"A Brilliant Solution"

Paper Summary:

This paper critiques the book "A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution" by Carol Berkin. The paper evaluates Berkin's success in presenting her thesis, which is that the 1787 Constitutional Convention, and the constitution the delegates forged, was the imperfect yet totally correct -- and even miraculous -- solution to a governmental crisis in America. The paper begins with a thorough review of the book and its chapters, lauding Berkin for making the delegates come to life for the reader. Next, the paper assesses Berkin's use of a wide variety of research material and highlights her use of historical detail. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of Berkin's organization of the book.

From the Paper:

"Most Americans think they know the story of the American Constitution, how it was drafted, and what it meant for the country's newfound freedom. However, this book really delves deeply into the events and people surrounding the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, and shows that for the most part, Americans have no clue about the real motivations and people who drafted the Constitution we still so staunchly defend. As she notes in the Introduction, "It is this story of anxious and determined men who set for themselves the task of saving their nation that I have set out to tell." The author does more than recount history, she makes it, and the history-makers, come alive, seem like real people, and become more sympathetic in the process. Some people think the men who drafted the Constitution were larger than life with high ideals and lofty goals. Berkin shows they were simply men, who wanted to do a job for their country - a good job. They were not sure their work would last, but they were clear about their purpose and their goals, and that is really the "brilliant" solution to a nation's ills - that the country had such men who would work so hard to create a "more perfect union." Berkin calls the delegates "middle-aged men of wealth, education, and political experience." As the book progresses, however, the reader comes to know the men much more intimately than simply experienced delegates. Berkin paints a picture of their beliefs, their lives, and their difficulties that shows they were human beings with the same flaws and strengths that most all humans have. As such, their solutions were not always perfect, and they were debated by the states for a year before they were fully ratified, but they were the right solutions to last the country for a long time - much longer than they had originally thought."

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