Who is known as the "father of the Constitution"?

James Madison is known as the father of the Constitution. He had a pivotal role in the effort to draft and ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In May 1787, James Madison was the first of the 56 delegates to arrive at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. His Virginia Plan was a key part of what the U.S. Constitution was based on, and he recorded the most detailed notes throughout the Convention. Madison argued for a strong central government to unify the people, and he co-authored a series of essays to campaign for the ratification of the Constitution. James Madison also drafted the Bill of Rights.