Sentence:  The active sponsor of Jefferson 's measure for religious liberty in Virginia , Madison played the most influential single role in the drafting of the Constitution and in securing its ratification in Virginia , founded the first political party in American history , and , as Jefferson 's Secretary of State and his successor in the Presidency , <WSD>guided</WSD> the nation through the troubled years of our second war with Britain . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  be a guiding or motivating force or drive