This file photo shows Independence Hall in Philadelphia, 

where James Madison helped draft the US Constitution in 1787. 

(Jason Bean/The Christian Science Monitor/File)

 

The “Father of the Constitution,” Madison was the son of a leading Virginia landowner. His 5,000-acre Montpelier estate and plantation yielded rich tobacco profits and was the largest estate in Orange County , Va. Educated at theCollege of New Jersey (now Princeton University), Madison also served as secretary of state under Thomas Jefferson .