USPS News: Philatelic Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2001
Stamp Release No. 01-053
Postal Service To Mark 250th Anniversary Of James Madison's Birth With New Postage Stamp
WASHINGTON – James Madison, the fourth president of the United States and remembered as the "father of the U.S. Constitution," will be honored Oct. 18 when the U.S. Postal Service issues a new commemorative postage stamp marking the 250th anniversary of his birth.
The 34-cent James Madison stamp will be dedicated at a first day of issue ceremony to help kick off the fall Postage Stamp Mega-Event show (Oct. 18–21) at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W. 34th St., New York, N.Y. The show is sponsored by the American Stamp Dealers Association (ASDA), the American Philatelic Society (APS) and the Postal Service. For more information on stamp shows, visit the ASDA Web site at www.asdaonline.com or the APS Web site at www.stamps.org.
Born March 16, 1751, in Port Conway, Va., Madison graduated from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in 1771. He was elected to the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1776 and to the Continental Congress in December 1779.
Madison was instrumental in organizing the body of delegates that wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787, and his extensive study of ancient republics led to his many contributions to that document. He was also an important figure in the ratification of the Constitution. His commentaries in support of the Constitution helped convince the citizens of New York to accept the new government.
Later, while a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Madison played a leading role in the creation and passage of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. These amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were proposed in 1789 and adopted in 1791.
After serving as President Thomas Jefferson's secretary of state for eight years, Madison himself was elected President in 1808. In June 1812, near the end of his first term, Madison asked Congress to declare war on Britain. That fall, he won reelection. When the treaty to end the war was signed in 1814, Americans felt they had won, and Madison's popularity surged.
Upon leaving office, Madison retired to Montpelier, his Virginia estate. He died there on June 28, 1836.
Artist John Thompson of Waterloo, Iowa, used the scratchboard technique to render the portrait of Madison and the illustration of Montpelier that appears in the background. The stamp art also includes a reproduction of James Madison's signature. Microtype on the stamp reads "James Madison 1751–1836."
Thompson's previous projects for the Postal Service include the President James K. Polk stamp (1995) and the Pacific 97 commemorative stamps (1997). Carl Herrman of Carlsbad, Calif., was the art director for the Madison stamp.
To see an image of the James Madison stamp, go to the Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com. Click on News and Events then Philatelic News, and locate the online version of this press release. Images of many past stamps and future stamp issues can be found in the Collector's Corner of the Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop.
All current stamps and other philatelic products, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available by calling toll free 1 800 STAMP-24. In addition, a selection of current stamps and gift items are available online at the Postal Store.
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