The Presidency of James MadisonRobert Allen Rutland248 pages, 6 x 9
In this study of the fourth presidency distinguished historian Robert Rutland paints a more complicated portrait. Rutland, former editor-in-chief of the Madison Papers, sees Madison as a bookish, practical statesman who worked furiously to avoid conflicts in his cabinet and in Congress. When he finally realized England would not be swayed by economic pressure, he boldly led the nation into a second war for independence that allowed the United States to emerge with a renewed sense of dignity and purpose. Rutland's lively narrative covers all major events of the Madison administration, including the War of 1812 and the push for national expansion. It provides a fresh interpretation not only of the contribution of Madison's presidency, but also of the "master builder of the Constitution" himself. Madison emerges neither as the weakling painted by Henry Adams nor as a demigod, but rather as a man who attempted to be the president envisioned at the Constitutional Convention and who achieved his highest priority, to strengthen the Union.
ROBERT ALLEN RUTLAND is Research Professor of American
History at the University of Tulsa and the former editor-in-chief
of The Papers of James Madison. Among his most important
books are James Madison: The Founding Father; The Birth
of the Bill of Rights; and Madison's Alternatives and
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Henry Adams portrayed James Madison
as a weak president who lacked both decisiveness and administrative
skills. For a century, most historians accepted Adams's assessment.