Deep Story

EP.19- Leading with Respect: The Making of the American Constitution

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-Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution

Discover the intricate tapestry of history as we unravel the drama of the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. How did a group of visionaries transform a financially troubled, fragmented collection of states into a united powerhouse of governance? This episode promises to enlighten you on the practical genius of America's founders, who navigated turbulent waters with the aim of preserving a way of life rather than chasing utopian dreams, setting a stark contrast with the French Revolution's chaotic pursuit for ideals.

Join us as we peel back the layers of the Convention's groundbreaking compromises, from the Commerce Compromise to the Three-Fifths Compromise, each crafted to balance the diverse needs of a fledgling nation. George Washington was a commanding presence whose respect extended beyond words, ensuring order amidst passionate debates. The unique "Committee of the Whole" enabled unfettered dialogue, allowing delegates to shape a robust framework of governance. With structured debates rooted in British parliamentary traditions, the convention laid the groundwork for a democracy that emphasizes minority rights alongside majority rule.

Meet the remarkable personalities behind the Constitution's creation: James Madison, whose Virginia Plan shifted the course of history; George Mason, whose insistence on a Bill of Rights safeguarded individual freedoms; and Benjamin Franklin, whose wit and wisdom kept harmony among the contentious minds. Even from across the Atlantic, Thomas Jefferson's words lent legitimacy to the convention, reinforcing its pivotal role in founding American democracy. This episode offers an insightful glimpse into the skillful and deliberate crafting of a government system where diverse voices not only coexist but thrive.

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Speaker 1:

Let's be real here, say it, dig it and analyze it. That's Deep Story. Thanks for tuning into Deep Story, I'm MPT. So today let's dive into the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Oh yeah, we're talking about that one. There's a book called Plain Honest Men the Making of the American Constitution. Now let me tell you, this book doesn't cover a series of events. It focuses on one single meeting, just one. But this meeting, arguably the single most influential gathering in human history when it comes to shaping civilization. And guess what? That was 238 years ago, back in 1787. But hold on, let's rewind a bit and set the stage.

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The lead-up was straightforward. In 1775, at Lexington, the first gunshot rang out. Boom. Americans were like Alright, brits, that's it, we're done. Pack up your tea and taxes because we're declaring independence. And the next year, in 1776, the Declaration of Independence dropped Mic, drop right? Well, not so fast. They fought and fought All the way until 1783, when they finally signed the Treaty of Paris. That's when the Brits were like Fine, you don't want to be my rebellious teenage colony anymore. Good luck paying for your revolution. We're out. And just like that, america was free. Victory baby.

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But here's the thing. This is where America's story takes a very different path from, say, france, because, oh boy, the French Revolution, that was something else. Those folks wanted an entirely new world crimson banners waving, shouting slogans like liberty, equality, fraternity. They were like we're going to build utopia which, let's be honest, sounds more like a Kickstarter campaign than a plan. Across the Atlantic, though, the Americans were way more practical. Their revolution wasn't about building some dreamy utopia. Nope, it was about preserving a very real, very specific way of life, one they could see, touch and, more importantly, live. There was no fluff, no lofty promises about paradise on earth, just a clear picture of what life should be.

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And once they kicked out the Brits in 1783, the Americans were like all right, let's get to it, time to live the dream. So what does living the dream look like? For them, it meant one thing going home. And that's exactly what happened. Everyone scattered, the king was gone, tyranny was over, taxes poof. They said we're out, let's all just go home and get on with our lives.

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But from 1783 to 1787, something funny happened. That dream life wasn't as dreamy as they'd hoped. First off, they had some housekeeping to do, you know, tying up loose ends. Soldiers, for instance, were heading back to their farms their families. But before they could leave, they were like Guys, what about the money you owe us? We fought for independence, remember? And now I've got nothing to farm, with no capital to start a business, you expect me to just wing it? So these discharged soldiers went straight to Congress, which was still wrapping up loose ends, and said hey, about that back pay you owe us? And let me tell you, this became the single most headache-inducing issue Congress faced in 1783. Congress tried everything to avoid it, but in the end they caved. They squeezed their pitiful little budget and scraped together just enough to give the soldiers three months worth of pay Three months. And that barely calmed the situation down for now.

