The Great Little Madison
by Jean Fritz
G.P. Putingsons, New York, 1989
Book report and stamp artwork by Vishal
James Madison was an important person who helped free America from England. He was born in Virginia and raised on a plantation named Orange. LIttle James was very small for his age, and he was afraid to talk because his voice was so weak. As he grew he became smarter and even though his voice was still weak he was very smart for his age. Later in his life he got accepted to Princeton and he was ecstatic about going. He went by horseback and made it to New Jersey where the college was. As he studied he began to like law and spelling. He was very popular in college and had many friends. He love to play pranks on boys and teased girls. Just before graduation, he got sick and couldn't accept his degree.
James Madison was famous for the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence is a document that tries to free us from the British. He signed it because he agreed that America should be free from England. James Madison is also famous for being President of the United States of America and helped to govern the country. He also helped fight in the Revolutionary War by giving orders to his men. Also, James is a very good role model for people.
My stamp commemorates James Madison. It shows James giving orders to his men in the War for Independence. He is holding the American flag representing freedom for Americans. The background shows canons firing and houses burning because the British burnt down Washington and Baltimore. James Madison is saying, "One, Two, Three, FIRE." because he is giving orders to his men.
When he came home, he was told he needed a wife but he had to deal with that later because he found something much better and more interesting, which was democracy. He joined the government and was a representative from Virginia and liked it very much. He didn't have as many friends like in college but he still liked it. Later he made friends with Thomas Jefferson, the most famous person in the group! Both of them made a secret code because they had so much in common. A man named Patrick Henry was starting to not like James at all. Henry protested against everything James said except for the 13 Colonies to be free. James did not let that get him down because he fought for what he believed in. Then he realized only had 2 months before his term was over in the Continental Congress and he needed to spend that time wisely by doing all he could. During that time he found a girl named Kitty Floyd and he loved her and began making plans to get married even though he was in his 20's and she was in her teens. That summer she went with her family to visit their relative and James missed her. Later James received a letter from Kitty that said she did not want to get married to him and to go away. The letter was not sealed with wax, it was sealed with raw dough, which meant it was an insult. James was heart broken because he was very old to get married now.
Later elections were to be held and James wanted to run for Senator but he could not because Senators had to be elected by the state legislator, so he ran for House of Representatives instead. But as always. Pat Henry started to spread rumors about him and in some way he had to speak out and defend himself. Of course George Washington would be President and since John Adams was second, he was Vice President.
In the fall of 1793, James got married to a girl named Dolly Payne Todd and they had a son. Both of them got Yellow Fever but they recovered. A funny thing was that James found out that Dolly was related to Patrick Henry! It seems that Dolly's mother's cousin was pat Henry. On December 14, 1799, George Washington died. On May 1, 1801 James left Philadelphia and went to Washington DC. On the morning of March 4, 1809 James Madison became President of the United States of America. James Died on June 27, 1836.
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