Kresge Library > Events at OU > History Comes Alive Series > Todd Estes: If James Madison Was the Father of the Constitution, Why Was He Such a Reluctant Parent?

Professor Todd Estes will present the lecture "If James Madison Was the Father of the Constitution, Why Was He Such a Reluctant Parent?" at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 19, 2006 in the Oakland Center Banquet Room A (campus map).

When the Constitution was signed in September 1787, few were more disappointed initially with its contents than James Madison who, nonetheless, came to be one of the document's most enthusiastic supporters. Professor Estes' talk will examine how and why Madison changed his mind and reconciled himself to the new Constitution and how his political thought changed in the process--and how he earned his title, "Father of the Constitution."

Online Articles by Professor Estes*:

• John Jay, The Concept Of Deference, And The Transformation Of Early American Political Culture. Historian 2002 65(2): 293-317
• Shaping The Politics Of Public Opinion: Federalists And The Jay Treaty Debate. Journal of the Early Republic 2000 20(3): 393-422.

Books by Professor Estes at the Kresge Library:

• The Jay Treaty Debate, Public Opinion, and the Evolution of Early American Political Culture. University of Massachusetts Press, 2006.

Articles related to this lecture*:

• Madison's Opponents And Constitutional Design. American Political Science Review 2005 99(2): 225-243.
• The Negative On State Laws: James Madison, The Constitution, And The Crisis Of Republican Government. William and Mary Quarterly 1979 36(2): 215-235.
• A Troublesome Legacy: James Madison And "The Principles Of '98." Journal of the Early Republic 1995 15(4): 569-589.

Books related to this lecture at Kresge Library:

• Riemer, Neal (1986). James Madison, creating the American Constitution. Washington, D.C. : Congressional Quarterly, c1986.
• Sorenson, Leonard (1995). Madison on the "general welfare" of America : his consistent constitutional vision. Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield.
• Padula, Guy (2001). Madison v. Marshall : popular sovereignty, natural law, and the United States Constitution. Lanham, Md. : Lexington Books.
• James Madison and the future of limited government (2002). Washington, DC : Cato Institute.
• Labunski, Richard (2006). James Madison and the struggle for the Bill of Rights. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press.
• Rakove, Jack (2007). James Madison and the creation of the American republic. New York : Pearson/Longman.

Other Resources:

• James Madison and the Federal Constitutional Convention of 1787
• Consitution of the United States
• America's Founding Fathers
• The Federalist Papers
• Primary Documents in American History: United States Constitution
• Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789
• Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774-1789

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*Please note, access to some of these online materials is restricted to use by Oakland Students, Faculty, and Staff (or from a computer located on the Oakland network). Find out why...