Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a statue of President James Madison at the Madison County Courthouse as part of America's upcoming 250th birthday during a press conference in Madison County this week.
“We honor President James Madison for his integral role in the founding of our nation and the American acquisition of Florida,” DeSantis said in a release. “As part of our commemoration of America’s semiquincentennial this year, we have unveiled statues of great Americans throughout our state. With this new statue in Madison County, we now have statues of our Founding Fathers in every Florida county that is named for a founder. These statues symbolize Florida’s commitment to celebrating our nation’s history and the great men who laid the foundation for the American experiment.”
Madison was the president of the United States from 1809 to 1807. Known as the "Father of the Constitution," Madison played a key role in drafting the U.S. Constitution and was the primary author of the Bill of Rights during the early years of America's founding.
Here in Florida, Madison approved the annexation of West Florida in 1810 and supported efforts to bring East Florida, both under Spanish rule, under American ownership. Spain officially ceded both East and West Florida to the U.S. after the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819.
Florida officially became a state in 1845.
Madison County, on the Florida Panhandle, is named in Madison's honor. James Madison is the latest statue unveiled for America 250, which culminates on July 4.
Other statues as part of the celebration, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Benjamin Franklin, Fredrick Douglas, and Alexander Hamilton, have been unveiled by Gov. DeSantis across the state.
“This statue stands as a powerful tribute to the brilliance of James Madison’s statecraft and highlights his often‑overlooked role in bringing Florida into the United States,” Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd added. “It’s a legacy reminding us that individual liberty rests on limited government, personal responsibility, and a deep respect for the rule of law—ideas we still value in Florida.”
