The Papers That Transformed the United States of America. Madison, are you getting this? asked Washington.

Transcription

1 The Papers That Transformed the United States of America Madison, are you getting this? asked Washington. The recorder raised his brows as he glanced up; the lines etched in his forehead stood out. He dabbed a handkerchief on his face in an attempt to revive himself from the sweltering weather. I apologize Sir, he responded, But my ink seems to be boiling in this tremendous heat. A chorus of agreements sounded amongst the crowded occupants. The delegates had been cooped up for hours in the State House; blinds were drawn shut, doors were locked, and the stream of arguments was ongoing. Centralized is the key to the success of a united nation; without it, we would be a series of loosely strung states with no bonds. I cannot elucidate on the importance of this element in the government, preached a young man on a chair across the room. Another delegate announced his views in a separate corner of the room, I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to McClurg s opinions on the governing body; he is such a valuable asset to this team-- I was actually about to inquire on his whereabou-- McClurg left weeks ago, Randolph, shouted a man at the curious delegate. The man on the chair stopped mid-sentence and entered the argument. In all frankness, McClurg was a detriment to this meeting. His absence is enough proof for the lack of dedication he holds for the very fabric of this nation-- George Washington rose in a swift fashion and spoke, Gentlemen, please. We are all in attendance because we have the same goal: to better the status of our nation. Arguing will get us nowhere. Randolph, please take a seat; Hamilton, step down from the chair. We are to depart

2 for the winter in five weeks time. In order to achieve the ratification for the constitution, we must progress in many different ways. Washington paused and drew in a deep breath. The meetings at the Constitutional Convention began as an onslaught of delegates differing in stances concerning foundational documentation of the country known as the Articles of Confederation, representation within the states, the length of the president s terms, and countless other issues. Most of the arguments had died down in the days beginning August, but boundaries were still present in the meeting room. The final draft of the Constitution is nearing completion-- months of work will soon repay us in its entirety. However, I must remind all of you gentlemen of one important note: only but half of the work is finished. After the final draft of the Constitution is drawn up, we must still face the ratification process, in which we need the support of nine out of the thirteen states. Please return to your places of lodging and get a good night s rest; we will reconvene tomorrow. On that final note, the exhausted delegates retreated to their rooms. However, many of them did not have a good night s rest in mind-- they knew there was far more work to be done. Each and every representative present at the meetings was there because they wanted to help their country in any way that they could, in order to create what would later be known as a more perfect union (The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, 2016). Many sacrificed rest in order to draw up new compromises and plans to present to their fellow delegates at the State House the following day. There was a continuous flow of proposals and counter arguments in an attempt to resolve any loopholes in the Constitution. They reached for a government like no other-- one made on peaceful terms constructed by and for the people. By no

3 means were these men perfect; each delegate held a fault to his own self. However, these Founding Fathers overcame their weaknesses for a greater good: to create a country built with the ideals of freedom, prosperity, and advancement (United States Department of State, n.d.). Over the weeks leading to their winter break, the men worked tirelessly to complete the drafting of the constitution. On September 17th, 1787, the representatives were presented with the fruits of their labor ( CONSTITUTION FAQS, n.d.). Madison painstakingly rolled out the parchment in front of the sea of delegates. Everyone looked with careful eyes as they scanned the detailed document. We the people, whispered Madison in an awe-filled tone. It does have a nice ring to it, said a delegate in the back of the crowd. Murmurs of agreement rounded the meeting space. A symphony of screeching wooden chairs sounded in the room as men lined up to add one final addition to the document: their signatures. Something had settled in the air, a feeling of reverence. Barely anyone moved, and all eyes were trained on the paper that served as the foundation to the country. Each man became aware of the monumental actions that they had performed; they took part in the creation of a nation. After the signing was completed, Washington stood up and announced to the congregation, The Constitution will be in the sights of the people in a few day s time-- from what I understand, the Pennsylvania Packet and the Daily Advertiser have both agreed to publish it. From here on, it is up to the people ( CONSTITUTION FAQS, n.d.).

4 With a few closing words, the convention ended, and all of the delegates returned to their home states. Hamilton stood staring at the document, his quill practically itching in his hand. Washington s words seemed to echo in his head: it is up to the people. With another look at the document, he finally thought, Our work is not yet done. After the convention, one obstacle still remained: the people s opinion. Groups formed and either declared their favor to the Constitution, Federalists, or their opposition towards it, Anti-Federalists. In New York, Anti-Federalists claimed the spotlight, publishing articles in newspapers and protesting in the streets. Seeing this, Alexander Hamilton soon came to the conclusion that some sort of action had to be taken. He took to his writing desk and organized a group of men to construct essays in favor of the Constitution, rightly named The Federalist Papers (Callison & LCITS, 2009). Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay took on this challenge with high hopes in mind. They met and discussed the purposes and contents of the papers, along with a tentative plan on how many papers each person should write (History.com, 2009). Hamilton paced the length of the room as he contemplated the topics of the papers. Madison ceased writing and looked up from his paper. With a deep breath, he said, Hamilton, please stop your insistent pacing; it is detracting me from my work. Hamilton looked up as if he was shaken out of a trance. My apologies, he responded as he took a seat, But the matter that we are dealing with here is of utmost importance. Hamilton continued, It is no secret that the Constitution is struggling, to say the least. The diction exceeds the understanding of most common men.

5 John Jay spoke up and said, Citizens also fear that their rights may be infringed upon; many believe that we are constructing a centralized government akin to Britain s. Madison set down his quill and noted, At least we are aware of what we are up against. With that information, we can structure our arguments in response to some of the criticism. Brilliant, the two men looked at Hamilton who had spoken up. These essays They can clarify the structure of the government to the people, so the citizens know the preventative strategies set against tyranny. Not only that, but we can also relay the downsides of the Articles of Confederation. The men continued discussing ideas until it was late and they returned home. With a set plan, they published Federalist Papers in various newspapers over the course of a few months. Under the pseudonym of Publius, eighty-five essays explained the details of the Constitution to the public. These articles served as the original intent of the United States Constitution. The works of these three men influenced thousands and eventually led to the ratification of the this noble document. If it weren t for their dedication and perseverance, the Articles of Confederation would have still been the reigning document of the land. However, the hard work of these men paid off in the form of the ratification of a well-structured, unifying creed for the country. And so, a nation rightfully called the United States of America was conceived.

6 References Callison, J., & LCITS. (2009). University of Oklahoma college of law: A chronology of US historical documents: The federalist no. 1. Retrieved December 3, 2016, from University of Oklahoma College of Law, CONSTITUTION FAQS. Retrieved December 2, 2016, from National Constitution Center, History.com (2009). Federalist papers - facts & summary. history.com. Retrieved from The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. (2016, October 5). The constitution of the United States: A transcription. Retrieved December 2, 2016, from National Archives, United States Department of State. Milestones: Retrieved December 2, 2016, from Office of the Historian,