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Now you might be thinking wait, wasn't America a country by then? How broke could they possibly be? Well, the answer is embarrassingly broke, like dig through the couch. Cushions for loose change broke. And here's why they actually had no money. None. Let's break it down First.

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The Congress back then wasn't the mighty institution we think of today. It didn't even have the power to tax, that's right. No taxing authority whatsoever. Why? Because America wasn't really a single unified country back then, it was a confederation. Picture a loose alliance of states each minding their own business. People felt loyalty to their states Virginia, new York, massachusetts not to some abstract United States. Congress could only ask the states for money, like a broke college kid asking their parents for rent. And guess what? The states weren't exactly generous. Secondly, america was dirt poor, let's not forget.

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During the war, the whole point was to rebel against the king's oppressive taxes. Right, but here's the kicker During the war, taxes actually got worse. Yeah, irony alert, the average American gave up about one-third of their income to support the war effort. One-third, that's way more than King George ever dreamed of taxing them. By the end of the war, the country was tapped out Farmers, merchants, everyone. It was like scraping the bottom of the barrel. The result a government with no money, no resources and no wiggle room. And then there was the international situation.

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Post-independence things got complicated. For example, the US sent John Adams yes, future President John Adams to England as their first ambassador. The goal smooth things over and restart trade with Britain. Oh, smooth things over and restart trade with Britain. But the British were like, oh, you want to trade? How cute, how about no? And they weren't the only ones France and Spain who had been America's wartime buddies. Their generosity dried up faster than a puddle in the desert. Why? Because during the war, their main goal wasn't to help America, it was to mess with Britain. Now that Britain was out of the picture, france and Spain were like, yeah, no more trade discounts for you. How bad did it get?

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By the late 1780s, America's exports per capita had dropped 30% compared to the 1760s before the revolution 30%. Dock workers, sailors, factory workers they were all sitting around with nothing to do. The economy rock bottom. So naturally, folks started asking Alright, the Brits are gone. Now what Do we build? A new government or something?

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So John Adams, the guy who became America's second president and the one they sent to Britain as ambassador, had this great line, he said. Had this great line, he said Turns out beating Britain's Navy piece of cake, governing ourselves? Yeah, not so much. And he wasn't wrong. Even George Washington, the man himself, wrote a letter before 1787 to a friend where he basically said you know, I think we overestimated human nature. Oach right, washington laid it out in two big points. First, he said look, people don't just follow rules, even if the rules are designed for everyone's benefit, unless there's some real authority to back them up. Translation we need a stronger government. Folks. This wasn't just his opinion either.

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By then it had become the consensus among the elite. The loosey-goosey system of the Confederation wasn't cutting it. So they decided alright time to call a meeting, and that meeting the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. By this point America's movers and shakers realized that they had to take matters into their own hands. They couldn't keep muddling through like a bunch of anarchists. They needed to design a government, a real one. No more of this confederation nonsense. It was time to turn it into a proper federation. But here's the catch Under the rules of the confederation, amending the constitution required unanimous agreement from all 13 states. That's right. Every single one had to say yes just to hold the convention. Spoiler alert, that was almost impossible.

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And let me tell you, looking back over 200 years, this meeting was well, let's just say it wasn't exactly glamorous. First off, the location Philadelphia. At the time, philly had a population of 40,000, making it the biggest city in America. New York came in second with 30,000, and Boston had a mere 18,000. Compare that to cities like Paris, which had over 600,000 people, or London with 900,000, or Beijing, with more than a million. Honestly, america was just one big farm country back then the convention itself, not exactly smooth sailing.

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Delegates trickled in slowly, well into June and July it was like knock, knock, someone shows up with a suitcase. Hey, I'm here for the meeting, I'm the delegate from such and such state. Real, casual. And the venue If you've ever been to Philadelphia, you might have seen Independence Hall. That's where they held the convention, and guess what? It's tiny. The whole thing felt more like a cramped town meeting than the birth of a nation. But you know what? All those logistical headaches, the cramped room, the slow arrivals, the casual vibe, none of that even compares to what was really tough about this convention the conflicts. Oh yeah, we're talking about a room filled with so much tension. You'd think they were trying to negotiate world peace.

