Madison Square Garden and Madison Avenue are indirectly named after James Madison

James Madison University was named for Madison long after his death

Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women, the institution was renamed Madison College in 1938 and James Madison University in 1977, despite James Madison having no direct connection to the school's founding or development.

Montpelier was founded by Madison's grandfather, Ambrose, in the 1730s

Montpelier was originally known as Mount Pleasant. James Madison inherited his family's Virginia estate in 1801. He expanded the plantation and, after his presidency, lived there full time until his death in 1836.

Aaron Burr introduced James Madison to his future wife, Dolley

This trivia celebrating James Madison's birthday notes that Aaron Burr—later vice president and Alexander Hamilton's dueling rival—introduced Madison to Dolley Madison in 1794. It also highlights that Madison arrived 11 days early to the Constitutional Convention to prepare.

Madison condemned slavery in theory while owning slaves

James Madison argued that slavery violated Revolutionary ideals. Yet, he inherited and managed more than 100 enslaved people to operate the family's 3,000-acre plantation, brought enslaved laborers to the White House, and later sold them for personal profit.

Madison's presidency helped usher in the Era of Good Feelings

During the later years of James Madison's presidency, the collapse of the opposition Federalist Party after the War of 1812 reduced organized political division, contributing to a brief period of relative national unity known as the Era of Good Feelings.

Madison was America's first president during a formally declared war

During James Madison's presidency, Congress formally declared war on Britain in 1812 over its practice of seizing American sailors, trade restrictions, and repeated violations of US sovereignty—marking the first time a sitting American president led the nation through a declared war.

Madison and Jefferson forged a political alliance that shaped the early US republic

Beginning in the 1780s, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson collaborated closely to oppose centralized power, to found the Democratic-Republican Party, and to guide the nation's early debates on constitutional and foreign policy.

Madison initially opposed a bill of rights but embraced it for pragmatic reasons

James Madison initially argued that bills of rights were ineffective. However, a competitive House race against James Monroe and the need to win the support of anti-Federalists in ratifying the Constitution led him to support amendments in the First Congress.

The namesake of gerrymandering was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence

Elbridge Gerry, a Massachusetts statesman and vice president under James Madison, signed the Declaration of Independence. He is also the only signer buried in Washington, DC, interred at Congressional Cemetery.

Hear about James Madison's presidency with The Washington Post's 'Presidential' podcast

As president, Madison governed during periods of constitutional uncertainty, foreign policy crises, and the War of 1812, making him the first American president to serve during a declared war. This podcast analyzes how his constitutional ideas translated into effective presidential leadership.

New York named a street after Basquiat in 2025

The influential pop artist made his name (and developed his unique graffiti-inflected style) in the city's East Village. In 2025, the city added his name to one of the neighborhood's streets in his honor. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Wall Street has come a long way since the 1600s

Wall Street originated as part of a Dutch settlement and soon became the nation's financial hub. But Wall Street has since morphed into eight blocks of luxury gyms and apartments.

See Pierre L'Enfant's original plan and vision for DC and the National Mall

Shake Shack began as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park

The high-growth restaurant chain is one of the industry's biggest success stories. With chef Danny Meyer at the helm, the restaurant arose out of chance amid an effort to rehabilitate New York's Madison Park. Learn more of the restaurant's story here.

'Mad Men' is loosely based on the wild antics of Madison Avenue employees

The TV show follows the employees of a New York City ad agency as they navigate the debauched culture of Madison Avenue's golden age—and the political and cultural landscape of the 1960s. The hosts explain which episode to watch first if you want to get hooked.

New York was once called New Amsterdam

Although New York has a long history, it wasn’t actually called “New York” until the late 1600s, when the English beat out the Dutch for control of the area. In 1664, Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrendered what used to be known as “New Amsterdam” to the English, who renamed it New York after the Duke of York.

Madison urged Jefferson to accept the Louisiana Purchase despite constitutional concerns

As secretary of state, James Madison helped negotiate the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and persuaded Thomas Jefferson to proceed, arguing that the strategic and economic stakes outweighed the unresolved constitutional questions.

