Although there were no "fruits of victory" following the war, some benefits did accrue to the United States, even though there was no victory. The American performance in the war, especially after Jackson's overwhelming triumph in New Orleans, was convincing to Europe. The war brought an end to Barbary tributes, and freedom from harassment by pirates. As so often happened throughout American history, the Indians were the big losers. They backed the wrong side in the conflict—it was not the first time, nor would it be the last. Significant for all the Western world was the final defeat of Napoleon, which began a period known as the "Hundred Years' Peace." It began in Europe with the Congress of Vienna and continued more or less uninterrupted (with limited exceptions) until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
Madison's term ended on a fairly positive note. Whether it was a victory or a lucky draw, the American people felt satisfied with the results of the war, largely because of Jackson's victory at New Orleans and several spectacular naval triumphs. Further, the old Federalist Party was now all but gone, and a new "Era of Good Feelings" was ushered in. Threatening talk about the "Virginia Dynasty" gradually died out.
James Madison's legacy is still being debated, but in general it can be said that he was one of the key figures in the creation of the American Republic. He seems to many historians to be moving out of the shadow of his more famous Virginia brethren, and well deserves his title of "Father of the Constitution." He lived until 1836, the last of the great men of that era to pass on.
World History
