What obstacle did James Madison face during his presidency?

James Madison faced the events that eventually led the United States to war during his presidency.  According to his beliefs, he preferred to take a diplomatic approach, especially in regards to the Orders in Council.  The Orders in Council were decrees from the government of England.  The Orders in Council greatly impacted trade because they set blockades in place.  Public opinion began to shift and some thought that Madison should declare war on England.  He still preferred a diplomatic route to address the blockade issue.  Despite this emphasis on diplomacy, Madison requested that Congress expand the United States military.  This was not in alignment with Madison's beliefs, which were to deemphasize the military.

England was at war with France.  The British wished for the United States to avoid trade with France.  The British sometimes used the power of their Navy to stop the Americans from trading with France.  This occurred in spite of American neutrality and caused tensions to grow.  The British Navy also gave weapons to Native Americans with the goal of them attacking American settlers.  The United States government and citizens were divided about whether or not they should go to war against Britain.  James Madison had to abandon his preference for diplomacy and for a deemphasis on military action.  The United States entered the War of 1812 under his leadership.  This was an obstacle he had to face.

What challenges did James Madison face during his presidency?

Due to more than just his Napoleonic stature, James Madison faced a tall order in navigating US foreign policy and foreign relations during his presidency. Britain and France had been at war since Madison served as Thomas Jefferson's Secretary of State, and both countries attacked US ships to try to draw them into the war. When Madison became president in 1809, these attacks continued. The British began impressing US sailors, forcing them to serve on British ships, and the attacks greatly hurt US trade, angering merchants and businessmen. The British also helped Native Americans in North America attack US settlers.

In retaliation, Madison declared war on Britain in 1812, starting the War of 1812. The US Army was small and under-prepared, and many in the US did not support what they called "Mr. Madison's War." British forces attacked and burned Washington, DC, in 1814, forcing Madison to flee the White House. New England merchants, suffering from reduced trade and a declining economy, threatened to secede from the US at the Hartford Convention.

Despite these setbacks, the US managed to wear down the British. The war ended in 1814 with the Treaty of Ghent, and many Americans considered the war a victory. Madison continues to be remembered as the Father of the Constitution.

What constitutional challenges did James Madison face and how did he resolve them?

Seeing that Madison was known as "the father of the Constitution," Madison was able to successfully face and resolve challenges at the Constitutional Convention. Madison's reputation amongst his peers at the Constitutional Convention serves as testament to how he resolved constitutional challenges at the Convention:  ".. every Person seems to acknowledge his greatness... he always comes forward as the best informed Man of any point in debate." Madison used his informed condition as a significant means of successfully navigating constitutional challenges.

One such challenge resided in how federal power could be constructed in a nation that was fearful of it.  As a nation, Madison understood that America did not embrace federal or centralized authority.  Its experience with King George's vision of central power led to the American Revolution, which, in turn, helped to fuel the vision of government in the Articles of Confederation. Madison clearly recognized the need to feature a strong federal government if a constitution was to survive: "...a crisis had arrived which was to decide whether the American experiment was to be a blessing to the world, or to blast for ever the hopes which the republican cause had inspired."  For Madison, this crisis could only be solved through a federal government that possessed some level of legislative authority over state legislatures.  

This idea rests in Madison's Virginia Plan. Madison's proposal included a bicameral legislative body that demonstrated representative democracy.  At the same time, Madison's proposal called for the division of government into separate branches.  The establishment of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches would share power equally and ensure that one branch could not exert more power than the other two.  Madison's proposal of the Virginia Plan eventually became part of "the Great Compromise."  Madison was able to help carve out a constitution that asserted federal power in a manner that other delegates embraces.  Madison faced the obstacles present in adopting a national government that possessed power.  He was able to resolve this effectively through his intricate knowledge of political theory and apply it to the fledgling nation's situation.

The battle between those who favored a strong federal government and a strong state government was a rift that threatened to implode the Constitutional Convention.  The collision between Federalists and Anti- Federalists was one of the challenges that Madison navigated with skill and commitment.  Madison, a Federalist, asserted the need for a strong federal government.  Federalists like Madison were terrified at the lack of order that could facilitate another Shays' Rebellion and government paralysis.  On the flip side of this debate were the Anti- Federalists.  Led by popular orators such as Patrick Henry, this group wanted states rights to be more dominant than a federal vision.  Madison was instrumental in negotiating a settlement between both sides.  He assured the Anti- Federalists that if they adopted the Constitution, there would be an inclusion of specific rights and individual liberties granted to all citizens.  This would act as a potential check against encroachment.  For the Anti- Federalists, this provision was critical to their ratification votes for the Constitution.  Such understanding needs of all sides is what enabled him to navigate constitutional challenges.