My stomach was fluttering as we entered the Assembly Hall. Some delegates looked up but then turned back to their work as we squeezed our way into the back. The room was about forty feet by forty feet, small for fifty-five delegates. Desks were neatly arranged with men at each table and two in front. Everything looked green, and each table had a fountain pen and notes spread around.
The Assembly Room of Independence Hall looked like this in 1787. Can you imagine what it would be like to hear the delegates debate the Constitution?
Tommy pointed and whispered, “Oh, oh, there’s Mr. Madison.”
Madison was seated in an elevated chair at the front of the room near General Washington.
“Wow, he looks really busy up there,” added Cam. Bits of sunlight streamed in through small cracks in the closed windows.
Several delegates looked back at us. I whispered to the boys, “We’d better keep our voices down.” There was very little space left in the Assembly Hall, so we pushed our backs up against the wall and tried to be inconspicuous.
We listened intently as the delegates gave passionate speeches about freedom and justice and equality. The room seemed to get hotter and hotter. It felt like there was no air at all, as the debates became more intense.
Without any warning, lightning flashed with a thunderous crack.
Tommy looked worried, and I wondered if he was thinking of Liberty outside in the storm.
George Washington stood and called for a short reprieve from the sweltering room.
“Remember this moment, boys. It’s important,” I said. “A miracle is happening in this room. A government is being created for the people, by the people. These men are debating the very document we use today over two hundred years later. Think about it.”
“I’ve never thought of it like that before,” said Cam.
“Me either,” said Tommy. “I mean I’ve seen a copy of the Constitution hanging in my grandfather’s house and I knew it was important, but I never really thought about what it means, and how much went into it.” He pulled out his grandfather’s notebook and made a few notes.
“This might be a good time for us to check on Liberty,” I said.
“Good idea!” said both boys, eagerly.
As we headed for the doors a man stood up from the back right table. I paused when I heard him mention “Bill of Rights.” He was speaking to several other delegates beside him in a very loud and boisterous voice. As I studied his face I realized this was George Mason.
“We need a Bill of Rights,” he repeated in a louder voice.
“Boys, come here,” I whispered. “The man speaking over there is George Mason. Mr. Mason is right up there with important Americans like James Madison, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin.”
“Mr. Revere, there sure are a lot of Georges,” said Cam. “I mean I guess it’s okay as long as they don’t have a ‘king’ in front of their name,” he joked.
“True,” I nodded. “King George is not going to win any popularity contests in America. But neither is George Mason in this room. After months of negotiations, Mr. Mason is adamant that the Constitution needs a Bill of Rights to protect the rights of the people.”
“Wait, I just remembered the Bill of Rights is also hanging on my grandfather’s wall,” Tommy added. “Right next to the Constitution. Just like in the National Archives building.”
“You are right, Tommy,” I said. “The Constitution and the Bill of Rights go hand in hand in modern day, but during this Convention the delegates couldn’t agree on whether or not adding the Bill of Rights was a good idea.”
George Mason continued speaking while most of the delegates shook their heads in protest. You could tell Mr. Mason was getting upset.
This exceptional American is known as the “Father of the Bill of Rights.” Can you guess who he is? This is George Mason.
“It would give great quiet to the people. We could prepare the bill in a few hours and the rights of the people will be protected,” exclaimed George Mason.
Another delegate responded, “There is no need for it. We already have the three branches and representation of the people in Congress, plus a court and a president. The Bill of Rights is an addition we do not need. Let’s move on.”
“Are you blind? Can you not see what will happen without a bill to protect the people’s rights?” shouted Mason.
I could see James Madison at the front of the room, looking over with interest at the heated argument. Benjamin Franklin was sitting nearby with his cane, observing the passionate outburst. George Washington was standing at the front of the room speaking with another delegate.
“It’s not that we do not need rights, but we already have rights in the Constitution,” another delegate offered and began to walk back to his seat.
“Yes, but we must guarantee these rights to the people,” said Mr. Mason. “We must have constitutional protection for individual liberties that are clearly laid out. If not, what will stop the government from taking away the freedoms of our citizens?” George Mason said.
There was a general buzz in the room. The storm outside seemed to have passed and I could hear yammering between delegates as they hashed out their thoughts. Some delegates hunched over their tables with others from their state, whispering.
Finally, the other delegate said, “I hear you, Mr. Mason, but it is very hot in this room and we have been arguing for months. I invite you to present your idea and let us vote on the Bill of Rights. However, we need the Constitution to protect our freedoms now.”
“And what exactly will this Bill of Rights include?” asked another delegate.
George Mason paused. He took a deep breath and said, “It will preserve the rights of the people. As we stated in the Virginia Declaration, the people have certain inherent rights, including free speech, press, religion, and trial by jury. The people cannot be deprived of these rights by the government, and they should be included in this Constitution.”
