James Madison practically wrote the Constitution, helped to get it ratified as one of the authors of the Federalist Papers (with Alexander Hamilton doing the majority of the writing and John Jay chipping in), practically wrote the Bill of Rights (after prodding from his political mentor, Thomas Jefferson), was the first Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, served Virginia in the Senate, was Jefferson's Secretary of State and won two landslide elections as President. But he let himself be talked into the War of 1812 by a bunch of yahoos known as the War Hawks, and it got out of control -- sound familiar? The British invaded Washington and burned much of it, including the Executive Mansion, which was already been nicknamed the White House -- the paint used to cover the exterior burns aided, but did not create, the nickname. Mrs. Madison, known as Dolley, was one of the most glamorous women of her time -- not especially pretty to judge by her portraits, but in today's lingo, she had it goin' on. She saved the famous George Washington portrait, and was a beloved capital hostess long after her husband's death. And, as hostess for the widowed Jefferson as well as for her husband, she was the first American to serve ice cream, hence the modern brand name. But "Jemmy" will always have his remarkable career asterisked by the need to abandon Washington in August 1814.