They were identical to the Lafayettes except for being initially designed to carry the Polaris A-3 missile instead of the earlier A-2.

This class, together with the George Washington, Ethan Allen, Lafayette, and Benjamin Franklin classes, composed the "41 for Freedom" that was the Navy's primary contribution to the nuclear deterrent force through the late 1980s.

These were James Madison, Daniel Boone, John C. Calhoun, Von Steuben, Casimir Pulaski, and Stonewall Jackson.

[3] The James Madisons were decommissioned between 1986 and 1995 due to a combination of SALT II treaty limitations as the Ohio-class SSBNs entered service, age, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

One (Sam Rayburn) remains out of commission but converted to a Moored Training Ship (MTS-635) with the missile compartment removed.