The Fethiye area maybe steeped in ancient history, but it also helped shape the constitution of America.

The picture is of James Madison, known as one the Founding Fathers of the USA, who went on to become its fourth president.  He, together with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, two other Founding Fathers, is responsible for no less than three references to the Lycian League in the 85 seminal essays now called the Federalist Papers, which set out the thinking behind the US Constitution.

A modern US academic sets out why the League was so important to these eminent Americans:

“First it was a model of a federal union the strength of whose parts in the national councils was proportionate to their size. Second, it showed the possibility of popular government that was representative. Thirdly, it offered the example of a strong national government with its own strong officers and the power to make laws that applied directly to individual citizens.”

So the Lycian League was discussed in the USA in 1787 and 88 when the Constitution was being drawn up – we doubt anyone in Lycia ever dreamed their mode of government would have such a far reaching affect.