James Madison and the Making of America [Hardcover]

Kevin R. C. Gutzman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2012

In James Madison and the Making of America, historian Kevin Gutzman looks beyond the way James Madison is traditionally seen -- as "The Father of the Constitution” -- to find a more complex and sometimes contradictory portrait of this influential Founding Father and the ways in which he influenced the spirit of today's United States.  Instead of an idealized portrait of Madison, Gutzman treats readers to the flesh-and-blood story of a man who often performed his founding deeds in spite of himself: Madison’s fame rests on his participation in the writing of The Federalist Papers and his role in drafting the Bill of Rights and Constitution. Today, his contribution to those documents is largely misunderstood.  He thought that the Bill of Rights was unnecessary and insisted that it not be included in the Constitution, a document he found entirely inadequate and predicted would soon fail. Madison helped to create the first American political party, the first party to call itself “Republican”, but only after he had argued that political parties, in general, were harmful.  Madison served as Secretary of State and then as President during the early years of the United States and the War of 1812; however, the American foreign policy he implemented in 1801-1817 ultimately resulted in the British burning down the Capitol and the White House.  In so many ways, the contradictions both in Madison’s thinking and in the way he governed foreshadowed the conflicted state of our Union now.  His greatest legacy—the disestablishment of Virginia’s state church and adoption of the libertarian Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom—is often omitted from discussion of his career.  Yet, understanding the way in which Madison saw the relationship between the church and state is key to understanding the real man.  Kevin Gutzman's James Madison and the Making of America promises to become the standard biography of our fourth President.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A well-considered and written biography of this gifted Founding Father's many contributions to the early republic."--Kirkus

"The serious reader who wants a detailed account of James Madison's long public career, drawn from primary sources, will find Kevin Gutzman's book deeply rewarding.  The author's treatments of Virginia's ratification convention and the drafting of the Bill of Rights are particularly valuable.”--Daniel Walker Howe, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848

“Writing with authority and verve, Kevin Gutzman merges James Madison the practical Virginia politician and James Madison the world-class political theorist in this well-rounded biography of one of the most remarkably multifaceted founders of the republic.”-- Jon Kukla, author of Mr. Jefferson’s Women and A Wilderness So Immense: The Louisiana Purchase and the Destiny of America
"Kevin Gutzman's beautifully written and insightful account of James Madison's fascinating life promises to become the standard biography of this great Founding Father."- Edward G. Lengel, Professor and Editor-in-Chief – The Papers of George Washington, University of Virginia and author of Inventing George Washington:  America's Founder, In Myth and Memory

"Focusing on the fourth president's public life, Kevin Gutzman's James Madison and the Making of America recaptures the drama and excitement of the new nation's bold experiment in republican self-government.  No one played a more important role than Madison in the drafting, ratification, and implementation of the federal Constitution.  The power of the great Virginian's penetrating intelligence is amply evident on every page of this nicely balanced, well-written, and lucidly argued study."-- Peter S. Onuf, Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professor of History, University of Virginia and author of Jefferson's Empire: The Language of American Nationhood

About the Author

Kevin R. C. Gutzman is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution, of Virginia's American Revolution, and (with Thomas E. Woods, Jr.) of Who Killed the Constitution? The Fate of American Liberty from World War I to George W. Bush. He is Professor of History at Western Connecticut State University and lives in Bethel, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (February 14, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312625006
• ISBN-13: 978-0312625009
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > History > Americas > United States > 19th Century
  • #30 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Presidents & Heads of State
  • #45 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical

More About the Author

My new book, _James Madison and the Making of America_, tells the exciting story of James Madison's central role in winning the Revolution and establishing republican government, first in Virginia, then in the USA. Historian Ralph Ketcham calls its account of the Philadelphia Convention that wrote the Constitution--in which Madison took a leading role--"brilliant," while Pulitzer winner Daniel Walker Howe highlights the chapters on the Virginia Ratification Convention and the drafting of the Bill of Rights, in both of which Madison again took the lead. _James Madison and the Making of America_ appears at the start of the bicentennial of the War of 1812, in which President Madison led the new republic in a second war against the British. You can't understand America without appreciating the life of James Madison, and _James Madison and the Making of America_ is the place to start!

A professor at Western Connecticut State University, where I teach the history of the American Revolution, the Early Republic, and the South, besides Constitutional History, I received my BA, MPAff (Master of Public Affairs), and JD from the University of Texas and my MA and PhD in history from the University of Virginia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Deeply Significant Founding Father, February 17, 2012

By 

Stephen M. Smits - See all my reviews

This review is from: James Madison and the Making of America (Hardcover)

Ask average persons on the street who is the most revered founding father and they'll likely say "Washington" or "Jefferson". Fair enough: Washington for his guiding example of leadership (more for what he could have done but didn't) and Jefferson for his lofty political ideals. But, if you want to appreciate the practical founding architect of our political model you must know Madison. Gutzman's gives us a very close look at Madison's brilliant work toward the establishment of the nation. We have lost our awareness of how improbable was the outcome the constitution sought to create. How unlikely it was that a loose conglomeration of states with their own political cultures, conflicting economic interests and deep suspicion of centralized power could form a unified national government with substantive power to govern. Thanks to Madison's detailed recordings of the constitutional convention's proceedings (and this while he was actively participating in the debates) we get deep insights into how difficult the issues were to resolve. Gutzman gives us the deliberations of the delegates from a nearly daily perspective.

The difficulty of reaching compromise points to the complexity of finding the right balance of power between the states and the national government, between the branches of the national government, between the power of the majority v. protecting minorities and the struggle to balance the role of the "democracy" v. "republicianism" governed by the elite. We are also reminded through Gutzman's history of the convention and the advocacy for its adoption that followed that the thorny issues were not completely resolved. The relationship between the powers of the national government and the states is still at issue as is the balance between individual liberty and collective power of government. Madison's worry about the destructive impact of "factions" is as pertinent today as it was in the late 1700's -- just turn on the nightly news!

Gutzman's book is well worth the read. It is not a psychological, personality oriented portrait of Madison, but it does provide an invaluable guide to the conceptual framework and deep challenges of forming and sustaining a lasting political compact.