Government and Power

The circumstances under which James Madison managed to capture the internal workings of the most important convention in American history is the stuff of legend. He was one of the few delegates present for every day of the Federal Convention—from the moment it commenced in mid-May 1787 until September 16 when the delegates emerged with a 5000-word document that would forever change the course of history (Madison 1987, viii). Even though the delegates signed a secrecy oath to ensure the proceedings were kept private, Madison assumed the role of a reporter. With the unofficial sanction of the body, he sat in the front row, facing the President, George Washington, and took copious notes of every motion, speech, and debate that occurred in the closed room over those four stiflingly hot summer months in Philadelphia. In the evenings, he would return to his lodging and forego sleep for weeks on end, transcribing his shorthand by candlelight.