Series: Presidents of the United States

Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

 

Thomas Jefferson, main author of the declaration of independence of 1774, was the third president of the United States of America and the most important one in history.

 

As Virginia’s delegate at the continental congress Jefferson formed a first outline of the declaration of independence in 1774 which was then passed two years later.

 

In 1790 he became the first secretary of state with George Washington as the president. He resigned from that position 3 years later due to conflicts with the finance minister Alexander Hamilton. Out of the two different political views the two parties were formed whereas Jefferson led the republicans and around Hamilton the federalist came together.

 

Having lost the election against Adams automatically made Jefferson Adams vice president, a position he did not accept, however, due to the dispute between him and Adams. When voted president in 1800 Jefferson was leader of the Republican Party which was later called Democratic Republican Party and is knows as Democratic Party since 1828.

 

He was president from 1801 until 1809, having been re-elected in 1805.

 

With Jefferson as the President the so called “Louisiana Purchase” took place when the US bought Louisiana from France for 15 million dollar and almost doubled their territory by doing so. Another climax of his presidency was the Lewis and Clarke expedition in which the area from the Mississippi all the way to the Pacific Ocean was explored with the main goal of letting settlers move further west and colonize the rest of the continent. Furthermore shipping in new slaves from Africa was declared illegal.

 

After his presidency Jefferson was still of important political and intellectual influence and was, among others, involved in building the University of Virginia.

 

Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson

 

By the time Thomas Jefferson started his political career, Martha was 22 year old, widowed and mother of a beautiful boy, who died in his early childhood.

They were married on January First, 1772 and everything seemed to be just perfect, especially when their little daughter Martha was born in the same year.

Within the following 10 years 5 more children were born, but only 2 of all children survived: Martha (nickname Patsy) and Marcy (nickname Maria or Polly).

 

All the pregnancies weakened Martha very much and Thomas Jefferson stayed with her and supported her. In 1781 Martha had to escape from the British Invasion and her little girl, only a couple weeks old, died shortly after.

Only one year later Martha gave birth to another girl and never really recovered from all the strength the pregnancies caused and died in September 1782.

 

Thomas Jefferson did not make his private life public. When he became president in 1801 he had been a widow for 19 years already. In 1802-1803 his daughter Patsy appeared as the lady of the President’s house and it was her, who gave birth to the first child born in the White House (James Madison).

 

 

 

James Madison (1751 – 1836)

 

Just like the presidents before him, James Madison, the fourth President of the United States of America, was a former leader of the independency movement. Since he moved to the Democratic Republican Party in 1771 due to his discontent with the federalist financial politics he was one of the cofounders of the Republican Party of which Thomas Jefferson was a member to that time as well!

 

Madison developed the so called “Virginia Plan” in which the basic principles of the US government system were originated in. He had suggested that the government should be bicameralism, which today is representative in the House of Representatives and Senate. From 1801 to 1809 Madison was Jefferson’s state secretary. He won the presidential elections in 1808 against federalist Charles C. Pinckney with 64.7% to 32.4%.

 

Madison was elected for a total of two ministries starting in 1809 until 1817. In the very first of his ministry trading with the French and British became illegal. In May of 1810 this embargo was taken back by the congress however. Furthermore, during his presidency the British American War (1812-1814) was declared and was mostly fought over the occupation of Canada. The US had to face multiple defeats. There was nothing Madison could do but watch when the Capitol and the White House in Washington D.C. were set on fire by the British, for example. Just before Christmas of 1814 he Madison was capable of making peace with them.

 

In the years after his presidency he supported Jefferson, who he had been friends with for many years, planning out the University of Virginia. He was furthermore and advisor of the future president James Monroe. His political comeback and last political performance at the same time was at the constitutional convention in Virginia in 1829.

 

Today’s capital of the US state Wisconsin was named after Madison just like several counties in different other states.

 

"The advice nearest to my heart and deepest in my convictions is that the Union of the States be cherished and perpetuated." (James Madison)

 

Dolley Payne Todd Madison

 

Dolley Payne Todd Madison was one of the most important woman and well known in America’s Society. Until today she remains the first lady, who was loved by almost everyone.

 

In 1790 she got married to a lawyer named John Todd Jr. who died only 3 years later leaving Dolley and their little son.

 

James Madison and Dolley had known each other for 17 years before they got married in September 1794. They did not have any children, but James Madison accepted her son from the first marriage and was very patient with him.

 

The beautiful Martha had a great interest in fashion and always carefully chose what to wear. Her home became the centre of the Society and Dolley helped in the White House whenever the president needed her.

 

Her hospitality and friendliness made her very famous and everyone was welcome in her home. In 1812 she had to flee during the war and when she came back, her home was destroyed.

 

After her husband died in 1836 she returned to the capital in 1837 and was supported by her friends until her death in 1949.