Uploaded October 2017 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
James Madison's Political Career, by Professor William B. Allen. This short video traces the pragmatic decision-making of America’s first professional politician, James Madison. Madison changed his position on issues (e.g., the Second Bank of the United States) when political necessities trumped theoretical proprieties. Professor William B. Allen maintains that, while Madison theoretically opposed slavery, his pragmatic belief that “the prejudice of color could not ever be eradicated” led him to keep his own slaves while supporting the American Colonization Society.
Professor William B. Allen is an emeritus professor Political Philosophy and the former Dean of the James Madison College at Michigan State University. He was a member of the National Council on the Humanities 1984–87, and Chairman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights from 1988 to 1989.
American History Videos are sponsored by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. These videos are offered to help teachers, students and the general public learn more about America's founding and the Constitution of the United States. www.jamesmadison.gov.
James Madison's Political Career, by Professor William B. Allen. This short video traces the pragmatic decision-making of America’s first professional politician, James Madison. Madison changed his position on issues (e.g., the Second Bank of the United States) when political necessities trumped theoretical proprieties. Professor William B. Allen maintains that, while Madison theoretically opposed slavery, his pragmatic belief that “the prejudice of color could not ever be eradicated” led him to keep his own slaves while supporting the American Colonization Society.
Professor William B. Allen is an emeritus professor Political Philosophy and the former Dean of the James Madison College at Michigan State University. He was a member of the National Council on the Humanities 1984–87, and Chairman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights from 1988 to 1989.
American History Videos are sponsored by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. These videos are offered to help teachers, students and the general public learn more about America's founding and the Constitution of the United States. www.jamesmadison.gov.
