Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner
Page 7
We ran over and wrestled him away from the vegetable cart, reminding him of our important operation.
“Yes, yes, Captain. I was just taking a little break,” Liberty said. “You know what they say, taking a vegetable break now and then is good for the soul.”
“Who is ‘they’?” I asked, continuing before he could answer. “We need to head over to Mary’s boardinghouse on Fifth Street. We do not have time to sit around here and chomp.”
“Besides, the French bread man will be hot on our trail,” Cam added. “I think he has kid radar.”
“I agree with Tommy,” Liberty said. “Why sit around when we can pick something up to go? I’m thinking a McDonald’s drive-through.”
“There’s a McDonald’s around here?” Tommy joked. “I could go for some Chicken McNuggets.”
“See, Tommy, you are a man after my own heart. Except I would go for a fresh salad but hold the mayo,” Liberty added.
Realizing this banter could go on forever, I said, “Okay, we should just make our way to the boardinghouse. We can grab a snack on the way. Liberty, could you lead us there?”
“Your wish is my command. It just so happens I was studying a 1787 map of Philadelphia while you were yucking it up with James Madison,” Liberty said.
Something told me Liberty’s map studying was unlikely.
“Okay, great, Mary’s boardinghouse, here we come,” I said.
“Mr. Revere, is a boardinghouse sort of like a hotel in the eighteenth century?” Tommy asked.
“It’s more like a bed-and-breakfast,” I replied. “It is usually a family home where people rent one or more rooms. In fact, James Madison stayed there for three years during the Continental Congress. His real home was in Virginia. But Mary’s boardinghouse became his home away from home.”
Eventually, we made our way through the city to Fifth Street.
“Liberty, I trust you will avoid trouble as always,” I said with a smile. We left him near a brick building and water trough.
Liberty nodded and squinted his eyes as if he were listening intently.
We entered Mary’s boardinghouse and saw James Madison on the first floor in the main dining room. He was sitting at a wooden table in front of a fireplace. Of course, it was too hot outside to need a fire. The table was set with a loaf of sliced bread at the center. We could barely see Mr. Madison, as his books were stacked high. His hands danced over the pages as he wrote notes. There were people all around the boardinghouse talking and laughing, but Mr. Madison sat alone, quietly. He seemed deep in thought.
“Mr. Revere, should we go back outside and knock or ring a doorbell or something? It seems kinda rude to barge in,” Tommy said in a low voice. “My grandpa always said you should announce yourself. Probably so I wouldn’t sneak up and scare him, but still.”
I took Tommy’s advice and announced to the room, “Mr. Madison, it is Rush Revere and students.”
“Hello,” said Mr. Madison, in a soft voice, lifting his head from his notes. “Come in.” He motioned for us to get closer. Then he put his stack of books on the side tables next to him, clearing off his own.
“I spoke with General George Washington about a few things as I walked back here from the coffeehouse,” James Madison said. “When I mentioned your name, he remembered you and your students from the American Revolution. He said you had an incredible horse.”
Cam looked at me, tilting his head to one side and nodding in agreement. “George Washington remembers us, eh? Not bad, not bad,” he whispered.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Madison,” I said. “He and Liberty did have quite a connection.”
At this, James Madison offered a small smile. “Furthermore, General Washington is very appreciative of your support of our country at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill. In fact, he said he was so impressed with you and your students that his rule on secrecy for the Constitutional Convention could be lifted for you.”
I felt so honored that these exceptional patriots trusted us. Speaking to James Madison was like speaking to a Hall of Fame baseball player, great musician, or savvy businessperson. He seemed larger than life.
“Thank you, Mr. Madison,” I uttered, full of excitement, “but I was simply an observer there to learn and teach my students.”
A few ladies and gentlemen joined us as we gathered around the table. Tommy sat closest to James Madison, and followed his every move.
After Mr. Madison offered a silent prayer, we began to eat quietly. The food was surprisingly delicious—roasted chicken, corn on the cob, and assorted vegetables filled our plates. It wasn’t McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets but Tommy and Cam did not seem to mind, digging into their potatoes. They pushed the roasted rabbit to the side of their plates, though. As the courses were served, we sat mostly in silence.
Finally Cam said, “Mr. Madison, it is really hot in Philadelphia. Why are you all here? Don’t you want to be at home with your families?”
Mr. Madison slowly looked up from his plate and replied, “Yes, young man, I would certainly rather be home in Virginia. But the country is in great need. We are pulling ourselves apart day by day.”
I could see the motor in Cam’s mind spinning, trying to figure out the meaning of Mr. Madison’s words.
Slowly James Madison rose from his seat and waited for everyone to quiet down. He said to the table, “During the American Revolution, Virginia and the other twelve colonies united to fight Great Britain and King George III. Unfortunately, now, eleven years later, each colony is more interested in its own pursuits than those of the whole union.”
A man with a deep voice stood and spoke from across the table: “If we are not careful we will lose all the freedoms for which we desperately fought.”
“True, true,” another voice from the table said loudly.
