Plain, Honest Men

Tonight at book club we discussed a book by historian Richard Beeman - Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution. It is a very readable account of the Constitutional Convention, which includes recent research on the topic.

I learned a lot, and felt the author was evenhanded on controversial topics, letting the story tell itself, making the characters come alive while clearly explaining the points of disagreement and compromise. The author plainly admires these men and their accomplishment. I felt he was particularly good at recreating the sense of uncertain outcome of the American experiment in self-government.

From a contemporary perspective, one of the most striking things about the convention was the way that an assembly of politicians were actually able to keep their proceedings secret for months.

Today there'd be a leak
within a week.

Nay,
within a day.