A More Perfect Union

The creation of our United States Constitution was truly an incredible feat. There is no doubt in my mind that men like James Madison, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin were divinely inspired, and were preserved to come to the earth at that particular time. The innovative ideas woven into this conceived document would change the way man viewed himself as an individual forever. In watching the movie, A More Perfect Union, I was especially intrigued by the essential role compromise played in the development of our nation’s government.

As I watched the bright, stubborn James Madison fiercely struggle as he watched his ideas be debated, rejected, and altered into a form of government upon which all of the state delegates could agree, I learned a great deal. I sympathized with the frustration he felt. Human nature causes man to have difficulty in coping with criticism of his ideas, especially after putting so much effort, thought, and research in those ideas. How could the delegates expect to form a “more perfect union” if they could come to no conclusive agreement?

The wisdom of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin concerning this manner was truly inspiring to watch. They wholeheartedly supported Madison’s plan, yet they saw the importance of compromise. In Madison’s mind, his plan just needed the support of the majority. Washington and Franklin, however, understood the danger of winning by such a small margin. The states were practically equally divided on their opinion of how the government should be set up. I hadn’t realized before what a big fight the smaller states put up against the idea of a state’s population as the determinant for their representation in the legislative branch of the government.

I found Madison’s eventual acceptance of Sherman’s Compromise at the end of the movie a most intriguing insight. I saw the importance of never lowering your standards, expectations, or beliefs, but in still being teachable, even adaptable. Sometimes we get so set that our idea is the best, to the extent of pride. I loved that James Madison realized that the compromise was essential to the development of the government. Despite initial frustration and anger, he discovered that combining his ideas with the insights and experience of others would make for an even better government.

I still find it absolutely remarkable that those men were able to accomplish such an incredible feat in those sweltering weeks in Philadelphia that summer of 1787. They all came from such different backgrounds and experiences, represented different motives of the extremely diverse states, and all brought very different ideas about how a national government should be set up and run. How did they do it? I am grateful for the heated debates, the struggle, and the eventual compromise that at last led to the writing of the United States Constitution. Their arguments are a testament to the establishment and significance of liberty and freedom. The writing of the Constitution was truly divinely inspired.