Something clicked for Tommy and he said, “But the Americans are all on the same team. Why don’t they just play together? It seems pretty easy to me.”
“Good question,” I said.
“If only it could be so easy, Tommy,” Madison said. “You are right, the American states are technically on the same team. However, since independence, the different leaders in each state cannot agree. They think the central government is like a king, taking away their freedoms.”
The man with the deep voice wobbled as he stood up from the table and shouted, “Those scoundrels!” He swung out his arms, tipping over a water jug, and it spilled all over the table.
Cam and Tommy nudged each other and started laughing. Then Cam blurted out, “Does anyone have any paper towels?”
I gave them the eye and quickly changed the subject.
With some hesitation, I raised my voice and said to the table, “Would it not be better for the states to unify to protect themselves from other nations that want to take away their freedoms?”
“Hear, hear!” slurred the deep-voiced man. His cheeks were red.
Mr. Madison looked at the man for a second, then said, “That does seem the best course, Mr. Revere, but strong leaders in each state, with various motivations, do not agree.”
Tommy leaned over and whispered, “I totally get it. It would be like putting Elizabeth and the cheerleaders in charge of Manchester Middle School and letting them make decisions for everyone else. Trouble,” he said, rolling his eyes.
“Yeah, give Elizabeth any power and she thinks she is queen bee,” Cam added. “I bet she would get rid of the art class first. And then she would force Tommy to eat lunch with her every day.”
“She already tries to do that now,” Tommy said.
The boys looked up from their private conversation to see the table was silent again. The others were quietly waiting for them to finish. Mr. Madison was looking at them confused.
After a pause he asked, “Have you boys heard of the Articles of Confederation?” Both boys sat up and shook their heads, nervously.
Madison said, “The Articles of Confederation is our current system of government. It began six years
ago, in 1781. The thirteen new states realized they needed some form of government to act together against any new threats. The Articles of Confederation do not make a strong government, however, and there are many serious issues.”
I asked, “Are you in favor of or opposed to the Articles of Confederation?”
Cam looked at me with a sideways glance as if to say, “Good one.”
“I am partly opposed. The Articles of Confederation agreement is unfortunately too weak to ensure we survive as a united country. It unites us, but not enough. We are weak, and a weak government does not survive,” Madison replied.
Tommy raised his hand and said with excitement, “Mr. Madison, I think I get what you’re saying. The Articles of Confederation basically invite all thirteen states to live under one roof. They each get their own bedroom and get to make their own laws for their own room. But what you need now are house rules so all the states do their chores like paying taxes so we can have the things that we all use and need, like the military, the police, and roads.”
James Madison smiled like he had just seen a beautiful sunrise. “That is correct, Tommy. In fact, brilliant. You must make your parents so proud.”
“My grandpa always tells me you have to obey your parents’ rules when you live under their roof,” Tommy said.
“Your grandfather is correct,” Mr. Madison said, nodding. “So, in the simplest terms, those of us from Virginia are here in Philadelphia to propose that a new Constitution be written to replace the weak Articles of Confederation.”
I nodded enthusiastically. It was thrilling to witness the logic behind one of the most extraordinary creations in history, the U.S. Constitution.
“It sounds like you have done the most research and have the best plan, Mr. Madison,” Cam said. “Why not just tell the other states to agree and move on? Sounds totally like a plan to me.”
Madison smiled, looking around the table. “If it were that simple, son, I would already be heading back to my farm in Virginia. However, we are creating something that has never existed before in the world—a government of the people. Very brave and smart men disagree on how best to preserve our freedoms. That is why we are here in Philadelphia, to debate and determine the best plan of action.”
I was in complete awe of Madison’s intelligence and ability to capture Cam and Tommy’s attention despite his shyness. To create a new government of the people was simply incredible. I hoped the boys were absorbing every second.
Before Mr. Madison could continue, there was a loud crash in the courtyard. Mr. Madison seemed startled and raced over to the window. Cam followed. After looking out the window, Cam turned around and shook his head.
“Um, I think Liberty is trying to take a bath,” Cam said.
Mr. Madison could not believe his eyes. Liberty was splashing with his hooves in a large pail of water next to a parked carriage.
“Your horse has more personality than our entire Convention combined,” Mr. Madison said with a smile.
I excused myself from the table and went outside to see exactly what Liberty was doing.
“Oh, helloooo, Revere. Fancy meeting you here,” Liberty said, continuing to splash.
“May I ask what you are doing, besides interrupting one of the most important conversations we have ever had?” I said.
“Interrupting? I’m just out here minding my own business. Except I was baking in the sun,” Liberty said. “And I don’t mean baking cookies, although some oatmeal cookies sound really good about now. Anyway, what is a horse to do when all of the shady trees are taken? So, I improvised with this mini-bath.”
“What was that crash? You scared James Madison,” I asked.
“Oh, that. Well, you see I was trying to carry the pail in my teeth by its handle. You know, to make a shower next to this parked carriage. But the handle broke and the pail hit the ground, soooooo I kinda had to change plans on the fly,” Liberty explained.
