James Madison: Father of the Constitution

Abstract

Among the Founding Fathers, James Madison stands out as instrumental in the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. His introduction of the Virginia Plan at the 1787 Constitutional Convention called for a system of checks and balances, and Madison’s contribution to the Federalist Papers place him among the most important political philosophers of the period. While a Federalist during the Constitutional debate, he came to see the reasons for the Bill of Rights, and along with Jefferson established the first opposition party in American politics.