Editing James Madison (section)

==Ratification of the Constitution==
{{Main|James Madison as Father of the Constitution|Constitutional Convention (United States)}}
{{Further|Confederation period}}

As a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Madison continued to advocate for religious freedom, and, along with Jefferson, drafted the [[Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom]]. That amendment, which guaranteed freedom of religion and disestablished the Church of England, was passed in 1786.{{sfn|Wills|2002|pages=17–19}} Madison also became a land speculator, purchasing land along the [[Mohawk River]] in partnership with another Jefferson protégé, [[James Monroe]].{{sfn|Feldman|2017|page=70}} Throughout the 1780s, Madison became increasingly concerned about the states' disunity and the central government's weakness.{{sfn|Burstein|Isenberg|2010|pages=96–97, 128–130}} He believed that [[direct democracy]] caused social decay and that a [[Republicanism in the United States|Republican]] government would be effective against [[Partisan (politics)|partisanship]] and factionalism.{{sfn|Allott|2003|p=321}}{{sfn|Manweller|2005|page=22}}{{sfn|Gustafson|1992|page=290}} He was particularly troubled by laws that legalized [[paper money]] and denied [[diplomatic immunity]] to ambassadors from other countries.{{sfn|Wood|2011|page=104}} Madison was also concerned about the lack of ability in Congress to capably create foreign policy, protect American trade, and foster the settlement of the lands between the [[Appalachian Mountains]] and the Mississippi River.{{sfn|Burstein|Isenberg|2010|pages=129–130}} As Madison wrote, "a crisis had arrived which was to decide whether the American experiment was to be a blessing to the world, or to blast for ever the hopes which the republican cause had inspired."{{sfn|Rutland|1987|page=14}} Madison committed to an intense study of law and political theory and also was influenced by Enlightenment texts sent by Jefferson from France.{{sfn|Burstein|Isenberg|2010|pages=136–137}} Madison especially sought out works on international law and the constitutions of "ancient and modern confederacies" such as the [[Dutch Republic]], the [[Swiss Confederation]], and the [[Achaean League]].{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=56–57, 74–75}} He came to believe that the United States could improve upon past republican experiments by its size which geographically combined 13 colonies; with so many competing interests, Madison hoped to minimize the abuses of [[majority rule]].{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=98–99, 121–122}} Additionally, navigation rights to the major trade routes accessed by the Mississippi River highly concerned Madison. He opposed the proposal by [[John Jay]] that the United States concede claims to the river for 25 years, and, according to historian [[Ralph Ketcham]], Madison's desire to fight the proposal was a major motivation in his return to Congress in 1787.{{Sfn|Ketcham|2003|pp=177–179}}

[[File:Constitution of the United States, page 1.jpg|thumb|First page of the original handwritten copy of the [[U.S. Constitution]]|alt=Image of handwritten copy of the Constitution.]]
[[File:Foundation of the American Government by Henry Hintermeister.jpg|thumb|[[George Washington]] witnesses [[Gouverneur Morris]] sign the Constitution while Madison sits in front of [[Benjamin Franklin]] and next to [[Robert Morris (financier)|Robert Morris]] in [[John Henry Hintermeister]]'s 1925 painting, ''Foundation of the American Government''.{{sfn|Robinson|1999|p=117}}|alt=Supportive image of signing of the Constitution with various signers.]]

Leading up to the 1787 ratification debates for the [[U.S. Constitution|Constitution]],{{sfn|Feldman|2017|page=107}} Madison worked with other members of the Virginia delegation, especially [[Edmund Randolph]] and [[George Mason]], to create and present the [[Virginia Plan]], an outline for a new federal constitution.{{sfn|Burstein|Isenberg|2010|pages=150–151}} It called for three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial), a bicameral Congress (consisting of the [[United States Senate|Senate]] and the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]) apportioned by population, and a federal [[Council of Revision]] that would have the right to veto laws passed by Congress.{{sfn|Burstein|Isenberg|2010|pages=140–141}} The Virginia Plan did not explicitly lay out the structure of the executive branch, but Madison himself favored a strong [[Unitary executive theory|single executive]].{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=115–117}} Many delegates were surprised to learn that the plan called for the abrogation of the Articles and the creation of a new constitution, to be ratified by special conventions in each state, rather than by the state legislatures. With the assent of prominent attendees such as Washington and [[Benjamin Franklin]], the delegates agreed in a secret session that the abrogation of the Articles and the creation of a new constitution was a plausible option and began scheduling the process of debating its ratification in the individual states.{{sfn|Wills|2002|pages=25–27}} As a compromise between small and large states, large states got a proportional House, while the small states got equal representation in the Senate.{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=199-200}}

