Finally, James Madison lived the longest. He died at 85 in 1836—nearly 50 years after the convention. By then, the Constitution was already being argued over by new generations. Madison spent his last years editing his notes, still a nerd to the end.
So next time you gripe about Congress, remember: it was written by 55 sweaty, hungover, over-caffeinated lawyers in a sealed room. And somehow, it mostly works. Kind of a miracle. Or a really good bottle of rum.
