James Madison's Montpelier We The People Fall 2013 | Page 8
We The People
continued from page 7
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A turning point
i n w o r l d h i s t o ry
the blessings
of liberty
When the Federal Convention began, Madison’s ideas, with
the help of the other Virginia delegates, were articulated in
15 resolutions now known as the Virginia Plan. By making
these proposals, Madison successfully set the agenda for the
debates that followed. For nearly the next four months, the
55 delegates, all with their own strong convictions, intensely
debated a myriad of issues raised by the Virginia Plan.
On September 17, 1787, 39 delegates signed the United
States Constitution, their plan for a new federal government.
By their own design, however, the implementation of the
Constitution as the highest law in the land required the
consent of the governed, meaning ratification by the people
of the states. Madison’s work was not done, and he continued
laboring tirelessly to achieve the public’s consent through his
contributions to the Federalist Papers and his leadership at
the Virginia Ratifying Convention.
The average written constitution survives just 17
years, but the U.S. Constitution has been in effect
for more than two centuries. The U.S. government,
despite all its problems, inefficiencies, and history
of injustices, is an example to the world that a free
people can govern themselves without the heavy hands
of dictators or aristocracies. America demonstrates
that liberty and stability are not mutually exclusive.
In creating our democratic republic, Madison and
the other framers entrusted a tremendous amount of
power to “we the people,” the common citizenry. But,
power demands responsibility. Self-government means
that we are ultimately our own governors. It is our
responsibility to understand how our government works
and to maintain those checks on power which are the
best defenses of our liberties. If we want to pass on
those same liberties to future generations, we must
ensure that each generation understands the roles and
responsibilities of American citizenship. As Madison
said, “the advancement & diffusion of Knowledge…
is the only Guardian of true liberty.” (Madison to
Thompson, June 30, 1825).
Before the U.S. Constitution, the world’s populations
had been dominated by kings, czars, sultans, and
emperors. Democracies had existed only for brief
moments in tiny corners of the world before being
overtaken by tyrants or swallowed up by large empires.
When our Constitution was finally ratified on June 21, 1788,
it represented a turning point in history. Before the U.S.
Constitution, the world’s populations had been dominated by
kings, czars, sultans, and emperors. Democracies had existed
only for brief moments in tiny corners of the world before being
overtaken by tyrants or swallowed up by large empires.
Today, almost half of the world’s population lives under some
form of democracy. American success under the guidance of
the U.S. Constitution is the reason for this dramatic change.
But, power demands responsibility.
Self-government means that we are
ultimately our own governors. It is our
responsibility to understand how our
government works and to maintain those
checks on power, which are the best defenses
of our liberties.