Question of the Month.
At a screening for my video essay, “America: Failure at 250”, an audience member made a thoughtful observation.
“If there is an ‘exceptional’ moment in the founding of the United States, it is not with our fight for Independence but with the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.”
I believe this to be a brilliant argument. Whereas countless rebellions have occurred throughout human history, it is much less common for those rebellions to succeed and establish a centralized government in a conflict’s aftermath.
The United States achieved independence, but nearly destroyed itself with the Articles of Confederation. This document created a weak governmental structure that could not unify or oversee the 13 new states. With no ability to raise money through taxes, regulate interstate or foreign commerce, or even enforce laws, the young country began to tear itself apart. Another revolution (Shay’s Rebellion) very well could have destroyed the fledgling United States.
The Constitutional Convention was a unique moment when a newly formed government reorganized itself into a more effective state. I personally despise the use of the word ‘exceptional’ concerning American history due to its relationship with the destructive ideology of American exceptionalism. Nevertheless, the drafting and ratification of the Constitution was a unique moment in political history.
Now if only someone could make a 12-hour docu-series about THAT!
