The U.s. Constitution

James Madison strongly believed in the need for checks and balances in government to control the warring factions as he called them. In early 1788 Madison wrote 40% of the Federalist Papers to this effect, which earned him the respect of the delegates from the 13 colonies attending the Philadelphia Convention convened to modify the Articles of Confederation or approve a better Constitution for the United States. Based on this respect, the Convention approved Madison to write a draft for an improved Constitution. Madison achieved this by creating a balance between large and small states, with the House providing proportional representation by population, and the Senate having 2 Senators per state regardless of size. He further proposed an independent federal judiciary, though concerned about the impact of its independent power with lifetime appointments. It proved to be one of his best ideas.Madison, as with Thomas Jefferson, was learned in many languages, especially Latin & Greek. He looked back to the Athens of Pericles, Magna Carta, Martin Luther's 95 Theses, and the Enlightenment in general. Madison drew upon the 16 documents and events described in this eBook, starting with the Charter of Henry I in 1100 leading to Magna Carta, through the Mayflower Compact & Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, English Bill of Rights, Rights of British America, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, and Virginia Plan.Madison read Plato, Socrates as transcribed by Plato, and was well & fully aware that the American experiment was launched by the Declaration of Independence, memorialized by the Constitution, and the first democracy since ancient Athens. This eBook includes the unabridged 16 documents that preceded the Constitution and influenced it. The older documents have been retranslated from Latin & older English into modern English for smoother reading and better comprehension. Each of the 16 documents and events have been described and analyzed as well as presented in their unabridged entirety.Contents:Constitution Author James Madison About the Great Thoughts Series Series Editor Deaver Brown General Approach: This eBook Chapter 1: Background Pericles Funeral Oration: 4th Century BC Charter of Liberties of Henry I: August 5, 1100 Magna Carta: June 15, 1215 Mayflower Compact: November 11, 1620 Petition of Right: June 7, 1628 Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: January 14, 1639 Massachusetts Body of Liberties: December 1641 English Bill of Rights: April 11, 1689 A Summary View of the Rights of British America: July 1774 Virginia Declaration of Rights: June 12, 1776 Virginia Resolution: July 2, 1776 Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776 Articles of Confederation: March 1, 1781 Treaty of Paris September 3, 1783 Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom: January 16, 1786 Virginia Plan: May 29, 1787Chapter 2: Constitution Background and MeaningChapter 3: Constitution The Unabridged DocumentChapter 4: Simply NotesChapter 5: Simply Discussion Chapter 6: SummaryChapter 7: Core Suggested ReadingChapter 8: The Unabridged Documents Pericles Funeral Oration: 4th Century BC Charter of Liberties of Henry I: August 5, 1100 Magna Carta: June 15, 1215 Mayflower Compact: November 11, 1620 Petition of Right: June 7, 1628 Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: January 14, 1639 Massachusetts Body of Liberties: December 1641 English Bill of Rights: April 11, 1689 A Summary View of the Rights of British America: July 1774 Virginia Declaration of Rights: June 12, 1776 Virginia Resolution: July 2, 1776 Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776 Articles of Confederation: March 1, 1781 Treaty of Paris: September 3, 1783 Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom: January 16, 1786 Virginia Plan: May 29, 1787