Madison wrote most of the U.S. Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. James Madison was in power during an important time. Even though America did not end the War of 1812 as the ultimate “victor,” it did end with a stronger and independent economy. As the author of the Constitution, decisions made during his time as president were based on his interpretation of the document. He was well respected in his time for not only authoring the document but also administering it. Madison was a man of small statue, standing only 5'2” tall weighing only one hundred pounds. He did not have a strong speaking voice so was not known as a great orator, choosing to be behind the scenes. He is displayed with his finger at a page in a reference book. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jamesmadison
Presidential Years: 1809-1817