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The reason this meeting felt almost impossible was that everyone walked in knowing they'd have to settle what seemed like unresolvable differences. And there were four main fault lines. First, the big states versus the small states. The big states were like look, we've got more people, we pay more taxes, so naturally decisions should be made based on population. One person, one vote, right. But the small states, oh, they weren't having it. Population, are you kidding? If we go by that, we'll never have a say in anything? Nope, we vote by state. One vote per state or we're out. Classic David versus Goliath, but with paperwork.

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Second, the industrial states versus the agricultural states. The industrial states, mostly up north, wanted low taxes and even lower tariffs. Why? To boost trade and manufacturing. Meanwhile, the agricultural states, mainly in the South, wanted sky-high tariffs to protect their farming economies. They were all about keeping their cash crops safe from foreign competition. Talk about economic whiplash.

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Third, the North versus the South. Oh, this one was messy. The South, with its slave-heavy population, had a very creative proposal. One it comes to taxes, slaves shouldn't count as people. Makes our population look smaller, so we pay less. But when it comes to representation in Congress, oh, slaves are definitely people Gotta count, every single one. The North, they weren't buying it. Wait what you can't have it both ways. That's the most self-serving logic we've ever heard. That's the most self-serving logic we've ever heard. And finally, the East versus the West. The Western states, staring out at endless frontier land, wanted national policies focused on expansion, more land, more opportunity. Meanwhile, the older, established Eastern states were like ho, hold up, we're the founders here. We've already carved out our territories. National policies should protect our interests first. So there you have it north versus south, east versus west, rich versus poor, big versus small.

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The room was like a giant chessboard, where every move created another argument and somehow all of these issues, all of them, had to be solved in this one tiny meeting. It was a recipe for chaos, a big old pot of political gumbo. You want to know how tough this was. In the end they pulled it off, but barely After four grueling months, the convention delivered what would go down in American history as the three great compromises.

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The first was the Commerce Compromise, which settled trade disputes by balancing the interests of industrial and agricultural states. The second was the infamous three-fifth fixed compromise, which decided that enslaved people in the southern states would count as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation in Congress. Ugly Absolutely, but it got the South to the table. And then there was the most critical one the Great Compromise. This one resolved the big state vs small state showdown by creating a bicameral legislature representation by population in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate. That's why today, california gets dozens of representatives in the House, but the same two senators as tiny Vermont. This system now common sense was a groundbreaking invention at the time.

Speaker 1:

But let's not forget more than patriotism, these people felt an intense loyalty to their individual states. Each delegate was there to fight for their own interests, not for some lofty ideal of a unified America. And yet somehow they managed to work it out, thanks to two things structure and the art of the meeting. First, they had a chairman like no other, george Washington. Now, washington didn't even want to attend this convention. He was disillusioned, fed up with the mess his hard-won independence had become. Why drag me back into this swamp, he thought. But his friends, especially James Madison, begged him to come. Look, george, they said. If you don't show up, this whole thing's illegitimate. You're the man, the symbol, the father of the country. If you're not there, nobody will take us seriously. And eventually Washington agreed. He became the presiding officer of the convention.

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But here's the thing about Washington he wasn't the type to micromanage. He spoke publicly a grand total of three times during the entire convention Once at the start with a brief opening address, once at the end asking for suggestions on how to preserve the meeting records, and once more near the finish, the meeting records. And once more near the finish when a debate broke out over whether each House representative should represent 30,000 or 40,000 people. Washington finally spoke up urging compromise and the delegates quickly agreed. That's it three speeches. His role as chairman was almost entirely symbolic.

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There's even a fancy chair at Independence Hall, the one Washington used during full meetings. It's ornate with carvings and it's still there today. But here's the kicker Washington only sat in it during full assemblies. Washington only sat in it during full assemblies For smaller committee discussions. He went back to the Virginia delegation and participated just like any other delegate. When he was in that big chair, though, he rarely said a word. His presence alone commanded respect. And they had rules, folks strict ones.

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In the British parliamentary tradition, debates weren't directed at each other. They were addressed to the Speaker of the House. This tradition carried over to the Convention. No shouting matches, no direct arguments. Delegates stood, spoke to Washington, then sat down. Mr President, they'd begin. I must disagree with the previous gentleman. Washington, meanwhile, would sit there listening, or maybe just staring off into the middle distance. But this protocol ensured that debates stayed orderly and didn't devolve into chaos.

