2016-03-16 Wed

James Madison, the “Father of American Constitution” was born on 16th March 1751.

He was the drafter of the Constitution, recorder of the Constitutional Convention, author of the Federalist Papers and fourth president of the United States.

He was born on a plantation in Virginia and graduated from the College of New Jersey (Princeton University) and helped found the American Whig Society, the second literary and debate society at Princeton and the world. In 1938, the State Teachers College at Harrisonburg, Virginia, was renamed in Madison’s honour as Madison College; in 1976, it became James Madison University.

In 2007, a Madison Presidential dollar was released for general circulation. In 1993 Bill of Rights commemorative coin series had a half dollar, a silver dollar and a $5 commemorative gold coin featuring James Madison.

James Madison also appeared on the large denomination banknotes of the US. He is featured on the $5000 Gold Certificates of 1870, 1875, 1882, 1888 and 1928 series, and on the $5000 Federal Reserve notes of series of 1914.

USPS issued a $2 stamp in 1903 and a 35 cents commemorative stamp in 2001 featuring this Father of American Constitution.