I rolled my eyes knowing I would get nowhere trying to understand Liberty’s logic.
“Could you try to keep it down for a little while longer? Mr. Madison is just about to tell us about the Virginia Plan,” I said.
“Ohhhh, well, since you put it that way, yes, yes sirree, Bob,” Liberty said, making an attempt at a salute.
I went back inside. James Madison was bending down to remove a piece of paper from a locked chest. “I trust you all not to say a word of this to anyone. It is very important that we keep our plans private, until we are ready to share them with the people at large.”
We all nodded in agreement.
“Scouts’ honor,” Tommy said saluting with his left hand.
James Madison smiled and nodded at him, looking somewhat confused.
“I have been working on this Virginia Plan for months. I have read philosophy and books on government throughout American history. This is the initial sketch of the plan that we proposed at the Convention.” He pointed to his piece of paper. “Essentially, we are proposing a new system of government where the American people rule, instead of the King.”
“How do the people rule?” Tommy asked, innocently looking around the table. He seemed unsure if this was a dumb question.
Madison kindly and softly replied, “Well, Tommy, to put it simply, in our Virginia Plan, we are proposing three branches of government. One of the branches, the legislative branch, would be made up of representatives from each state.”
“So those representatives would be the voice of the people?” Cam asked, also appearing uncertain of his understanding. “Kind of like a class leader at our school?”
“Yes, Cam, well done. Like your friend Elizabeth if I remember correctly?” Mr. Madison said. “The legislative branch would bring the voice of the people to the government. Every American citizen would be heard in every decision and new law.”
“Wow!” I shouted. I did not mean to say it out loud. The whole table turned toward me, and I felt my cheeks turn red.
Cam saved the awkwardness by asking, “So, why do we need three branches? It seems like the legislative branch is enough.”
“Very perceptive, young man. We believe if there are three branches of government we will ensure no one person or group has too much power,” Mr. Madison replied. “Each branch will be a check on the power of the other branch. This is the best way to preserve the rights of the people.”
“What would the other two do?” Cam asked, curiously.
Madison replied, “The legislative branch creates laws, and as the people elect the representatives, they bring the voice of the people to the government. The executive branch carries out the laws created by the legislative branch. And, finally, the judicial branch reviews laws created by the legislative branch. Basically, there is a separation of power, where one branch does not do everything. That way, one group cannot gain too much power.”
Tommy raised his hand and said, “Mr. Madison, I agree with Cam. Why not just go in there tomorrow and tell them your Virginia Plan is best and just get them to sign now? Call it a day.”
Madison smiled and said, “Thank you, young man, for the vote of confidence. I must say I am a nervous public speaker at times. I often lose track of my thoughts and have been told that I mumble. In my head the words are perfect, but much is lost when I give a speech. It is an affliction that often inhibits my confidence.”
Tommy looked at me and then back at the guests around the table. Then he stood up. He crouched as if he were in the middle of a football game about to receive the ball from the center. “It sounds like my last football game,” he said. “It was fourth down and we were inches from the goal line. Everyone on the team had a different idea about how to win. Run the ball, pass the ball, or go for a field goal. I mean, everyone was throwing out ideas. It was really confusing.”
Madison and the entire table looked at Tommy as if they had no idea what he was describing. I heard lots of chattering around the table, words like football, center, and field goal. Of course football was not yet invented in 17
87.
Cam looked a bit puzzled and asked, “So if the other colonies don’t like your Virginia Plan, what exactly do they want to do?”
Mr. Madison replied, “The crux of the matter is a fight between large and small states and representation in the legislative branch. In our Virginia Plan, we are suggesting two different chambers or sections. One chamber has an even number of representatives per state, and the other has a number of representatives based on the state’s population.
“The small states including New Jersey are not happy with this. They say that states with a larger population will rule, and this is not fair,” Mr. Madison said.
“What does New Jersey propose?” I asked, knowing this was a very important part of the Convention debate.
“New Jersey’s plan is to have one chamber in the legislative branch and one vote per state regardless of size,” Madison replied, without a moment’s pause. He knew every detail immediately.
The man with the deep voice was shifting from side to side, eyes half-closed.
James Madison went on to explain to the table that the big states thought it was unfair for the small states to have the same number of representatives. The big states thought they had more people and should have more of a voice.
Just then another loud crash came echoing from the courtyard. Tommy and Cam both laughed uproariously. I guessed Liberty was up to something. Luckily, Madison seemed too lost in thought to notice the disruption.
“Sounds like you guys need to lock the doors until you figure it out,” Tommy said.
Madison smiled, seeming comfortable and nowhere near as shy as when we first met. “It is funny you should say that. All the doors, windows, and curtains have been closed for secrecy reasons and it very hot and muggy in the Assembly Room.”
“You mean the Assembly Sauna,” Cam joked.
Madison stood and said, “We should enter the living room where the chairs are a bit more comfortable.”
We all rose from the table and followed Madison to a room with formal sofas and chairs. As we did, I glanced out the window to the courtyard and did not see Liberty. I could only imagine what he was doing.