Madison and The Bill of Rights

Paper Summary:

The paper reviews a series of letters written by James Madison to other delegates at the Constitutional Convention, in order to determine who the major players were in the debate about the amendments and what their respective interests were. The paper discusses the discernible relative power and wealth of these individuals and the intended audience for these primary sources and analyzes how these sources could be used by a modern historian to write a historical essay. The paper shows how James Madison was indeed responsible for crafting the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, although he did so somewhat reluctantly. The paper discusses how Madison realized that the support of the people was an absolutely essential ingredient in ensuring the survival of the new country and its form of government.

Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The Founding Fathers were faced with a number of important issues as they debated the form and content of the Constitution then under consideration, not the least of which was ensuring that their own individual interests would be addressed in the new country. The Constitution that emerged from this debate was not entirely satisfactory to all of the convention delegates as it related to individual liberties, though, and a series of amendments was proposed for this purpose that has become known as the Bill of Rights today. The author of the first ten Amendments to the Constitution was James Madison, but his reasons for advocating these civil liberties were substantially different than many modern observers might believe."

Sample of Sources Used:

• James Madison Writings. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 1999.
• Morgan, Robert J. James Madison on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988
• Worthington, R. Letters and Other Writings of James Madison, Fourth President of the United States. New York, 1884.

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• Research Paper # 96239 : "James Madison and Civil Liberties"

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