to be seen. England gives the Dutch food and the Dutch thank God.

In Boston, the boys were having fun. They were looking forward to skating on the pond the next day. Unfortunately, the British soldiers broke the ice on the pond. Every time the pond re-froze, the British soldiers broke the ice. They even knocked down the boys’ snow fort! The boys eventually went to the English and told them to stop. The general told the soldiers to stop because he was impressed with the courage and the freedom of the boys.

A Boston girl gave up her precious lamb to save the starvation of Boston.

In China, the people had to leave their possessions. Their leaders were strong, but not moral. In fact, they had no religion. The government only taught them political things, and the government got rid of all of the books that gave the people contradictory ideas. The people didn’t get to choose their school

In America, people were doing acts of service and charity. Families were taught by the Bible, and they could leave for free. America had strong and brave leaders, such as George Washington. They turned to religion. They had freedom to choose their education, and they could get books easily. They could also choose any political party that they wanted to. 

Key of Liberty Notes: Page 1

1. I will take all your land and charge you rent à Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.

2. I will charge you a fee that I believe will keep you from ever having any excess with which to compete against my power à A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.

3. I will become your only heir à Abolition of all right of inheritance.

4. If you rebel, I will take all your belongings à Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.

5. I will become your only bank and make all the rules for that bank à Centralization of credit in the hands of the state by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.

6. I will control how you communicate with your other neighbors and your ability to travel à Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state.

7. I will be your boss and own all the means of production à Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state; the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.

8. I will make you work à Equal obligation of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.

9. I will move you wherever I want. If you give me trouble you might even find yourself trying to eke out a living on a frozen rock someplace à Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the population over the country.

10. I will become your child’s teacher à Free education for all children in the public schools. Abolition of child factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc.