Celebrate President Madison's 261st birthday with video discussion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 15, 2012

 

Contact: Jolene Priest, 517-335-8155

 

Celebrate President James Madison’s 261^st birthday
with insightful video discussion

 

On March 16, celebrate President James Madison’s 261 birthday by viewing Dr. Donald R. Hickey’s discussion, “James Madison: War President,” at http://bit.ly/yTzNWm on YouTube. The presentation, sponsored by the Michigan Commission on the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, was given last week at the Loosemore Auditorium, Grand Valley State University, in Grand Rapids.

 

Hickey, a leading expert on the War of 1812, is a professor of history at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. Hickey has authored many books on the subject, including “The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict” (bicentennial edition, 2012), “Don't Give Up the Ship! Myths of the War of 1812” (2006) and, with Connie D. Clark, “The Rockets’ Red Glare: An Illustrated History of the War of 1812” (2011).

 

Born on March 16, 1751, in Port Conway, Va., James Madison was one of America’s leading founding fathers. Educated at Princeton, N.J., he served in the Virginia Legislature and in the Continental Congress and was a leading delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Elected to the First Congress, he led the effort to adopt the Bill of Rights. Madison became secretary of state under President Thomas Jefferson prior to assuming the presidency in 1809 as our nation’s fourth president. In 1794, Madison married a young widow, Dolley Payne Todd, who, as Dolley Madison, is credited with creating the role of first lady and saving the Stuart portrait of George Washington when the British attacked Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812.  

 

The event that defined his presidency was the War of 1812, including the burning of the White House, the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Andy Jackson’s defeat of the British at the Battle of New Orleans.

 

In addition  to the Michigan War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission and the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, other sponsors of Hickey’s lecture included the Detroit Historical Society, the Historical Society of Michigan, Mackinac State Historic Parks, the Michigan Council for History Education, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan Historical Center and the Michigan Humanities Council.

 

The governor-appointed Michigan Commission on the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 is charged with encouraging, planning and developing activities, events, programs, observances and services appropriate to commemorate Michigan’s role in the War of 1812. More information can be found at www.michigan.gov/war1812.

 

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.