James Madison

Gay, Sydney Howard, 1814-1888Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 535K words
Chapters: 54

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.James Madison by Sydney Howard GayAuthor: Gay, Sydney Howard, 1814-1888,Language: English, Class: E300: History: America: Revolution to the Civil War (1783-1861), Release Date: May 29, 2009

Editor's review

This is a nineteenth-century biography of Madison, in which the author Sydney Howard Gay traces the political career of the fourth U.S. president chronologically. Compared with contemporary academic biographies that often run to hundreds of pages, this book is restrained in length and clear in narration, focusing on Madison's role in the Constitutional Convention, his experience co-authoring The Federalist Papers with Hamilton, and the diplomatic and wartime difficulties faced during his presidency. Because it was written early, the author's prose carries Victorian moral judgments, and its citation of historical sources is less rigorous than modern academic standards; yet precisely for this reason, it preserves the collective memory and evaluative standards of early Americans regarding the "Father of the Constitution." For readers studying the history of early American political thought, this book can serve as primary material for understanding the nineteenth-century historiographical perspective; for general readers, it is an accessible introduction with plain language and clear lines of argument. It should be noted that the book discusses Madison's later-life relationship with slavery only briefly, and readers should not regard it as a complete biography.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in the founding history of the United States and the constitutional process
Students and scholars studying the history of early American political thought
History enthusiasts who wish to understand nineteenth-century biographical writing style
English learners who need practice with original English historical sources

Not a good fit for

Rigorous researchers expecting modern academic standards and detailed annotations
Readers seeking a complete life and psychological portrait of Madison
Beginners impatient with nineteenth-century English prose style

Reading tips

It is advisable to read the chapters on the Constitutional Convention and The Federalist Papers first, then return to his early life, so the thread is clearer.
Read alongside modern Madison biographies and note differences in the nineteenth-century author's evaluative standards.
While reading, jot down the letters and documents cited in the book for later verification against original sources.
For the original English, use a chronology of American founding history to avoid losing the timeline amid the many figures.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a complete biography of Madison?

It is not a modern complete biography in the strict sense. Written in the nineteenth century and limited in length, the book focuses on Madison's political career and constitutional contributions, with less attention to his private life, family relationships, and later intellectual changes. For a complete life, it is advisable to read it alongside modern academic biographies.

Can I read this book if my English is not good?

This is the original English edition; nineteenth-century prose has longer sentences and more classical wording, placing certain demands on English reading ability. Readers with average English can first read a Chinese translation or introductory books, then attempt the original; a chronology of founding history and an index of figures can also aid comprehension.

Is the book's evaluation of Madison objective?

The author carries obvious nineteenth-century moral judgments, generally approving of Madison and discussing his limitations little. Readers should regard it as a text reflecting the collective memory of American society at that time, rather than a neutral, objective modern academic assessment, and should maintain a critical perspective while reading.

What should be noted when reading the e-book edition?

This book comes from a public-domain e-book project; the layout is mainly plain text and lacks the annotations and index of modern publications. It is suggested that readers keep their own notes on figures and events, and be alert to possible scanning or OCR errors in the e-book; key quotations can be checked against original sources.

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About the author

Gay, Sydney Howard, 1814-1888 Author · American · 1814–1888

Sydney Howard Gay (1814–1888) was an American journalist, abolitionist, and historian known for his journalism and his writings on American history. He served as an editor at the New York Tribune, spoke out actively in the abolitionist movement, and wrote works on American history. His representative work, James Madison, is a biography of the early American political figure Madison and combines biography with political history. Gay's historical writings are noted for clear narrative and solid material; they are aimed at general readers and combine the readability of a journalist with the rigor of a historian. Public information is limited regarding his early education, family background, and specific posts; existing accounts focus mainly on his journalistic career, abolitionist stance, and historical writings. Overall, his works are representative of nineteenth-century popular historical writing in the United States.