Dive deep into Madison's role in promoting the Constitution through the Federalist Papers

James Madison used the Federalist Papers to shape ratification debates, explain the Constitution's design, and argue that a large republic could safeguard liberty. This podcast explores his pivotal role in the ratification of the Constitution.

Madison's portrait was on the now-defunct $5,000 bill

James Madison appeared on the $5,000 bill, a high-denomination note used primarily for bank-to-bank transactions that was discontinued in 1969 as electronic payments reduced the need for large paper currency. (The rare note is still legal tender, though it is often worth much more than its face value to collectors.)

Mapping early New York

Want to see how Wall Street (and New York City as a whole) has changed over time? Use this timeline and map to see Manhattan today overlaid with the precise boundaries of early land grants to the Dutch in the 1600s. Scroll through the progress of city building through the first century of European settlement there.

Virginia's Declaration of Rights was a main inspiration for Madison's Bill of Rights

James Madison drew on Virginia's Declaration of Rights, written in 1776. The document affirmed freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and jury trials, and placed limits on government power—core protections that later appeared in the Bill of Rights.

Explore how 10,000 different American cities got their name.

Avenues are typically wider than streets

Generally speaking, avenues are roads with buildings or trees on both sides. This article further details the differences between lanes, streets, circles, drives and more.

The Times Square New Year's celebration originated as a party for The New York Times

The paper moved to the area, originally called Longacre Square, in 1904 and lobbied the city to rename it after the publication. The paper’s publisher, Alfred Ochs, threw a massive all-day party on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the opening of the paper’s headquarters, establishing the location as a destination for the holiday.

James Madison spoke six languages

James Madison was competent in six languages: Latin, Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, and English. This shaped his classical education and informed his political philosophy. He later also studied Hebrew at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton).

Jane Maas was one of the first prominent female ad executives on Madison Avenue

Jane Maas started as a copywriter at the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather in 1964. She’s known for working on the famous "I Heart NY" tourism campaign alongside artist Milton Glaser. This interview provides a glimpse into what life was like for women like her on Madison Avenue.

Foreign policy and war defined Madison's presidency

During James Madison's presidency, disputes with Britain and France over trade, maritime rights, and impressment dominated foreign policy, culminating in the War of 1812 and shaping how the United States engaged with major European powers.

Madison once lost an election because he refused to give voters free alcohol

After serving in Virginia's 1776 convention, James Madison lost a 1777 house of delegates race after refusing to bribe voters with liquor, which he believed violated republican principles.

At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Madison changed the draft language from Congress's power to "make" war to "declare" war

The change was deliberate: "make" war seemed to leave the president unable to defend the country against sudden attack, while "declare" preserved that defensive authority. The distinction between starting a war and responding to one has been debated ever since.

Broadway's nickname is 'the Great White Way'

Thanks to the advent of electricity, by the middle of the 19th century, theaters in the Broadway area were illuminated by lampposts and marquees. The nickname “the Great White Way” describes how it looked at night. The term is still used today.

The history of Wall Street as a financial center dates back to the 1700s, beginning with the establishment of the New York Stock Exchange and New York City's first official slave market.

Macy’s doesn’t own its flagship location because of the 'million dollar corner'

When Macy’s moved to the Herald Square location, it reached a verbal agreement to acquire that corner of land—but at the last minute, it was sold to a rival store for roughly $1M.

See how New York City has grown since 1609

Wall Street and the southern tip of Manhattan were the first parts of the island to be developed beyond farmland by Dutch and English settlers. It wasn’t long until New York City resembled the city we know today.

James Madison's original draft of the First Amendment was far more expansive than what was ratified

Madison's first proposed language guaranteed the right "to speak, to write, or to publish" one's sentiments freely—broader and more explicit than the final text—and described the free press as "one of the great bulwarks of liberty."

