In this episode, John does a deep dive into the Constitutional Convention. He goes into detail about how the debate over the Virginia Resolves shaped the direction of the convention, how it was that the "nationalists" like James Madison and James Wilson seized control of the debate with the Virginia Resolves to achieve their goals of reform and the way these proposals were received by delegates to the convention who did not participate in the process of shaping the resolves. John explains how the Virginia Plan, as the resolves came to be called, represented a revolution in the government of the United States and the many ways in which it was a radically different form of government than the Articles of Confederation.

John will also cover the major points of debate between those who wanted significant changes and those who did not, including the central argument that occupied the convention for the first half of its time together: proportional versus equal representation in the legislature. John also remarks upon the "indispensable men" of the convention, the arguments over the future of slavery in the United States and the specific powers that the new legislative, executive and judicial branches of the national government would have under the constitution.

The Onion article mentioned in the episode:

https://theonion.com/area-man-passionate-defender-of-what-he-imagines-consti-1819571149/