James Madison

By Tom Kirvan

The Constitution of the United States, the collective work of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pa., was completed and signed by a majority of delegates on September 17, 1787, nearly 240 years ago.

Long known as the supreme law of the land, the Constitution was primarily written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. Madison, however, was widely considered its chief author and is often called the “Father of the Constitution,” although he proclaimed that the document was “the work of many heads and many hands.”

One of the Founding Fathers, Madison was a renowned statesman and diplomat and served as the nation’s fourth president (1809-17). During his time in office, Madison worked hard to preserve unity among the states in the fledgling nation, declaring that “If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.”

Other words of wisdom from the College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton University) grad:

James Madison

“The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries.”
“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”
“The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.”
“War contains so much folly, as well as wickedness, that much is to be hoped from the progress of reason.”
“The happy union on these States is a wonder; their Constitution a miracle; their example the hope of liberty throughout the world.”