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The second secret to their success committees. Oh, these guys loved committees. This process continues in American politics today, with military committees, budget committees and so on. Back then they tackled every issue by assigning it to a specialized group. First. The committee hashed out the details, then brought their proposal to the full assembly for debate and voting. It was slow, yes, but it allowed experts to do the heavy lifting before everyone else jumped in. This methodical approach kept things moving, even with all the disagreements.

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Now here's a quirky and fascinating feature of the convention that might make you go Wait, what they had. Something called the Committee of the Whole Sounds redundant, right? I mean, the Committee of the Whole had the exact same members as the full assembly, so why have it? Well, despite identical membership, the two were very different in vibe and purpose. In the Committee of the Whole, the atmosphere was more relaxed. Delegates could argue freely, brainstorm and even let tempers flare without worrying about breaking formal rules. But once they switched back to the full assembly, oh, it was all business strict rules, formal decorum and no room for shenanigans.

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Where did this idea come from? Like so much else at the convention, it traces back to British traditions. In the early days of the British Parliament, the king's power was still overwhelming. British Parliament, the king's power was still overwhelming. When the king sat in on meetings, everyone had to watch their words. After all, if you said something that rubbed the monarch the wrong way, there could be serious consequences. But as royal power waned, kings stopped attending parliamentary meetings.

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To preserve a sense of symbolism, though, they left behind the mace, a fancy ceremonial staff that represented the king's authority. When the mace was present, it was considered a formal session of Parliament, a full assembly. Now what if MPs want to debate something controversial or brainstorm without the pressure of formalities? Easy, the speaker would remove the mace. The king's not here. They'd say, let's loosen up a bit. That's when it became a committee of the whole, where ideas could flow freely and even wild suggestions were entertained. Once consensus was reached, the speaker would bring the mace back, symbolizing the King's return, and the session would switch back to a formal assembly for the official vote At the Constitutional Convention. George Washington basically became the living, breathing version of that ceremonial mace. His presence commanded respect and formality, much like the king's authority in British tradition. When Washington sat in his chair, everything was official, rules were followed and the tone was serious. But when the committee sessions began, it was like the mace had been taken away and the gloves came off. And that wasn't the only quirky rule they had.

Speaker 1:

The third fascinating feature of the convention was a little thing I like to call speaking without consequence. Delegates could propose bold ideas, argue for extreme measures and even flip-flop on their positions without it counting against them. It was all about encouraging free debate. Now, you might think, wouldn't that slow everything down? Sure, it could be frustratingly inefficient, but it was also a stroke of genius. Why? Because these delegates weren't like modern party-line politicians who just nod along with their leaders. They were representatives elected by their states. If they made a hasty decision or failed to think through the long-term consequences, their states would hold them accountable when they got home. A plus, the convention's decisions weren't the final word. Even if every delegate agreed unanimously on the Constitution, it still wouldn't matter unless the individual states ratified it. Every proposal had to be carefully considered because, at the end of the day, the real power lay with the state legislatures. The delegates knew they couldn't afford to rush or ignore dissenting voices. Now here's the genius of the convention they intentionally left room for second thoughts. And isn't that just human nature? I mean, anyone who's ever convinced someone of something knows that it's easy to create a moment, an atmosphere, where someone reluctantly agrees, maybe even against their better judgment, where someone reluctantly agrees, maybe even against their better judgment, but then they go home, sleep on it and wake up thinking wait a minute, that was a bad idea. They don't buy into it fully and if they're not truly on board, the agreement doesn't stick. That's the brilliance of the US Constitution. The agreement doesn't stick. That's the brilliance of the US Constitution. Over 200 years, the original text hasn't been altered once, just a few amendments here and there, but the core Untouched.

