James Madison's Montpelier We the People Spring 2014 | Page 5

We The People
5

LEDGE
pursuits while Madison continued his studies determined to settle on a vocation for his life. He studied for the Bar, but his
passion was not for case law. His true interests, perhaps the result of his “enlightened” studies, led him to more bold passions
and pursuits, including restructuring the fundamental rules of society, particularly those concerning religious persecution.
In keeping with the writings of John Locke and the other Enlightenment-era scholars whose books were among the
most influential in his library, Madison in 1774 came to the defense of a group of Virginia Baptist preachers in nearby
Culpeper County who had become the prey of the Anglican establishment and were being jailed for “Sedition & Stirring
up Strife amongst his Majestie’s Liege People.” Throughout his life, Madison remained dedicated to the idea of freedom
of conscience as a natural right of man. He championed religious freedom during his political career, first in the Virginia
legislature and later in Congress through the passage of the First Amendment.
By 1786, Madison, then 35 years old, had established a fine library reflecting the thoughts and values of a committed patriot
and prominent political leader dedicated to the ideals of the Revolution. However, his thirst for knowledge was not satiated, nor
was his greatest work yet accomplished. The Revolution was won, but under the Articles of Confederation, the young American
nation was being torn apart as the states were increasingly in dispute with each other. Madison understood what was at stake
and retreated to his Montpelier library where for six months he spent countless hours reading more than 400 books in an effort
to better understand ancient republics and confederacies, why they failed, and what America could do differently to succeed.
He enlisted the help of his friend and colleague Thomas Jefferson, then in Paris, and asked Jefferson to send him the
additional literature he needed to prepare for his coming efforts to draft and ratify a constitution for the Union. Jefferson
sent back boxes of the latest books on history, politics, science, and economics gathered from the bookstalls of Paris.
Madison gratefully received this “literary cargo” from Europe, telling Jefferson the books were entirely suited to his needs.

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