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James Madison: Writings

Edited by Jack Rakove

“James Madison’s career represents a remarkable unity of theory and practice. With this volume, justice is done to the subtlest political thinker of America’s founding era—or of any other era.” — George Will

Overview
Table of Contents

Overview

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November 11, 2020

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Over 200 years after the founding of the federal republic, James Madison remains the most important political thinker in American history. The prime framer of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, Madison was also a brilliant expositor of the new republican government and its underlying principles. His eloquent and insightful writing on freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, the rights of minorities under majority rule, the role of the states in the federal system, and the separation of powers are central to American political thought and speak to the controversies of the present day.

Arranged chronologically, this Library of America volume contains 197 essays, addresses, speeches, private memoranda, and letters written between 1772 and 1836. Included are all 29 of Madison’s contributions to The Federalist, as well as revealing letters and speeches from the Constitutional Convention, the crucial Virginia ratifying convention, and the first federal Congress that illuminate his central role in framing and ratifying the Constitution and adopting the Bill of Rights. Early letters from the Revolution and the Confederation record Madison’s strong commitment to religious freedom, his acute observations on the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, and the beginning of his historic political collaboration with Thomas Jefferson.

Selections from the 1790s include eloquent denunciations of the Alien and Sedition Acts and candid private appraisals of George Washington and John Adams. Writings from his terms as secretary of state and president record his determination to uphold American independence during the conflicts of the Napoleonic era and his leadership of the nation during the fiercely controversial War of 1812. Letters and memoranda from his retirement demonstrate his opposition to nullification and secession, his illusory hopes for African colonization as a solution to the dilemma of slavery, and his deepening concern over the sectional threat to the federal union he loved. James Madison: Writings includes a chronology of Madison’s life, an essay on the texts, explanatory notes, and an index.

Jack N. Rakove, volume editor, is Coe Professor of History at Stanford University and the author of The Beginnings of the National Politics, James Madison and the Creation of the American Republic, and Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for history.

This Library of America series edition is printed on acid-free paper and features Smyth-sewn binding, a full cloth cover, and a ribbon marker.

James Madison: Writings is kept in print by a gift from the Florence Gould Foundation to the Guardians of American Letters Fund.
Table of Contents

THE REVOLUTION AND THE CONFEDERATION, 1772–1787

• To William Bradford, November 9, 1772
• To William Bradford, January 24, 1774
• To William Bradford, April 1, 1774
• Amendments to the Virginia Declaration for Rights, May 29–June 11, 1776
• To Thomas Jefferson, March 27, 1780
• To Thomas Jefferson, April 16, 1781
• Observations on State Territorial Claims, May 1, 1782
• Memorandum on Conversation Regarding the Continental Army, February 20, 1783
• Speech in the Continental Congress on Revenue, February 21, 1783
• To Edmund Randolph, May 1783
• To Lafayette, March 20, 1785
• Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments, c. June 20, 1785
• To James Monroe, August 7, 1785
• To Caleb Wallace, August 23, 1785
• To George Washington, December 9, 1785
• To James Monroe, March 9, 1786
• To Thomas Jefferson, August 12, 1786
• To James Monroe, September 11, 1786
• To George Washington, December 7, 1786
• To Edmund Pendleton, February 24, 1787
• To Thomas Jefferson, March 19. 1787
• Vices of the Political System of the United States, April 1787
• To George Washington, April 16, 1787

