Although James Madison was far from being one of the top presidents, he handled the issues that he was faced with well, and he worked well with congress. The war of 1812 was not pointless-- James Madison understood that the scirmishes between countries could only be resolved by war, and that there was no telling how much another trade restraint would hurt the American Economy. He pushed the United States to show foreigners that America was a force to be reconed with, and that earned much respect.
