Review of Witnesses at the Creation: Hamilton, Madison, Jay and the Constitution

Richard B. Morris, the author of Witnesses At The Creation: Hamilton, Madison, Jay and the Constitution, characterizes the three creators of The Federalist. Morris describes Alexander Hamilton as a very confident, dashing, somewhat combative, and contemptuous man. He was an extremely talented and intelligent writer and public speaker with a controversial style. Morris portrays John Jay as tall and “spare”. He was also talented in public speaking, but exercised “lawyer-like” caution in his actions and addresses. He tended to be secretive, self-confident and was known to others as a man of honesty. He was approximately half-dozen inches taller than Hamilton and another inch or so taller than tiny James Madison. Morris depicts Madison as an “introspective scholar”. He tended to be reclusive and diligently avoided confrontation. Madison’s public speaking skills differed greatly from those of Hamilton and Jay. His timidity harbored his public speaking abilities in co...