I felt a tug on my coat sleeve. It was Tommy. He whispered, “My grandfather always says that freedom of speech is really important. He talks about how lucky we are to live in a country where we can think and say what we want without being killed or put in jail like in other countries. I never knew it was the Bill of Rights that gave us that freedom.”
Cam added, “I bet George Mason will be happy once they vote yes on the Bill of Rights.”
“Actually, the Bill of Rights was voted down at first,” I whispered. “Meaning the delegates did not agree with George Mason. He was so angry about it, in fact, he refused to sign the Constitution.”
There was another rumble of thunder outside. Cam said, “I really think we better go check on Liberty.”
Tommy whispered something to Cam as we walked toward the doors leading to the hallway.
“Keeping secrets from me, Tommy?” I asked, teasing.
“It probably won’t be a secret for long,” he replied.
“Tommy, whatever it is I doubt it would surprise me.”
As we opened the door to meet up with Liberty, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Liberty was standing at the bottom of the stairs in front of a parked carriage. He was wearing what looked to be a tall checkered hat. As we got closer, I realized he was actually harnessed to the carriage and was fully drenched in rainwater.
“Liberty!” I exclaimed. I rushed to the bottom of the stairs and whispered, “Are you trying out for a horse-and-carriage ride in Central Park?”
Liberty looked both ways to make sure we were alone before replying. He protested, “This is humiliating, Revere, very humiliating. I am not a fan, I am not in favor.”
Trying not to laugh, I asked, “How come you guys didn’t tell me?”
“We tried!” Tommy and Cam said in unison.
“I thought being tied to a tree was bad. This is downright insulting. I mean really, it is not good for my mojo to be strapped to a carriage. Puleeese! This is something Little Liberty would do happily, but not me,” Libert
y said, shaking water from his back.
“You know you would be a great horse-and-buggy show in a Fourth of July parade,” Cam joked.
“Okay, okay, in all seriousness, how on earth did you get strapped to the carriage?” I whispered.
“Well, this man must have thought I was his horse and pulled me over here while I was in a deep sleep. I was dreaming of a field of crunchy carrots, and before I realized what was happening I had this ridiculous hat on my head!” Liberty replied. “And I was strapped in, so I couldn’t disappear. Just look at me, I’m a tourist attraction.”
I spent a few minutes figuring out how to unleash Liberty’s bridle and set him free from the humiliation. Once I got the final strap undone, Liberty sprinted down the street like he was after the last carrot ice-cream cone on the planet.
“We should get back to modern day before the owner of this buggy gets back,” I said. “We also have to find Freedom and her grandfather.”
We caught up with Liberty a few hundred yards away in a secluded spot.
“Are we safe? Are the cops after us? Is my mug shot up on all the buildings?” Liberty said, shaking.
“The best thing we can do now is get back to modern day,” I replied as the boys hoisted themselves up onto Liberty’s saddle.
“You got it, Captain. Rush, rush, rushing from history!” Liberty shouted with gusto and the colorful time portal appeared.
This statue currently stands across from Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It represents the signers of the Constitution. Behind the statue is the former home of Gilbert Stuart, who painted the George Washington portrait saved by Dolley Madison.
Chapter 7
Together, we leapt into the time portal back to modern day and instantly found ourselves where we had started. Tommy looked through Liberty’s saddlebag and found his football. He grabbed it and threw it to Cam, who caught it over his shoulder. I looked at my watch and was relieved to see that Liberty had timed it perfectly.
“Great job, Liberty. We’re back at the National Archives building,” I said, patting him on his side.
“Am I good or am I good? Cam, put that in the ‘Liberty is Amazing’ file,” Liberty bragged as he tried to high-hoof each of us.
“I thought you usually deposited those in the compliment bank,” Tommy said, laughing.
“Valid point, Tommy, but on this occasion I thought filing was in order,” Liberty said with a grin.
As we approached the front of the building there was no sign of Freedom or her grandpa. I texted Freedom’s grandfather and let him know we were available to meet when and where convenient. He texted back and suggested the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in half an hour.
“Are you guys up for another walk?” I asked.
“Sure, but can we grab a snack somewhere?” Tommy replied.
Liberty looked over my shoulder and said, “Are you looking for a place to eat? Because I’m with Tommy, and could use something yummy for my tummy, if you know what I’m saying.”
I gave Liberty a few apples from his saddlebag to tide him over and said, “Let’s get some warm nuts from that street cart.”
We bought several packs for the mile-long walk down the National Mall. As we walked, several American flags caught my eye. An older woman passed us wearing a prominent flag on her T-shirt with a saying that read America the Beautiful.
As we approached the Lincoln Memorial, Cam shouted, “Freedom, over here!” and waved to Freedom who was about thirty yards away. He liked to play tough on the outside but was one of the most caring young men I had ever met.
“Hi, guys,” Freedom said, running over to us. “Wow, those alarms were really scary!”
Both boys looked at each other and then at me and said, “Yeahhhh,” in unison.
