The first topic for The Room Where It Happened is the Compromise of 1790 (a.k.a. "The Dinner Table Deal"), the bargain between Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison to produce a compromise to break two Congressional deadlocks--passade of Hamilton's plan for the assumption of state debt and the location of the national capital as called for the newly-adopted constitution.
What are your thoughts on the key elements of this event in American History and what would you like our panel of hosts to discuss/debate?
Since I (sadly) won't be able to be on the panel but still would like to put in some input, I'll claim the honor of first comment on the forum.
I think one interesting thing to see would be the way the partisan dynamic that was forming interacts with the "community" so to speak among the Founding Fathers, that being that they all treated each other with a much higher degree of respect then political leaders in the U.S. today. Hamilton led the more generally "big government" party and the faction I'd argue was most similar to the Tories that existing at this time in the UK, while the faction led by Jefferson was more of a "small government" party and more similar to the Whigs.
Another idea I would see as interesting would be how other key political figures would of reacted to the compromise, as I'm sure it was not universally popular. The reactions of figures not at the literal table in the so-called Room where it Happened such as Adams, Madison, Burr, and even lesser known figures such as George Mason (a delegate to the Constitutional Convention who refused to sign the Constitution, was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and House of Burgesses for a time, advocated for an end to the slave trade and was an early backer of a Bill of Rights.)
Additionally, the Dinner Table Dear only took place 2 months after the death of Benjamin Franklin. Before his death, what was Franklin's position on items such as the location of the capitol, national bank, etc. Further, was Franklin's legacy on the minds of Washington, Hamilton, or Jefferson at the time of the deal? If so, did any policies advocated for by Franklin before his death make it into the Compromise?
Regards,
Brody Burton
Host of Imagine If