IGX

This is serious history for ordinary folks about how the constitution was put together in Philadelphia in 1787. The author uses a good deal of the original notes and letters and minutes from the convention to craft together week by week how ideas evolved, how compromises were made, how individual delegates changed ideas over time, how alliances were formed and broken, and how much happenstance and luck played a role in pulling off

As a lawyer, I’ve studied this time period in terms of the ideas debated, which are often used in legal opinions in trying to ascertain “original intent.” What this book opened up for me is just how different these men’s world is from ours. They were faced with economic and military chaos and confusion, and were dealing with issues small-minded and expansive, all bundled into aimless debate. The book shows how steady hands led this to our democratically-ratified constitution. She also shows how the original big idea behind the constitution was that Congress was to lead the country, and the executive and judiciary were given far less thought or focus. All quite interesting. Author is Carol Berkin.