The Erie Canal transformed New York City into America’s banking capital

By redirecting western trade through New York Harbor, the canal turned New York into the nation’s commercial hub. This surge in commerce shifted financial power from Philadelphia to Wall Street, establishing the city as America’s banking capital.

Madison's meticulous notes of the Constitutional Convention are the most thorough record of the event

During the Constitutional Convention, James Madison took detailed daily notes of the debates, speeches, and votes. His Notes on the Debates in the Federal Convention is the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the convention, shaping historians' understanding of the Constitution's origins.

Hear the story of the early American environmentalists who shaped the public lands we enjoy today.

James Madison wrote the first draft of the Bill of Rights

Madison drafted the initial set of constitutional amendments in 1789. The House approved 17 amendments; the Senate reduced them to 12; and 10 were ratified as the Bill of Rights. One rejected amendment was later ratified in 1992 as the 27th Amendment.

Broadway is a theater district in New York

There are 41 official Broadway theaters in New York City, all within a few blocks of Times Square, a key contributor to the area's prestige and economic success. These theaters host the productions eligible for Tony Awards.

Broadway is the epicenter of the American theater world

Broadway is shorthand for the Broadway theater district, an area in New York City's Manhattan borough that occupies a segment of Broadway, a 13-mile road. Although the Broadway theater district has a relatively small geographic footprint, its 41 theaters stage some of the world's most popular productions of plays and musicals.

Nintendo's Mario was named after the landlord of the company's American headquarters.

The betting scandal that rocked college basketball

In the 1940s and '50s, illegal bookmaking in college basketball was rampant at Madison Square Garden. In the 1949-50 season, City College of New York players shaved points during games, though they played honestly in the NIT and NCAA tournaments, winning both. This OddsShark.com article explores how the points-shaving scandal was exposed, who went to jail, and its impact on the NIT and CCNY.

The Erie Canal was built without a single dollar of federal funding

After President Madison and Congress rejected the project, New York State financed the 363-mile Erie Canal entirely on its own—authorizing $7M in bonds in 1817.

Alexander Hamilton played a significant role in creating the American system of government

From 1787 to 1788, Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay anonymously published a collection of essays known as the Federalist Papers to promote the new Constitution. Of the 85 essays that proved pivotal to the eventual ratification of the document, Hamilton wrote 51.

The 1902 McMillan Plan reimagined the National Mall as a formal, open civic space

Drafted by the Senate Park Commission, the McMillan Plan called for the removal of railroads, markets, and industrial uses from the Mall; revived key elements of Pierre L'Enfant's original layout; and established the framework for the Mall's long lawns, museum placement, and monumental core.

The Madison Avenue Walk of Fame

In Hollywood, the most prominent celebrities get “stars” on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now, industry events producer Advertising Week has created a virtual walk of fame for the biggest stars of the ad world, from the Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Bear to the Energizer Bunny.

William Marbury was a wealthy Federalist insider

Marbury was a prosperous Georgetown businessman, bank director, and slaveholder with close ties to the Federalists. His appointment as a justice of the peace, which was never delivered, sparked the Marbury v. Madison case.

In 1711, the New York City Common Council decided that the city’s slave market would operate on Wall Street

In 1711, the New York City Common Council decided that the city’s slave market would operate on Wall Street. Back then, the nation’s economy rode on the backs of slave labor and the slave trade itself—meaning that the slave market’s location was an economic hub for the city.

Before using his own name, Jean-Michel Basquiat tagged his graffiti as SAMO

In the late '70s, Basquiat, alongside Al Diaz, began tagging downtown New York with the name "SAMO©," usually followed by a phrase criticizing the art establishment. The tag became notorious in the New York art scene, and Basquiat eventually revealed he was behind it.

Thomas Jefferson is rumored to have anonymously submitted a design for the White House

Of the design submissions for the White House, one is rumored to have been submitted by Thomas Jefferson, an amateur architect. Though his design did not win, he later influenced the grounds as president, adding formal gardens, wooded areas, and a carriage drive.