Speaker 1:

Oh, and did you notice, in all this talk about the convention, there's one person who's conspicuously absent Thomas Jefferson. Yep, the guy who wrote the Declaration of Independence, later became America's third president and was Washington's close ally. He wasn't there. Why? He was out of town, and by out of town I mean across the Atlantic, in Paris, serving as America's first ambassador to France. But Jefferson wasn't disconnected, far from it. He kept a close eye on the convention's progress from Paris, reading reports and poring over the delegate list. And when he saw who was attending, jefferson famously said this is a gathering of demigods. That comment, it wasn't just a compliment, it had a huge impact on public opinion. Jefferson's words lent the convention a level of legitimacy it desperately needed. After all, the convention itself was a little sketchy in terms of legality. But if Jefferson called these folks demigods, who could argue with that?

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Now let's talk about the real soul of the convention, george Washington. His presence was everything. He didn't need to speak much, just being there was enough. Washington's quiet authority, his sheer presence, brought stability to the room. Even with all the intense debates, his reputation alone helped prevent the whole thing from falling apart. He was quite literally the glue. But every great leader needs a strategist, and for Washington that was James Madison, known as the father of the Constitution.

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Madison played a pivotal role in the convention. He was more than just a delegate. He was the architect of many of the ideas that became the foundation of American government. And Madison wasn't just influential at the convention. He was a key figure in early American politics. He was Washington's close ally, worked closely with John Adams and later became Jefferson's Secretary of State, before serving two terms as president himself. Madison also had an interesting knack for networking. Take his wife, dolly Madison, for example. She was a social powerhouse known for her charm and diplomacy. Fun fact during the Adams presidency, since John Adams's wife had passed, dolly often stepped in as the unofficial hostess for the White House. Talk about multitasking, but let's get back to the convention. Jefferson, despite being in France, sent Madison a treasure trove of political writings and ideas to study. Armed with this, madison drafted the Virginia Plan, which became the starting point for the Constitution. Sure, the plan had a strong bias toward the big states After all, it was designed to protect their interests. But when you look at the final Constitution, you'll notice that most of its key structural elements trace directly back to the Virginia Plan. Madison's fingerprints are all over it.

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In any intense debate you need someone willing to stir the pot, a bad guy, so to speak. And at the Constitutional Convention that role belonged to George Mason. Now, mason wasn't just any troublemaker. He was a founding father deeply respected and highly principled. But during the convention, he became the staunch voice of dissent. How staunch. He refused to sign the final draft of the Constitution. Flat out wouldn't do it.

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After the convention, he went back to Virginia and actively campaigned against its ratification. Talk about taking a stand. So why was Mason so opposed? Simple, the Constitution lacked a Bill of Rights. Yep, all those Hainali-enabled rights Americans love to talk about today Freedom of speech, religion, the press. None of that was explicitly guaranteed in the original document. Mason thought this was a fatal flaw and he wasn't wrong. Later the first Congress passed the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, and those amendments were largely inspired by Mason's relentless advocacy.

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Mason's role was the classic loyal opposition you see in Western political traditions. He wasn't trying to sabotage the process or burn everything down. His opposition came from a place of deep conviction. He wanted the Constitution to be better and in the end his dissent led to one of the most cherished parts of the American political system. That's the power of a principled bad guy.

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But while Mason stirred the waters, there was another figure at the convention who served as the calming, unifying force Benjamin Franklin. At 81 years old, franklin wasn't just a delegate, he was an icon. He wasn't like Washington, revered for his military and political leadership. Franklin was a Renaissance man, writer, scientist, inventor. He's the guy who gave us the lightning rod. For crying out loud and fun fact, the basic design of the lightning rod hasn't changed much since Franklin's day. Franklin was also a shrewd businessman and his wisdom and experience gave him enormous influence At the convention. Though his physical health was failing. He moved slowly, often needed help and sometimes lacked the strength to speak aloud, so he'd write out his speeches and have someone else read them for him. Despite all this, his presence was monumental. Why? Because Franklin was the ultimate mediator when debates got heated, when the room seemed ready to explode.

