J. C. A. Stagg contributed an essay, "James Madison's America," to this illustrated volume, which accompanies the National Portrait Gallery exhibition of the same name (Smithsonian Institution, 15 June 2012 through 27 January 2013). The volume was published in May 2012 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

"Marking the two-hundredth anniversary of the [War of 1812], this book explores how the United States was transformed and unified by the individuals who took part [...]. It also provides an overview of the battles, the negotiations for peace, the aftermath [...] and the great commercial, industrial, and cultural expansion that followed, transforming the United States into a world power" (jacket copy).