The Constitution is the foundation of the American government, outlining the liberties of the people “in order to form a more perfect Union.” But what if we showed the Founding Fathers the United States today? What might please them? Upset them? What reactions might we be unable to predict?

The United States Constitution was ratified 1789, almost 250 years ago. Many point to the writers of this document as the country’s “Founding Fathers,” including George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin.

According to history teacher Dr. Boger, the Constitution is “a basic blueprint for a centralized government that would be strong enough to hold the states together.” 

If the Constitution was a mere starting point for the United States, the Founding Fathers might be pleasantly surprised to see that their writings are still in use, with only 17 amendments (not including the Bill of Rights) added to it over more than 200 years. 

The Founders made it difficult to amend the Constitution by requiring a ⅔ majority vote from Congress to propose an amendment, and then ¾ of the states to ratify the amendment. Perhaps they would be pleased to see that only a few changes have been made to the original document. 

It is, however, essential to note that every author of the Constitution was a white man, many enslavers. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments (abolition of slavery, protection of civil rights under the Equal Protection Clause, and the right to vote regardless of race) were steps towards racial equality. Would the Founders be impressed by the progress made towards social equality, or would they be alarmed to see the rights of people other than white men enshrined in the Constitution?

The original text of the Constitution did not mention women until the 19th Amendment granted women suffrage in 1920. Might they be even more astonished to see women’s different roles in modern society?

Even if the Founders’ thoughts on social progress are difficult to predict, they would certainly be shocked by the technological developments of modern America. Dr. Boger said, “They would be astonished by the amount of information people have and can put out into the world at will. The internet and social media, and how that shapes politics… I don’t think they would know what to do.”

Digital media heavily influences the government’s political outcomes and public opinion by feeding the spread of misinformation and polarization between parties. When the Constitution was ratified, politicians typically campaigned by publishing information in newspapers. Now, citizens receive endless streams of polarized news and opinions curated by algorithms to fit their interests and beliefs. Had the Founding Fathers written the Constitution during the internet age, how might it differ from the original 18th-century document?

When Dr. Boger was asked to pick one Founding Father and imagine his reaction to 21st century America, she chose Benjamin Franklin and said, “[He] was such a tinkerer and inventor in his own time. It certainly would be fun to have him here and even walk around his own Philadelphia… and then bring him into our DREAM Lab.” 

All in all, while the Founding Fathers might be content to see their nation alive and well, they would certainly be full of questions and perhaps concern over the various amendments and advancements that have significantly changed our country.