The Constitution Goes Public: Strategy and Timing in the Ratification Debate, Early Fall 1787

This seminar will take place at the McMullen Museum at Boston College, where participants will have the opportunity to view the "Making History" exhibit following the program. This paper is drawn from Estes's forthcoming book, The Campaign for the Constitution: The Politics and Political Culture of the Ratification Debate, which focuses on the first few months after the Constitution's publication in mid September 1787. This chapter focuses on the first full month after the publication, when both the Constitution's supporters and its opponents set the rhetorical tone and the rhythms of the ratification process that followed. Estes argues that most all the features of the ratification debate were present by the end of October: a strong critique, robust defenses, negative campaigning, long essay series initiated on both sides such as "Publius" and "Brutus," as well as suggestions (rejected at first by Federalists, later agreed to) that the state conventions be allowed to propose amendments. In short, most all of the hallmarks of the debate were already part of the mix in the first month including some crucial strategic decisions. Ironically, however, this print battle was fought mainly within the states; there was no single national newspaper debate. Most of the publications for and against ratification appeared in just a few states, and most saw very few publications. Also, in retrospect, the Constitution's critics missed several golden opportunities in these early weeks, marking October 1787 as a decisive moment in the timing of the debate. Focused on the external arguments that occurred in newspapers rather than the internal debates of the ratifying conventions, Estes's book is a complement to Pauline Maier's superb work, Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788.