The first volume of the Retirement Series covers the period between 4 March 1817, when Madison left the presidency, and 31 January 1820, years when he and Dolley Payne Madison settled once again into the rhythms of rural life at their beloved home, Montpelier.Madison's retirement was a busy and productive one. The management of his large plantation occupied a great deal of his time. The correspondence in this volume reveals aspects of life at Montpelier, whether it be land sales and boundary surveys, sales of tobacco and wheat, court suits, medical bills, or purchases of household goods.

Closely allied with his concerns for the productivity of his plantation were Madison's interest in scientific agriculture and his correspondence with Thomas Jefferson, Peter Minor, Richard Peters, and others, relating to it. Featured in this volume is Madison's presidential address to the Agricultural Society of Albemarle, which was published in pamphlet form and widely disseminated in the newspapers.

Madison remained engaged with current events through his correspondence with James Monroe, William H. Crawford, John Quincy Adams, James Barbour, James P. Preston, and others who consulted him from time to time on foreign and domestic political matters and constitutional questions, such as the extension of slavery, the tariff, internal improvements, and banking. On these issues and others, Madison freely gave his opinion. During this period also, Madison wrote his "Detatched Memoranda," a collection of anecdotes of political figures, including Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, as well as explanations and defenses of decisions he had made in his political life.

Finally, Madison's correspondence with Jefferson, Joseph C. Cabell, and others highlights his involvement in the creation of the University of Virginia. As in all volumes of this edition, thorough annotation and a detailed index provide access to people, places, and events.

...

Volume 6 of the "Presidential Series" covers the eight-month period between 8 February and 24 October 1813, during which the United States continued its military struggle against Great Britain. The volume opens with newly appointed Secretary of War John Armstrong's memorandum on the spring campaign against Canada, recommending attacks on Kingston and York (Toronto). United States forces took York in late April, but humiliating defeats followed in June, leading Armstrong to replace Maj. Gen. Henry Dearborn as commander of the Northern army with Maj. Gen. James Wilkinson. In the fall, Wilkinson opted to bypass Kingston and march directly to Montreal, but illness, bad weather, and personnel problems dogged the campaign, which later ended in failure.The nation faced financial and diplomatic challenges as well. With war expenses mounting, Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin kept the government solvent by negotiating a $16-million loan. A few months later, he sailed for St. Petersburg as a peace commissioner under the mediation offer of Alexander I of Russia, leaving the financial affairs of the nation to Navy Secretary William Jones. Early in August, however, Madison wrote Gallatin that the Senate had 'mutilated the Mission to St Petersburg' by rejecting Gallatin's nomination as commissioner. The president spent the remainder of the period covered in this volume at Montpelier, regaining his health after a life-threatening bout of fever.The volume also documents the United States' evolving relationship with Spain's American colonies, quarrels among U.S. consuls in France, rivalries within the Cabinet, and Oliver H. Perry's victory on Lake Erie. Access to people, places, and events discussed is facilitated by detailed annotation and a comprehensive index....

...