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Franklin had a gift for diffusing tension, but he didn't do it by pulling rank or demanding respect as an elder statesman oh no, that wasn't his style. Instead, he'd crack a joke, tell a story or shift the perspective to something bigger. He had this knack for reminding everyone why they were there and what was truly at stake One of Franklin's go-to moves. When the arguments got too intense, he'd propose a little divine intervention. Gentlemen, he'd say how about we start each morning with a prayer led by a clergyman? Surely that would help us find common ground. Now, whether or not they actually prayed, it was Franklin's way of easing the tension, refocusing the group and keeping the process moving forward. Now about Franklin and his knack for turning chaos into calm. Sure, some of his suggestions didn't always fly like starting every morning with a prayer because there wasn't a budget for it. But the real power of Franklin's words wasn't in the practicality, it was in the message. He'd bring up concepts like God or conscience to remind everyone why they were there not for petty squabbles, but for something far greater, something eternal. His subtle nudge to think about posterity, morality and even divinity often got people to sit back down and keep talking.

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One of Franklin's most remarkable moments came at a truly critical juncture. The small states were fed up. They were ready to walk out saying that's it, we're done, forget this constitution. We're not even sticking with the confederation. The entire convention was teetering on the brink of collapse and that's when Franklin stood up and delivered one of the most impactful speeches of the whole event.

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He said the whole event. He said you know, the older I get, the more I'm convinced of one thing God has a habit of minding other people's business. His point humanity had to take care of its own affairs. Then he went on. What we're doing here is unprecedented. It's a rare chance in human history. If we fail, if we let this convention collapse, we won't just fail ourselves, we'll fail humanity. People will lose faith that humans, through their own wisdom and cooperation, can design a government. They'll assume that governments can only come from conflict, war, conquest or blind luck. Then Franklin sat down. That was it. No demands, no ultimatums, just a quiet but profound warning, and it worked. The delegates staring into the abyss of failure, staring into the abyss of failure pulled themselves together and returned to the negotiating table. Franklin didn't tell them how to solve the problem, he didn't even try. He simply reminded them of the stakes, and that alone was enough to keep things from falling apart.

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Here's the thing about the Constitutional Convention they didn't talk much about democracy. Seriously, the word democracy is almost nowhere to be found in the meeting records. What they feared most wasn't tyranny in the traditional sense, it was the tyranny of the majority. They weren't writing the constitution to enable mob rule. They were designing it to tame democracy's wilder instincts. That's why the convention was infused with a spirit of deep respect for the minority respect for the minority, those with fewer voices, less power or unpopular opinions. The whole point of the Constitution was to protect against the chaos that unchecked majority rule could bring, and the Convention itself embodied this principle. They didn't always agree, but they consistently showed a remarkable willingness to hear out and consider the interests of the minority, no matter how difficult it made the process, whether it was the big states respecting the interests of the small states, or the elder statesmen showing deference to the fresh ideas of the younger delegates.

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The Constitutional Convention was built on a foundation of mutual respect, and you can see this principle deeply embedded in the text of the US Constitution. It teaches us a surprising truth Democracy isn't simply majority rule. Democracy as envisioned by the founding fathers is majority rule only within the framework of respecting and protecting minority rights. That's a far cry from the simplistic view many people hold today. Democracy isn't about everyone having a say and then letting the chips fall where they may. It's about creating a system with fine-tuned mechanisms to balance competing interests. This careful design was apparent during the convention itself.

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The same year the Constitution was ratified, the French Revolution broke out and across the Atlantic, the French tried their hand at drafting a constitution, but their process was, let's just say, a bit more chaotic. In France, you had mobs crowding into the National Assembly Hall while lawmakers debated. The public was shouting, the delegates were shouting. It was a cacophony of voices, a symphony of confusion. It symbolized a direct connection between the people and the decision-making process, but it also made it nearly impossible for thoughtful deliberation to occur. The American approach couldn't have been more different.

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At the Constitutional Convention. There was a clear boundary between the roles of the public and the professionals. The founders, understood that drafting a government required focus and expertise. So they locked the doors and windows. Literally, philadelphia summers are sweltering, but they didn't even crack a window. No one outside was allowed to eavesdrop, report or influence the proceedings. No newspapers, no public pressure, no mob mentality, just serious, concentrated work. It was as much about insulation as inspiration. Here's the takeaway democracy is a craft, a technical skill. It's not just about giving everyone a voice. It's about designing a system where those voices coexist within a framework of fairness and functionality. This isn't to say democracy should look like this or this is the only way. It's to say perhaps democracy isn't what we casually think it is. And that's the real lesson of today's story.