First in a Series: The Ideas that Formed the Constitution

Commentary
Who created the ideas behind the U.S. Constitution?
The history books relate how the Constitution was composed by its 55 “framers” from May 25 to Sept. 17, 1787.
But there’s far more to the story than that.
On Sept. 28, 1787, the Confederation Congress asked the state legislatures to provide for the election of delegates to popular conventions to ratify or reject the Constitution. This sparked the greatest political debate in American history. People from all walks of life—from the wealthiest merchants in the cities, to craftsmen in the towns, farmers in the country, and even slaves in the kitchens—discussed every aspect of the document….