“I’m glad all is okay at the National Archives. I kept checking the news on my phone and they reported there was a disturbance but didn’t go into detail. Finally, an employee spoke to the media and said all was clear,” Freedom’s grandfather said.
“Whewwww, lucky for us,” Tommy said, under his breath.
Liberty made a fake coughing sound to get everyone’s attention and said, “Soooooooo, does anyone have any answers for me? Did anyone solve the clue?”
“Oh gosh. Thank you, Liberty, I mean Commander. I almost forgot I did,” Freedom said. “Here is my written answer. Can I still get my point?” She handed her sketchpad to Liberty.
Liberty’s deep voice returned and he said, “Yes, Special Agent, point to you. Cam won a point at Union Station, Tommy won a point at the Washington Monument, and Freedom just got her point from the National Archives. That means that all agents are currently tied with one point each.”
Freedom’s grandfather smiled and walked away for a second to take a cell phone call.
“I hear from Liberty you guys were up to no good, I mean yo-yo no good,” Freedom joked.
“Very funny, I was trying to do a cool trick, but . . .” Tommy started to say but his voice trailed off.
Freedom smiled, shook her head, and said, “Hey, you guys didn’t time-travel without me, did you?” She eyed us suspiciously. She could probably smell the eighteenth-century sewer lingering on our clothes.
“Um,” Cam replied, “we better tell you later.”
“Mr. Revere!” Freedom exclaimed.
“I owe you one, Freedom,” I said. “I will remember to take you to a great spot.”
Freedom’s grandfather returned from his phone call and gave Freedom a loving hug.
We walked to the front of the Lincoln Memorial and I asked everyone to gather around. I said, “This is a very important spot that we are standing in. This is the location where Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in 1963.”
Years ago I memorized his words and they wafted through my mind as I looked out from the spot where he spoke the words to hundreds of thousands of marchers.
In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
I added, “Martin Luther King was speaking about the men we met in Philadelphia in 1787. The architects of the republic included Washington and Madison, Franklin and Mason, and all the delegates we watched in person debate the future of our country.”
Cam added, “He was talking about all men created equal, right? Like in the Declaration of Independence.”
“Yes, that’s right, Cam. And that although slavery was over, in the 1960s people were still fighting for equal rights, under the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution,” I said. I felt that these concepts were probably over their heads right now, but I wanted them to hear about it for their future studies.
Tommy opened his notebook and starting writing. Freedom’s grandfather walked over and put his arm around Tommy. “You doing okay?” he asked.
Tommy shrugged and looked up. “Doing good,” he replied, but his face dropped into a frown.
Freedom’s grandfather looked back to the group and said, “We will talk more about the issues that faced and are facing our country as we go. It is important for you kids to keep asking questions as you learn. That is the most important part of studying history. Remember the statue with the seeds?”
The Crew nodded.
We stayed as long as we could at the Lincoln Memorial, but I realized the day was quickly passing and we still had to get to our next destination before it closed to the public.
As we walked, my mind drifted to the first time I met Liberty. Back then I never imagined I would be able to travel back in time to visit the Founders of our nation and see them craft the words that became a symbol to the people of America and around the world. I felt goose bumps run up my arms as I pondered all that this country has been blessed with. Yes, we are not perfect, I thought, but we are Americans, and I am so proud.<
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“Where are we going now, Mr. Revere?” Tommy asked.
“The next building were are going to visit is also an American landmark,” I replied. “In fact, it is one of the greatest symbols of freedom in the United States.” I pointed to the Capitol Building on the map and showed everyone the route.
“The U.S. Capitol Building is located on the northeast side of the National Mall,” I said.
We kept walking until the shining Capitol Building came into focus in the distance. The giant round dome at the top of the building was bright against the blue sky. Three American flags waved on top of the building, in the middle and on both sides.
“Wow,” said Freedom, following my gaze. “That is really cool. Every building here looks like a piece of art.”
“If there’s time, you should draw the National Mall or the Capitol Building. I bet it would be really cool,” Tommy said.
Freedom smiled broadly, as did her grandfather.
“Thank you, I can’t wait,” Freedom replied.
“Hey, Tommy, I hear you throw a pretty good spiral,” Freedom’s grandfather said, shifting his attention to Tommy.
“Aww, thanks. I mean it’s okay. But I try to practice a lot. My grandfather told me if I keep practicing I will get better and better,” Tommy replied.
“Well, come on, let’s walk over here out of the way and you can throw me the ball,” Freedom’s grandfather said, motioning for Tommy to follow him. I watched from a distance.
“All right, fire away,” Freedom’s grandfather said as he backed up to receive the ball.
Tommy leaned back and threw the ball into the air, the spiral holding tightly as it traveled. Freedom’s grandfather caught the ball in both hands and smiled widely.
“Well done, Tommy! That looked perfect to me.”
Tommy’s face lit up with the compliment and he said, “Thank you! Maybe we can practice some more later.”
Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner Page 9