Madison James - Becoming Madison: the extraordinary origins of the least likely founding father

Praise for Becoming Madison

Becoming Madison is superb. The history is lively and engaging. But Michael Signers greatest contribution is to turn a biography of Madison into a manual on leadership that is as relevant and valuable today as it was 200 years ago.

Anne-Marie Slaughter, Director of Policy Planning, U.S. State Department, 20092011 and President and CEO, New America Foundation

For centuries James Madison has been overshadowed by the more striking and charismatic members of Americas founding generation. And Madisons youth has been even less well known than his maturity. Michael Signer goes far toward filling this historical gap with an engaging, insightful account of how the unassuming young Madison became the hero of the Constitution.

H. W. Brands, University of Texas at Austin, author of Andrew Jackson, His Life and Times and The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace

James Madison would be called a flip-flopper in todays political climate. Thank God he changed his mind and concluded that adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution was not just good politics but necessary policy. This is just one of the wonderful aspects of James Madisons life that Michael Signer captures so well in this important biography. Our nation owes huge debts to Madison, and todays civic leaders owe a huge debt to Signer for reminding us why.

United States Senator Tim Kaine

This engagingly written, carefully researched book is the fullest account we have of the development of Madisons thought and statesmanship through the promotion and drafting of the Constitution to the greatest triumph of his life, the ratification of the Virginia Convention of 1788. Signer shows how there, in face-to-face debate with Patrick Henry, Madison proved what John Marshall termed Madisons unmatched ability to convince could overcome Henrys supreme power to persuade. This capacity characterized Madisons style and career in a way that allowed him to become the master philosopher and practitioner of Lincolns Union conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all... are created equal. Signer also shows brilliantly how Madisons studies at Princeton under John Witherspoon began an influential and revealing partnership in public spirited citizenship for good government. Altogether the book brings us closer to understanding how Madison became able to be, all things considered, the father of the Constitution.

Ralph Ketcham, Maxwell Professor Emeritus of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, author of James Madison: A Biography

One of the great contributions of Michael Signers Becoming Madison is the relevance of Madisons role in the epochal debates surrounding the birth of our nation to the issues we face today, especially Madisons commitment to attacking ideas rather than individuals. (Would that we now had more such advocates.) Signer helps us better understand how Madisons towering intellect and unquenchable passion for the principled tenets necessary to create a lasting republic forged his character, and how he related to the other, better known, giants of his time, particularly to Patrick Henry. The way Signer captures the palpable tension, vitriol, and passion in Madisons war of words and ideas with Henry is masterful. The reader cant help but wonder, if it hadnt been for the tenacity of Madison, would we have truly become the UNITED States of America?

Charles S. Robb, former Virginia Governor and United States Senator

Michael Signers Becoming Madison offers a gripping portrait of the emergence and development of the leadership of one of our countrys great architects. We are wonderfully reminded of the power of a single persons passion, humility, and statesmanship in shaping a nations destiny.

Michael Useem, Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Leadership and Change at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

In this highly readable and often insightful treatment, Signer colors in the portrait, finding the essential Madison in the young man.... A perfect introduction to a deeply private and immensely important man.

Kirkus

Copyright 2015 by Michael Signer.

Published in the United States by PublicAffairs, a Member of the Perseus Books Group

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Book design by Jack Lenzo

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Signer, Michael.

Becoming Madison : the extraordinary origins of the least likely founding father / Michael Signer. -- First edition.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-61039-296-9 (ebook)

1. Madison, James, 1751-1836. 2. Presidents--United States--Biography. 3. United States--Politics and government--1783-1809. I. Title.

E342.S544 2015

973.51092--dc23

[B]

2014038885

First Edition

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Emily and Jacoby and William

Contents

in the Life of James Madison, 17511789

From nature, from habit, it may be even from the imperfect state of health to which [Madison] was reduced at the outset of his career, his was the most passionless course of education and elevation. He never addressed a passion or required a prejudice: but relying on reason alone for every conviction, he effected his purpose without any appeal to prejudices.

National Portrait Gallery of Distinguished Americans