James Madison, Jr. (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was an American statesman,  diplomat, expansionist, philosopher and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Of short stature and frequently in poor health, Madison never saw battle in the Revolutionary War, but he rose to prominence in Virginia politics as a wartime leader.At the Virginia constitutional convention, he convinced delegates to alter the Virginia Declaration of Rights to provide for 'equal entitlement,' rather than mere 'tolerance,' in the exercise of religion. With the enactment of the Virginia constitution, Madison became part of the Virginia House of Delegates, and he was subsequently elected to the Virginia governor's Council of State. In that role, he became a close ally of Governor Thomas Jefferson. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was published formally declaring 13 American states an independent nation, no longer under the Crown or British rule. == Marriage and family ==
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