Madison was founded on land secured from Madison C. Livingston on May 2, 1838, and became the county seat after that role was removed from San Pedro. An early political center, it lay along the escape route of Confederate Secretary of War John C. Breckenridge in 1865. The town played a prominent role in the development of tobacco, livestock raising, and conservation in North Florida. Home of North Florida Community College, the area's economy is based on agriculture and industry.