Short, balding, and soft-spoken, James Madison was overshadowed by many of America’s other, more dynamic Founding Fathers. His list of accomplishments ran long, however: outlining what became the Constitution, co-writing the Federalist Papers, creating the Bill of Rights, forming America’s first political party, supervising the Louisiana Purchase, and serving as the country’s first wartime president (during the War of 1812).
In a discussion of his new book, Madison's Gift: Five Partnerships That Built America, author David O. Stewart reveals a rare leader who artfully collaborated with others toward common goals while worrying little about who got the credit.
The event is part of the Hail to the Chiefs series co-presented by the Truman Library Institute and made possible by grants from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Legacy Fund.