February 22-23, 2001 Princeton University

For conference proceedings see below at right.

Madison Exhibition through April 14 at Firestone Library

James Madison (1751-1836), fourth President of the United States and one of the most important but least known of the Founding Fathers, is often called the "Father of the Constitution," as well as of the Bill of Rights. Yet few understand his part in developing the architecture and phrasing of these documents. Fewer still understand his crucial role in creating partisan party politics and fostering what we usually think of as Jeffersonian democracy.

In recent years, however, the historical community has come to view Madison as a pivotal player in the development of American government, politics, and political thought. The 250th anniversary of Madison’s birth coincides with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Princeton’s Graduate School. The occasion provides a welcome opportunity for a serious study of Madison’s influence.

In a special 2-day event titled "A Constitution For The Ages: James Madison The Framer," we assembled some of the leading figures in what might aptly be called the "Madison renaissance." Our motives were mixed, for we wanted not only to enunciate the reasons for Madison’s national significance, but to celebrate his importance as a graduate of the College of New Jersey, as Princeton University was originally known. Considered Princeton’s first graduate student (he stayed on in 1771 to study Hebrew and ethics), Madison also served as the first president of Princeton’s alumni association.

The James Madison conference sessions on February 22-23, 2001 are available for viewing online through Princeton University's WebMedia archives.

The concluding lecture, "James Madison's Constitutional Interpretation," on February 23 by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, is not available for viewing. There is also no transcript or tape available.

Audiotapes and videotapes of the conference sessions are also available upon request. Each speaker session is recorded on a separate tape. Audiotapes are $10 per speaker session or $50 for all six sessions. Videotapes are $15 per speaker session. Shipping is $3 per tape.

To request a tape or tapes, contact:

Attn: James Madison Conference
Graduate Alumni Relations and Development
Princeton University
PO Box 255
Princeton, NJ  08544
Tel.: (609) 258-2742 * Fax: (609)258-6180

Other Madison Web sites:

The James Madison Center at James Madison University
Montpelier, the home of James Madison in Orange, Virginia
The Papers of James Madison, sponsored by the University of Virginia

James Madison Museum in Orange, Virginia

Hear from leading figures in the "Madison Renaissance":

Brown’s Gordon Wood
Stanford’s Jack Rakove
MIT’s Pauline Maier
UVA’s John Stagg *73
U. of Toronto’s Jennifer Nedelsky
also
Madison Medalist the Honorable Lloyd Axworthy *72
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

America's Congress: Actions in the Public Sphere, James Madison Through Newt Gingrich
David R Mayhew

Business of May Next: James Madison and the Founding
William L Miller

The Federalist
Alexander Hamilton (with John Jay and James Madison)

The Federalist Papers
Alexander Hamilton (with John Jay and James Madison)
Editor: Clinton Rossiter
Introduction: Charles R. Kesler

The Federalist Papers
Alexander Hamilton (with John Jay and James Madison)
Editor: Isaac Kramnick

Federalist Papers
Alexander Hamilton (with John Jay and James Madison)
Introduction : Garry Wills

Founding Friendship: George Washington, James Madison, and the Creation of the American Republic
Stuart Eric Leibiger

James Madison: A Biography
Ralph Ketcham

James Madison: The Founding Father
Robert Allen Rutland

James Madison's Advice to My Country
James Madison
Editor: David B Mattern

The Political Philosophy of James Madison
Garrett Ward Sheldon

Power Versus Liberty: Madison, Hamilton, Wilson, and Jefferson
James H Read

The Sacred Fire of Liberty: James Madison and the Founding of the Federal Republic
Lance Banning

Science and the Founding Fathers: Science in the Political Thought of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and James Madison
I. Bernard Cohen

Writings
James Madison

An exhibition on Madison and the Constitution and Madison and Princeton, in the lobby of Firestone Library. The exhibition includes not only the three sheets that comprise the first printing of the Constitution, but also the first printing of the ratified Constitution. Early printings of The Federalist, whose debates motivated ratification, are also exhibited. These rare works are accompanied by original letters from Madison and his contemporaries documenting the framing of the Constitution and its ratification.

Letters from Madison, including one bearing his "best wishes for the prosperity of Nassau-Hall," outline his connections with Princeton. The exhibition is embellished with life portraits of both Madison and his wife Dolly, by objects once owned by Madison, by Dolly Madison's will and by the copy of the 1809 inaugural address from which Madison read at his inauguration.