Lisa Mead, age 15, of Santa Rosa, Calif., for her question:
WHO WAS THE FATHER OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION?
James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, is known as the Father of the American Constitution. It was his suggestions in 1787 that went into what was called the Virginia plan, the starting point for the Constitutional Convention.
Madison went into public life in 1775 when he was 24 years old. He joined a group of patriots who wanted to protect the tights of the colonists and to revolt against British rule. The following year he was elected to Virginia's legislative body.
It wasn't long until Madison was preparing most of the governor's public papers and he came to be called "secretary of state." Because he wanted most to protect the freedom of the people through a declaration of rights, he came to the attention of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson became one of his closest friends.
As a member of Virginia's delegation to the Constitutional Convention, and also the youngest delegate in attendance, Madison was a leader of a group that wanted a strong central government. The Virginia plan, made up primarily of Madison's proposals, became the foundation for the Constitution.
Helping to write the final draft of the Constitution, Madison insisted on a brief and clear format. He was the only one who kept full notes of the convention's secret meetings. These notes are now historically important.
Madison's next job was to help win approval for the Constitution. He was a member of Virginia's ratifying convention in 1788. After a long debate, the convention voted 89 to 79 in favor of the Constitution.
Madison's influence was soon felt in the new government. As a member of the House of Representatives, he served as that body's first real leader.
When Jefferson was elected third President of the U.S., he appointed Madison as Secretary of State. Following Jefferson's two terms in office, Madison was elected President in 1808. He, too, served two terms.
At the end of the Revolutionary Was, the new nation was a loose confederation of states. By 1787 it was decided that the Articles of Confederation needed revision. Delegates from 12 states attended a convention, with only Rhode Island refusing to attend because it resented "outside interference" in its affairs.
The delegates decided against simply revising the Articles of Confederation and decided instead to write an entirely new Constitution.
The new Constitution was completed on Sept. 17, 1789. To become law, the Constitution needed ratification of approval from nine states.
Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey ratified the Constitution in 1787. Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia and New York approved in 1788. North Carolina ratified it in 1789 and Rhode Island finally gave its approval in 1790.