Publisher Description
The Constitutional Convention affected nothing less than a revolution in the nature of the American government. Led by James Madison, a small cohort of delegates devised a plan that would radically alter the balance of power between state and national governments, and then sprung that idea on a largely unsuspecting convention. The success of this bold and brilliant strategy was, however, far from assured, and the ultimate outcome of the delegates’ labors—the creation of a frame of government that would enable the fragile American union to flourish—turned out to be very different from that which Madison had originally envisioned. In fact, there was very little agreement among the framers about the nature of the government they had just created.
Audiences will come to appreciate the challenges that the Founding Fathers faced in creating a form of government that, while imperfect in many respects, nevertheless approaches, in the words of Benjamin Franklin, “so near to perfection as it does.”
Download and start listening now!
“What a phenomenal summer read, being apropos since the Constitutions was created over the summer of 1787. The book accounts for pretty much a day by day account of what transpired during that historical summer in Philadelphia. It takes the three major contentious issues: Nationalism vs. Federalism, the role of the President, and slavery, and presents a philosophical accounting of all the major players. It brings to light the provincialism of some, and the genius of others, especially James Madison, someone who I wrote off as another historical rampart. What I enjoyed most about this book was that these men divested in these arduous proceedings for months, and were able to come up with a living document that still stays true to this day. These men came from philosophy, not politics. And they stayed true to what the goals were: a more perfect union. An enjoyable book for those who like detailed history.”
—
Steve (5 out of 5 stars)
