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Thomas Jefferson stars on the five cent piece, a/k/a the nickel. He also fronts the notoriously unloved and unused $2 bill. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, raised hemp at Monticello, bought Louisiana from France for $15 million, and probably fathered a child with his slave Sally Hemmings. Despite that, he's one of the good guys. Can you imagine how John Adams felt when he whupped him in the election? It's almost inconceivable from this vantage point to think Tom lost an election. . .
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President Madison served eight years each as Congressman, secretary of state, and POTUS. He played many parts in the founding of this country, and led the country through the War of 1812, which was, really, more or less a second war of independence.
Madison co-authored The Federalist Papers--a series of articles written under the pen name Publius with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. These papers were intended to gain support for the proposed Constitution. The Federalist Papers are often studied in communications classes as a prime example of how to wage a successful P.R. campaign; the Papers are considered one of the greatest PR campaigns of all time.
We mainly remember James Madison as "Father of the Constitution." He was its leading defender and interpreter for 50 years. He is often considered a lackluster President, but in fact he accomplished a great deal without a lot of chest-thumping and flash. His wife Dolley Madison was a spitfire, and one of the best-loved first ladies of all time. James Madison is the only President to have two Vice Presidents die, and is the first President to wear pants instead of knee breeches.
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