FRAMING AND RATIFYING THE CONSTITUTION, 1787–1789

• The Virginia Plan, May 29, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on Factions, June 6, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on the Revisionary Power, June 6, 1787
• To Thomas Jefferson, June 6, 1787
• Remarks in the Federal Convention on the Power to Negative State Laws, June 8, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on the New Jersey Plan, June 19, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on the General and State Governments, June 21, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on the Senate, June 26, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on Relations Among the States, June 28, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on the Danger of Dissolution, June 29, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on Divisions Between the States, June 30, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on the Proposed Compromise on State Representation, July 5, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on Apportioning Representation, July 11, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention Opposing Equal Representation in the Senate, July 14, 1787
• Remarks in the Federal Convention on Electing the Executive, July 17, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on Electing the Executive, July 19, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on Impeachment, July 20, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on Ratification, July 23, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on Electing the Executive, July 25, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on Suffrage, August 7, 1787
• Speech in the Federal Convention on Control of Congressional Elections, August 9, 1787
• To Thomas Jefferson, September 6, 1787
• To George Washington, September 30, 1787
• To George Washington, October 18, 1787
• To Thomas Jefferson, October 24, 1787
• To George Washington, November 18, 1787
• The Federalist No. 10, November 22, 1787
• The Federalist No. 14, November 30, 1787
• The Federalist No. 18, December 7, 1787
• The Federalist No. 19, December 8, 1787
• The Federalist No. 20, December 11, 1787
• To Edmund Randolph, January 10, 1788
• The Federalist No. 37, January 11, 1788
• The Federalist No. 38, January 12, 1788
• The Federalist No. 39, January 16, 1788
• The Federalist No. 40, January 18, 1788
• The Federalist No. 41, January 19, 1788
• The Federalist No. 42, January 22, 1788
• The Federalist No. 43, January 23, 1788
• The Federalist No. 44, January 25, 1788
• The Federalist No. 45, January 26, 1788
• The Federalist No. 46, January 29, 1788
• The Federalist No. 47, January 30, 1788
• The Federalist No. 48, February 1, 1788
• The Federalist No. 49, February 2, 1788
• The Federalist No. 50, February 5, 1788
• The Federalist No. 51, February 6, 1788
• The Federalist No. 52, February 8, 1788
• The Federalist No. 53, February 9, 1788
• The Federalist No. 54, February 12, 1788
• The Federalist No. 55, February 13, 1788
• The Federalist No. 56, February 16, 1788
• The Federalist No. 57, February 19, 1788
• The Federalist No. 58, February 20, 1788
• The Federalist No. 62, February 27, 1788
• The Federalist No. 63, March 1, 1788
• To Eliza House Trist, March 25, 1788
• Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention in Defense of the Constitution, June 6, 1788
• Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention on Direct Taxation, June 11, 1788
• Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention on Taxation, a Bill of Rights, and the Mississippi, June 12, 1788
• Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention on the Militia, June 14, 1788
• Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention on Control of the Military, June 16, 1788
• Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention on the Slave Trade Clause, June 17, 1788
• Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention on the Judicial Power, June 20, 1788
• Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention on Ratification and Amendments, June 24, 1788
• To Alexander Hamilton, June 27, 1788
• To Alexander Hamilton, July 20, 1788
• Observations on the “Draught of a Constitution for Virginia,” c. October 15, 1788
• To Thomas Jefferson, October 17, 1788
• To Edmund Randolph, November 2, 1788
• To Edmund Randolph, November 23, 1788
• To George Eve, January 2, 1789
• To Edmund Randolph, March 1, 1789

CONGRESS AND THE REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION, 1789–1801

