A.Ham Book Club discussion
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Of Arms and Artists
Of Arms & Artists
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Chapter 3
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This quote from page 55: "But to accomplish that he had to consciously put aside some of the most controversial issues posed by the Revolution and the Constitution, ones that remained troublesome and divisive, such as the sovereignty of states, the centralization of power, and the disenfranchisement of women, or, most egregiously the contradiction of slavery in a nation committed to the rights of mankind." This passage struck me because so many founding fathers seemed to have to compromise on their beliefs, especially on the issue of slavery. It's frustrating how much power the South wielded then and they think so now too.
The moment when Washington is presiding over the Constitutional Convention in his army uniform speaks to me as well. "By taking his old blue and buff army uniform out of the closet and wearing it into the Assembly Room of the Statue House, Washington hoped to create a visual linkage between two founding moments, 1776 and 1787." I really like the way that Paul Staiti described that linkage especially after we just got done talking about the Constitutional Convention in the Quartet.
I highlighted that second quote too as one of my favorites. I also appreciated the link made between the war and convention as bridged by Washington in uniform.
Ok ok, I admit it. I haven't read this chapter yet! Don't look at me like that!