Madison and the Constitution

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In the aftermath of the war, the American citizens primarily identified with their respective states rather than as Americans. However, a small group of men including James Madison realized the importance of creating a strong union to prevent the dissolution and vulnerability of the states. They conducted a Constitutional Convention, essentially replacing the Articles of Confederation, to establish a consolidated republic - the first of its kind in history. Though initially unpopular, this decision ultimately led to the creation of a unified nation state, challenging the conventional wisdom that a republic could not function on a large scale.

Joseph Ellis, of Mt. Holyoke College and author of American Creation, talks about the triumphs and tragedies of the founding of the United States. His goal in the book and in this podcast is to tell a story for grownups rather than for children, where the Founders are neither saints nor evil white, patriarchal slave-holding demons. It is a nuanced story of triumph--a military victory over a seemingly unbeatable vastly more experienced army, the creation of the first geographically large republic, a nation without a state religion, a nation that creates a party system with a loyal opposition, a Constitution with the virtues of ambiguous sovereignty, and tragedy--the failure to resolve the slavery issue, and the tragic conflict with the Native Americans. Some of these outcomes were intended by the Founders, others emerged unintended.