• Speech in Congress on Presidential Titles, May 11, 1789
• Speech in Congress on the Removal Power, May 19, 1789
• Speech in Congress Proposing Constitutional Amendments, Jun 8, 1789
• Speech in Congress on Presidential Removal Power, June 16, 17, 1789
• To Edmund Pendleton, June 21, 1789
• Remarks in Congress on Proposed Constitutional Amendments, August 15, 1789
• Remarks in Congress on the “Most Valuable Amendment,” August 17, 1789
• To Richard Peters, August 19, 1789
• Memorandum on Colonizing Freed Slaves, c. October 20, 1789
• To Thomas Jefferson, February 4, 1790
• To Benjamin Rush, March 20, 1790
• Remarks in Congress During Debate on Militia Bill, December 16, 1790
• Speech in Congress on religious Exemptions from Militia Duty, December 22, 1790
• Speech in Congress Opposing the National Bank, February 2, 1791
• To Thomas Jefferson, May 12, 1791
• Population and Emigration, National Gazette, November 21, 1791
• Consolidation, National Gazette, December 5, 1791
• Dependent Territories, National Gazette, December 12, 1791
• Public Opinion, National Gazette, December 19, 1791
• Government, National Gazette, January 2, 1792
• Charters, National Gazette, January 19, 1792
• Parties, National Gazette, January 23, 1792
• Universal Peach, National Gazette, February 2, 792
• Government of the United States, National Gazette, February 6, 1792
• Spirit of Governments, National Gazette, February 20, 1792
• Republican Distribution of Citizens, National Gazette, March 3, 1792
• Fashion, National Gazette, March 22, 1792
• Property, National Gazette, March 29. 1792
• The Union: Who Are Its Real Friends?, National Gazette, April 2, 1792
• Memorandum on Washington’s Retirement, May 1792
• To George Washington, June 20, 1792
• A Candid State of Parties, National Gazette, September 26, 1792
• Who Are the Best Keepers of the People’s Liberties?, National Gazette, December 22, 1792
• To Thomas Jefferson, June 13, 1793
• “Helvidius” No. 1, August 21, 1793
• To Thomas Jefferson, September 2, 1793
• To Dolley Payne Todd, August 18, 1794
• Speech in Congress on “Self-Created Societies,” November 27, 1794
• To James Monroe, December 20, 1795
• Speech in Congress on the Jay Treaty, March 10, 1796
• Speech in Congress on the Jay Treaty, April 6, 1796
• To Thomas Jefferson, December 19, 1796
• To Thomas Jefferson, January 15, 1797
• To Thomas Jefferson, c. February 18, 1798
• To Thomas Jefferson, April 2, 1798
• To Thomas Jefferson, May 13, 1798
• Virginia Resolutions Against the Alien and Sedition Acts, December 21, 1798
• To Thomas Jefferson, December 29, 1798
• Foreign Influence, Aurora General Advertiser, January 23. 1799
• Political Reflections, Aurora General Advertiser, February 23, 1799
• Report on the Alien and Sedition Acts, January 7, 1800
• To Thomas Jefferson, January 10, 1801

SECRETARY OF STATE AND PRESIDENT, 1801–1817

• To Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe, July 29, 1803
• To James Monroe, July 6, 1807
• First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1809
• Veto Message to Congress, February 21, 1811
• To Thomas Jefferson, May 25, 1812
• War Message to Congress, June 1, 1812
• Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1813
• To John Nicholas, April 2, 1813
• To John Armstrong, August 13, 1814
• Memorandum on the Battle of Bladensburg, c. August 24, 1814
• Memorandum on Armstrong’s Resignation, August 29, 1814
• To Wilson Cary Nicholas, November 26, 1814
• Message to Congress on Peace Treaty, February 18, 1815
• Seventh Annual Message to Congress, December 5, 1815
• Veto Message to Congress, March 3, 1817

RETIREMENT, 1817–1836

• To Robert Walsh, March 2, 1819
• To Robert J. Evans, June 15, 1819
• To Spencer Roane, September 2, 1819
• To Robert Walsh, November 27, 1819
• Detached Memoranda, 1819?
• To James Monroe, February 10, 1820
• To Spencer Roane, May 6, 1821
• To Spencer Roane, June 29, 1821
• Jonathan Bull and Mary Bull, c. 1821
• To Edward Livingston, July 10, 1822
• To William T. Barry, August 4, 1822
• To Edward Everett, March 19, 1823
• To Thomas Jefferson, June 27, 1823
• To Henry Lee, June 25, 1824
• To Peter S. DuPonceau, August 1824
• To Thomas Jefferson, February 8, 1825
• To Thomas Jefferson, February 24, 1826
• To Nicholas P. Trist, July 6, 1826
• To Henry Colman, August 25, 1826
• To Joseph Cabell, September 18, 1828
• Speech in the Virginia Constitutional Convention, December 2, 1829
• A Sketch Never Finished Nor Applied, 1830?
• To Edward Everett, August 28, 1830
• To James Robertson, March 27, 1831
• To Jared Sparks, April 8, 1831
• To Jared Sparks, June 1, 1831
• To Mathew Carey, July 27, 1831
• To Nicholas P. Trist, May 1832
• To Andrew Stevenson, November 20, 1832
• To Nicholas P. Trist, December 23, 1832
• To William Cabell Rives, March 12, 1833
• Advice to My Country, 1834
• To George Tucker, June 27, 1836

APPENDIX: The Constitution

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