Madison's Gift

"The solitary hero, the man on horseback, readily commands emotional attention. Madison's heroic moments tended, like him, to be the quiet ones." – Stewart, from chapter "The End of the Beginning"















James Madison is often thought of the first of the four presidents who has been most forgotten.  The more one reads about Washington, no matter current political stances, the more we realize his profound influence on all levels for the formation of a united states.  If anything, Washington can sometimes be undervalued as something of a hollow character, which is a total misperception and one that has hopefully run its course in contemporary historical studies.  Adams was a firebrand, a frenetic worker devoted to causes of liberty against a monarchical background of rule.  Because he was the second president and the first occupy a modern white house, Adams is often given his due on paper.  Jefferson might very well receive more study than any other president besides Lincoln, as one of the more dynamic characters in American history.  Jefferson's is a very human story of life and loss and deep

Hamilton as chief partner in constructing the Federalists Papers

ambition and a deeper yet loathing of the monarchical system which he saw first hand not just here in American under England but also a French ambassador before his presidency.  Madison often comes across as a man in the background, an aid to Washington, a friend to Jefferson, a partner to Hamilton, which is exactly what Madison's Gift underscores: Madison's true talent was not as a war hero or as the chosen drafter of the Declaration of the Independence, but as a influential, brilliant and devoted servant to those he chose as partners.  As he said in a quote, his style of leadership was focused on "what was due from him to others."  His partnerships with Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Monroe and his wife Kitty turned him from the prospect of a mere untiring worker behind the scenes to an overachiever who became the fourth president, and eventually inspired nearly sixty cities across the U.S. to dedicate his namesake, Madison, as the designated city name.