James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights

by Labunski, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780195341423
• ISBN10: 0195341422
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-06-20
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Today we hold the Constitution in such high regard that we can hardly imagine how hotly contested was its adoption. Now Richard Labunski offers a dramatic account of a time when the entire American experiment hung in the balance, only to be saved by the most unlikely of heroes--the diminutive and exceedingly shy James Madison. Here is a vividly written account of not one but several major political struggles which changed the course of American history. Labunski takes us inside the sweltering converted theater in Richmond, where for three grueling weeks, the soft-spoken Madison and the charismatic Patrick Henry fought over whether Virginia should ratify the Constitution. Madison won the day by a handful of votes, mollifying Anti-Federalist fears by promising to add a bill of rights to the Constitution. To do this, Madison would have to win a seat in the First Congress, which he did by a tiny margin, allowing him to attend the First Congress and sponsor the Bill of Rights. Packed with colorful details about life in early America, this compelling and important narrative is the first serious book about Madison written in many years. It will return this under-appreciated patriot to his rightful place among the Founding Fathers and shed new light on a key turning point in our nation's history.

Author Biography

Richard Labunski is a professor in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky. The author of four other books, he previously taught at the University of Washington and Penn State and worked for ten years in radio and television news.

Table of Contents

Editor's Note	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
The Philadelphia Convention	p. 3
The Reluctant Candidate	p. 24
The Road to Richmond	p. 48
The Virginia Ratifying Convention	p. 67
The Ratification Vote	p. 96
The Anti-Federalists Fight Back	p. 120
The Election	p. 147
Madison Introduces the Bill of Rights	p. 178
Congress Proposes the Bill of Rights	p. 213
Ratification of the Bill of Rights	p. 242
Epilogue	p. 256
James Madison's Proposed Amendments (June 8, 1789)	p. 265
Amendments Reported by the House Select Committee (July 28, 1789)	p. 269
Amendments Passed by the House of Representatives (August 24, 1789)	p. 272
Amendments Passed by the Senate (September 9, 1789)	p. 275
Amendments Proposed by Congress to the States (September 25, 1789)	p. 278
Abbreviations and Frequently Cited Sources	p. 281
Notes	p. 285
Acknowledgments	p. 319
Index	p. 323
About the Author	p. 337
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