Summary of Jesse Wegman's Let the People Pick the President

Book excerpt: Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 On October 4, 1779, a group of radical revolutionaries gathered at Paddy Byrne’s Tavern in Philadelphia to drink and plot an attack. They had good reason to be upset. The city’s economy was in bad shape, and merchants were gouging their customers on essential goods. #2 The Fort Wilson Riot in Philadelphia in 1778 demonstrated to the founding fathers how fragile their new government was, and they began to fear that the people might destroy it. #3 The American electorate in 1787 was made up of wealthy, well-educated landowning white men. These were the framers’ beliefs about the American people, and they wanted to keep the government far away from them in order to protect the nation’s economy. #4 James Wilson was one of the main architects of our national charter, along with James Madison. He was a radical political philosopher who wanted to give more power to the people themselves.