For Constitution Day, Steve Bartin wrote an American
Thinker article about Roger Sherman, my favorite Founding Father. Sherman
was a powerful influence on our founding and his progeny have been
exceptionally influential in our nation’s history. I’m biased, course. In
writing Tempest
at Dawn, I wanted to present a personal perspective on the major
conflicts at the Constitutional Convention. I stumbled around with a few different
approaches until I decided to alternate point of view between James Madison and
Roger Sherman. Each chapter would switch between these two characters to give
the reader a personal as well as fact-based perspective. It worked far better
than I expected.
Roger Sherman and James Madison provide a great contrast.
Sherman was one of the few who could look the tall George Washington straight
in the eye, while a wag described Madison as smaller than a used piece of soap.
Sherman was the second oldest delegate and Madison among the youngest. Sherman
was an abolitionist, while Madison owned over one hundred slaves. Sherman was
taciturn, while Madison was talkative. (Sherman once dedicated a bridge by
stomping on it, remarked that it appeared well built, and then walked away.)
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| Roger Sherman and James Madison |
