After the Convention, Madison became one of the leaders in the movement to ratify the Constitution, and his collaboration with Alexander Hamilton produced The Federalist Papers, among the most important treatises in support of the Constitution. After the ratification of the Constitution in 788, Madison won election to the United States House of Representatives. While simultaneously serving as a close adviser to President George Washington, Madison emerged as one of the most prominent members of the st Congress, helping to pass several bills establishing the new government. For his role in drafting the first ten amendments to the Constitution during the st Congress, Madison is known as the Father of the Bill of Rights. Though he had played a major role in the enactment of a new constitution that created a stronger federal government, Madison opposed the centralization of power sought by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during Washingtons pr
esidency. To oppose Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and Madison organized the DemocraticRepublican Party, which became one of the nations two first major political parties alongside Hamiltons Federalist Party. After Jefferson won the 800 presidential election, Madison served as Jeffersons Secretary of State from 80 to 809. In this role, Madison supervised the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the nations size.
Madison succeeded Jefferson with a victory in the 808 presidential election, and he won re-election in 82. After the failure of diplomatic protests and a trade embargo against the United Kingdom, he led the U.S. into the War of 82. The war was an administrative morass, as the United States had neither a strong army nor financial system. As a result, Madison came to support a stronger national government and military, as well as the national bank, which he had long opposed. Historians have generally ranked Madison as an above-average president.