White House Historical Association
The White House Historical Association: The Presidents
Complete biographies and photos of all past presidents.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Thomas Jefferson's Library Is Purchased
When the first Library of Congress was destroyed by the British, Thomas Jefferson offered his personal library as a replacement. This site presents a brief overview of these events, and includes photos and a portrait.
Library of Congress
Loc: The United States Constitution
See transcripts of the debates of the Federal Convention of 1787, the draft of the Constitution, or see the facsimiles of the original documents. Trace the progress of the Constitution using the historical documents themselves.
Yale University
Avalon Project: The Federalist Papers
With this resource, you can search by keyword for particular subjects within the Federalist Papers, or you can access by number each of the Papers. Also available are links to four related documents: The Annapolis Convention, Articles of...
Center For Civic Education
Center for Civic Education: James Madison and Executive Power
This lesson plan examines the legacy of the "philosopher statesman," James Madison. Madison combined the intellectual knowledge and creativity of the scholar with the practical savvy of the politician, a man of strong principles who also...
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: James Madison
Briefly chronicles the life of the fourth president, James Madison. Contains brief articles, portraits, and photos of documents from The Library of Congress' archives.
US National Archives
Nara: Charters of Freedom: Constitution of the United States
Comprehensive overview of the U.S. Constitution. Places the Constitution in context with two other founding charters of American democracy and government, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Includes access to digital...
Other
Restoring the Heart and Soul of America
A collection of quotes from famous Americans including: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson. Click on each of their names to get quotes from them.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: Age of Jefferson and Madison
[Free Registration/Login Required] After a brief description of Thomas Jefferson's and James Madison's contributions to the early ideology and government of the new United States in their authorship of the Declaration of Independence and...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Themepark: Liberty: War of 1812
Find a large collection of internet resources organized around the War of 1812. Links to places to go, people to see, things to do, teacher resources, and bibliographies.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Themepark: Liberty: United States Historical Documents
Find a large collection of internet resources organized around historical documents. Links to places to go, people to see, things to do, teacher resources, and bibliographies.
National Women’s History Museum
National Women's History Museum: Dolley Madison
Dolley Madison, the fourth First Lady of the United States, is widely remembered as the most lively of the early First Ladies.
Department of Defense
Do Dea: Ap Us History: Unit 3: The Growing Republic
This extensive learning module examines how the United States' efforts to increase foreign trade, add new territory, and isolate itself from Europe affected its foreign policy and other initiatives. It investigates how advances in...
University of Groningen
American History: Biographies: Elbridge Gerry 1744 1814
This site from the University of Groningen provides information on the life and political career of Vice President Elbridge Gerry.
Library of Congress
Loc: Madison's Treasures
Documents presented here relate to two seminal events in which Madison played a major role: the drafting and ratification of the Constitution of the United States (1787-1788) and the introduction (1789) in the First Federal Congress of...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Harcourt: Biographies: James Madison
A brief biography of James Madison. Find out why James Madison was called the father of the constitution. Learn how his life affected the United States. (In Spanish)
Digital History
Digital History: The Men of Philadelphia [Pdf]
Find short biographies of twenty-three of the fifty-five delegates to the Constitutional Convention and their ideas about government. These men were certainly not representative of the common man in the new United States, but they were...
Digital History
Digital History: The Age of Social Change [Pdf]
Find the text of James Madison's tenth Federalist paper in which he expresses the idea of how government can provide the need for stability that citizens require. [pdf]
Digital History
Digital History: The Debate Over Ratifying the Constitution [Pdf]
Read about why ratification of the United States' new constitution was such a struggle. Find arguments for and against ratification, and discover who supported the Federalist position and who the Anti-Federalist position. [PDF]
Digital History
Digital History: The New Nation [Pdf]
Many problems existed for the new United States. Read about issues facing George Washington as the new President, and find out about the major successes of the first Congress. [PDF]
Digital History
Digital History: Paying the National Debt [Pdf]
Read about Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, as he tried to find a way to pay off the national debt. See how his ideas were opposed by James Madison, and why the issue was not just economic, but political. [pdf]
Digital History
Digital History: Neutrality and the Jay Treaty [Pdf]
See why a war between Great Britain and France showed the vulnerablity of the new United States. Should the United States help France, after that country gave so much in the Revolutionary War, and risk the economic and military enmity of...
Digital History
Digital History: Sedition Act and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions [Pdf]
Read about the foreign policy problems the United States was having at the beginning of the Adams administration. See what led up the the passage of the Sedition Act and some ramifications of it, and the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions...
University of Groningen
American History: Biographies: James Madison (1751 1836)
The oldest of 10 children and a scion of the planter aristocracy, Madison was born in 1751 at Port Conway, King George County, VA, while his mother was visiting her parents. In a few weeks she journeyed back with her newborn son to...