“A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution” Carol Berkin , 2002.

An examination of the men who hammered out the document that has served our nation well. Perhaps the modern pastime of making hero’s and godlike figures out of the various delegates to the Constitutional Convention has me wondering what they really were like. Not to my surprise, though many were rich and well educated.....they each had their foibles and they disagreed often about what the structure of government might be. And they were more in crisis than ever in control. I haven’t read the book yet, it is on it’s way, but I did see an interview of the author on an episode of PABooks on PCN which wetted my appetite.

One facet is the opinion that the “founders” would be appalled at the power the “executive” or President currently wields and certainly would see no need to preserve the electoral college. That the amendment provision was instituted precisely because they realized they could not see into the future and a method had to be available to make the document living and able to adjust to changing times. And interestingly enough, that the 3/5 count of slaves was not a comment on the valuelessness of a single slave but a recognition that the southern states had a great population of slaves and because of this it was a distinct advantage for over representation in the form of government adopted. Therefore, the total population of salves in any state would be counted and 3/5 would be assigned to make it fair.