James Madison: Patriot, Politician, and President (The Library of American Lives & Times, 0)

Though shy and modest, James Madison rose from the Virginia legislature to become the fourth U.S. president. Madison spent years researching ancient and modern forms of government and took volumes of notes during the formative Constitutional Convention. His research proved invaluable in creating the U.S. Constitution, and Madison's plan for a central government comprised of three branches was adopted. James Madison, a true citizen of the Republic, later assembled the Bill of Rights.