A guy came into the office the other day ... yep, the one on historic Green Street ... and had history on his mind. I won't guess his age, but he is a good bit younger than I am, and he said at one point: "I'm not sure I ever studied the history of the United States and how it was founded. We studied American history, and I can remember throwing the tea in Boston harbor, and the Revolutionary War and the Minute Men and Washington crossing the Delaware and after that becoming the first president. But if we studied anything about the thinking and debate behind the Constitution, I don't recall it."
What he was leading up to was that, apparently, I had mentioned on the air the writings by Thomas Paine called "Common Sense", and the writings called "The Federalist", which actually were written by three men - Hamilton, Madison and Jay. "I'll tell you what," my visitor said, "anybody who reads those things will get a whole new respect for the United States and our Constitution."
I'll agree with him, and make another suggestion if this type history interests you at all. (and I hope it will) Read the Constitution of the United States; it's not very long. And then read the 1912 book by Max Ferrand called "The Framing and the Fathers of the U. S. Constitution." It tells of the various plans presented; and the debates; and the compromises. And finally how the Constitution was adopted, and the Union formed. Now we look back, and we know the work our forefathers did was amazing. We know they wrought the foundation for democratic governments; and now America is the model all free nations would like to copy. I think my new-found friend is on to something: anyone who comes out of school and does not understand the U. S. Constitution, and how it came to be, is missing something important.
This is Gordon Sawyer, from a window on historic Green Street.
Wednesday
August 6th, 2025
12:21AM
