Born in Port Conway, King George County, Virginia; second cousin to Zachary Taylor. Graduated from the College of New Jersey, now Princeton, in 1771. Married Dorothea "Dolley" Dandridge Payne Todd September 15, 1794. They had no children.

Member of the Continental Congress 1780 to 1783. Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Elected to the House of Representatives and served March 4, 1789, to March 3, 1797. Appointed Secretary of State under Jefferson and served May 2, 1801, to March 3, 1809. Elected 4th President and served March 4, 1809, to March 3, 1817. He died at his home at Montpelier, Virginia.

Madison appears on paper money:

$5000 United States Legal Tender Note series 1878

$5000 Gold Certificates, series 1863, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1882, 1888, and 1928.

$5000 Federal Reserve Note, series 1918, 1928 and 1934

$5 Bank of Kentucky, Louisville

Madison appears on an Indian Peace Medal (Julian IP-5, 6, 7) with dies by John Reich. Modern copies (USM 104) have been sold by the Mint.

The James Madison presidential dollar coin was released November 15, 2007. Obverse was designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart.

bio: ApCAB; BDC; BDEB; DAB; Drake; EAB; Loubat; NCAB 5; TCBDA; WAB; WWWA-H