A secret recording exists of the American founding fathers' deliberations
the verdict
REFUTED
the evidence says no
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
0 sources for · 3 against
AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
Historical records show that while the Constitutional Convention deliberations were held under a rule of secrecy and extensive written notes were kept, no secret audio or mechanical recordings exist since the technology had not been invented.
Secret proceedings and debates of the Convention assembled at Philadelphia, in the year 1787 : for the purpose of forming the Constitution of the United States of America | Library of Congress
Top of page
[Skip to main content](#skip-to-content)
[Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/)
Search
EverythingAudio RecordingsBooks/Printed MaterialFilms, VideosLegislationManuscripts/Mixed MaterialMapsNotated MusicNewspapersPeriodicalsPersonal NarrativesPhotos, Prints, DrawingsSoftware, E-ResourcesWeb ArchivesWeb Pages3D Objects
Search**Search toggle**
# [Book/Printed Material](https://www.loc.gov/search/?fa=original_format:book)> Secret proceedings and debates of the Convention assembled at Philadelphia, in the year 1787 : for the purpose of forming the Constitution of the United States of America
[**Back to Search Results]()
[View 356 images in sequence.](https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.secretproceeding01unit/?st=gallery)
Download:PDF ( Complete )Text( Complete )JPEG(
# Was there a "secret" recording of the American founding fathers' deliberations?
Tags: united-states, founding-fathers
- Score: 16
- Views: 5800
- Answers: 4
- Answered: yes
- Asked by: user1050755 (279 rep)
- Asked: 2018-12-18
- Edited: 2018-12-18
- Site: history
## Question
I remember that there was someone who wrote down the stuff the founding fathers talked about behind closed doors. Can't remember his name. Who was he again?
## Answers
### Answer by T.E.D. (score: 26 [ACCEPTED])
Assuming you are talking about the Constitutional Convention...
It wasn't a "secret", but I suppose it is conveniently ignored by a lot of people that there were extensive records kept of the deliberations. They were delivered by the convention secretary to the convention "president" (George Washington, of course). Congress ordered them all printed in 1819.
Max Farrand in 1911 compiled them all and reprinted them together (in multiple volumes) as The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787.
I haven't read them myself directly, but they were from multiple sources, not just official proceedings notes. According to the link above, aside from the official notes the largest amount of material i
Constitution 225: It was secret, but we know about it – Pieces of History
Voting Record of the Constitutional Convention, 1787 (ARC 301680)
Today’s post was written by National Archives volunteer Paul Richter. It is part of a series tracing the development of the Constitution in honor of the 225th anniversary of this document on September 17, 2012.
In the earliest days of the Constitutional Convention, the delegates agreed their proceedings would be secret.
As the convention drew to a close, several delegates expressed concern that the opposing viewpoints—intentionally encouraged by the convention rules and captured in convention records—would encourage opposition to the Constitution if they became public knowledge. They briefly considered destroying the convention records before deciding it was important to preserve them as proof of what had transpired there.
Just before signing the Constitution on September 17, the delegates voted to give all convention papers to George Washington. He was directed to keep them until a Congress was formed under the Constitution and directed him what to do with the records.
Eventually, Washington gave the records to the State Department for s
Everything we examined (3)
This check searched the claim as stated. It did not run a separate search for evidence against it.