After the Philadelphia Convention ended in September 1787, Madison convinced his fellow congressmen to remain neutral in the ratification debate and allow each state to vote on the Constitution.{{sfn|Burstein|Isenberg|2010|pages=164–166}} Those who supported the Constitution were called Federalists; that included Madison.{{sfn|Cost|2021|page=118}} Opponents of the Constitution, known as [[Anti-Federalism|Anti-Federalists]], began a public campaign against ratification.{{sfn|Cost|2021|page=118}} In response, starting in October 1787,{{sfn|The Federalist Papers|page=xxv}} Hamilton and [[John Jay]], both Federalists, began publishing a series of pro-ratification newspaper articles in New York.{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=177–178}} After Jay dropped out of the project, Hamilton approached Madison, who was in New York on congressional business, to write some of the essays.{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=179–180}} The essays were published under the [[pseudonym]] of Publius.{{sfn|Cost|2021|page=130}}{{sfn| Hamilton| Madison| Jay |1992|page=xxv}} The trio produced 85 essays known as ''[[The Federalist Papers]]''.{{sfn|Hamilton| Madison|Jay| 1992|page=xxv}} The 85 essays were divided into two parts: 36 letters against the Articles of Confederation, and 49 letters that favored the new Constitution.{{sfn|The Federalist Papers|page=xxv}} The articles were also published in book form and used by the supporters of the Constitution in the ratifying conventions. [[Federalist No. 10]], Madison's first contribution to ''The Federalist Papers'', became highly regarded in the 20th century for its advocacy of [[representative democracy]].{{sfn|Wills|2002|pages=31–35}} In it, Madison describes the dangers posed by the majority [[Political faction|factions]] and argues that their effects can be limited through the formation of a large republic. He theorizes that in large republics the large number of factions that emerge will control their influence because no single faction can become a majority.{{sfn|Hamilton| Madison| Jay|1992}}{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=180–183}} In [[Federalist No. 51]], he explains how the separation of powers between three branches of the federal government, as well as between state governments and the federal government, establishes a system of [[checks and balances]] that ensures that no one institution would become too powerful.{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=208–209}}

As the Virginia ratification convention began, Madison focused on winning the support of the relatively small number of undecided delegates.{{sfn|Burstein|Isenberg|2010|pages=179–180}} His long correspondence with Randolph paid off at the convention, as Randolph announced that he would support unconditional ratification of the Constitution, with amendments to be proposed after ratification.{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=231–233}} Though former Virginia governor [[Patrick Henry]] gave several persuasive speeches arguing against ratification, Madison's expertise on the subject he had long argued for allowed him to respond with rational arguments to Henry's [[Anti-federalism|anti-Federalist]] appeals.{{sfn|Wills|2002|pages=35–37}} Madison was also a defender of federal veto rights and, according to historian [[Ron Chernow]] "pleaded at the Constitutional Convention that the federal government should possess a veto over state laws".{{sfn|Chernow|2004|pp=571–574}} In his final speech to the ratifying convention, Madison implored his fellow delegates to ratify the Constitution as it had been written, arguing that failure to do so would lead to the collapse of the entire ratification effort, as each state would seek favorable amendments.{{sfn|Feldman|2017|pages=239–240}} On June 25, 1788, the convention voted 89–79 in favor of ratification. The vote came a week after New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, securing the Constitution's adoption and a new form of government.{{sfn|Amar|2005|page=6}} The following January, Washington was elected the nation's [[1788-89 United States presidential election|first president]].{{sfn|Mount Vernon, Essay}}