With the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, the American people brought into existence the most unusual way of life in history, one that led to the greatest economic miracle that mankind has ever seen. Americans not only discovered the solution to poverty but also experienced the greatest outburst of charity in history.

Ironically, when the delegates met at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, they initially had no intention of forming a new national government. The purpose of the meeting was simply to come up with ways to amend the Articles of Confederation, which had been America's governmental system since the time of the revolution. Problems had arisen under the articles, such as trade wars between the states, and so the initial purpose of the convention was simply to figure out ways to iron out those problems.

Instead, the delegates, meeting in secret, proposed a different form of governmental structure, one that could be labeled a "limited-government republic."