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President James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution”, Oklahoma History Center
February 4, 2016
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The Oklahoma History Center is honored to present Bryan Austin as the 4th President of the United States, James Madison. This performance will take place on Thursday, February 4, at 7 p.m. There is no charge for this event; however, seating is limited so an early arrival is recommended.
Currently, Mr. Austin represents The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and portrays President Madison in performances worldwide. Previously, he worked as a professional actor and director for everything from Shakespeare to puppetry.
James Madison is regarded as one of the most prolific political minds of not only his time, but of all time. While American history has often favored the larger-than-life personalities of the men who compose the pantheon of our Founding Fathers, the sometimes overshadowed “Great Little Madison” is remembered best for the legacies he established that still affect who we are as Americans today. In the federal Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and his Memorial and Remonstrance of 1784, we see Madison’s brilliance transcend time and space to teach us lessons not only of government, but of human nature. But before he became “Big Knife,” as some congressmen called him, or the “Father of the Constitution,” James had humble political beginnings in the capital city of Williamsburg. At just 25 years old, Madison was one of the youngest delegates of the 5th Virginia Convention, the body of men who resolved for Virginia’s Independence then drafted their first republican form of government.
Madison made several weighty contributions to Virginia’s Declaration Rights and he soon found himself immersed in a political career in Williamsburg, learning firsthand the virtues and vices of the political experiment that began in 1776. Those lessons would carry him for the next forty years, when he would take the lessons learned from Williamsburg, history and human nature to endeavor to prove that mankind was truly good enough to govern themselves.
