
Decision in Philadelphia
The Constitutional Convention of 1787
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Narrated by:
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Bronson Pinchot
Fifty-five men met in Philadelphia in 1787 to write a document that would create a country and change a world: the Constitution. Here is a remarkable rendering of that fateful time, told with humanity and humor. Decision in Philadelphia is the best popular history of the Constitutional Convention; in it, the life and times of 18th-century America not only come alive, but the very human qualities of the men who framed the document are brought provocatively into focus - casting many of the Founding Fathers in a new light. A celebration of how and why our Constitution came into being, Decision in Philadelphia is also a testament of the American spirit at its finest.
©1986 Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier (P)2012 AudioGOListeners also enjoyed...




















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Very good
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Unlike most books that focus on the debates over sectional loyalties, theories of government, and economic differences among the colonies, the conflict between the large states and the small states, the debate over whether the central government should be stronger or the states should retain a great deal of autonomy, the Colliers delve deeper into the delegates' personalities and motivations. They argue that the delegates were moved “also by springs and designs hidden deep in their personalities” and answer, “We believe that to understand how the American constitution came to be we must know how these men felt about such things as power, liberty, nature, truth, God, and life itself.” (And they put the word “felt” in italics for emphasis.) The Colliers thus portray them as real, multifaceted individuals rather than abstract historical figures.
Instead of a chronological narrative, the Colliers organize the book thematically around key issues debated at the Convention. With so many contentious issues, the delegates kept dropping various issues to come back to them again later, often many times. But the Colliers trace how these issues evolved, the compromises made, and the interplay between competing interests—not just North versus South or large states versus small, but also differences in geography, security concerns, and even language (The colonies were still a mishmash of languages then, including Dutch, German, Swedish, French, etc.). This nuanced approach reveals how the compromises extended beyond slavery and pushed some issues to be resolved later through amendments or legislation as well as how the delegates themselves evolved in their thinking.
The Colliers challenge the view of Madison as the "Father of the Constitution," noting departures from his proposals, revisions in his notes in ways that distort the role of some of his rivals, and overlooked contributions from figures like Roger Sherman and Charles Pinckney. They emphasize the delegates' extraordinary preparation, intellectual rigor, and willingness to compromise, painting them as both the visionary founders that we often hear, but also as ordinary men like us, flawed individuals with their foibles, their biases, their blind spots, and their personalities intact.
We see the Convention’s compromises both in the positive and negative sense. Some of them just pushed some of the problems further down the road, to be solved by amendments, legislation, or the Supreme Court. But the Colliers also show how some of them allowed the nation to become more united and made the Constitution stronger because of its flexibility—its ability to adapt to unforeseen challenges and let procedural issues be worked out practically while safeguarding liberty and rights. This book offers a rich understanding of both the Constitution and the forces that shaped it, making it essential reading for anyone interested in our Constitution and the driving forces that brought it into being.
A Fresh, Personal Understanding of the Framing of the Constitution
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So That's What it Was Like to Be a Founding Father
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wonderfully written and excellently researched
well worth your time to read
excellent excellent work here
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The Constitution
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Fascinating background and credible sources
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Excellent
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Comprehensive events of the constitutional convention
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Made history interesting
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Feeling as Though I was at the Convention
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