Did James Madison preside over the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 1

Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government was the Confederation Congress (the same body as the "Continental Congress" but renamed under the Articles). There was no chief executive but the Congress did have a presiding officer: the "President of the United States in Congress Assembled". The position was one that presided over the Congress - not the United States. He acted as the chair when Congress was in session - running the meetings and keeping order. He also chaired the Committee of the States, which was charged with overseeing commerce, trade, education and issues as delegated by Congress - and which met only once, had a major argument, and never met again. Presidents of the Congress were:

• Samuel Huntington
• Thomas McKean
• Joen Hanson
• Elias Boudinot
• Thomas Mifflin
• Richard Henry Lee
• John Hancock (also famous for his big signature on the Declaration of Independence)
• Nathaniel Gorham
• Arthur St. Clair
• Cyrus Griffin

At the instigation of James Madison, Virginia invited all the rest of the states to a convention in Annapolis, Maryland in 1876 to discuss interstate problems. From that meeting another convention was called for Philadelphia in 1787 - which became the Constitutional Convention where the US Constitution was drafted. Although Madison was instrumental in getting all this organized, he never presided over any of the meetings.

Answer 2

No, but he did take all the notes in the constitutional convention and it is because of him we know as much as we do. He is called the "father of the constitution."