Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America
Constitutional Chats are hosted by Janine Turner, Cathy Gillespie, student ambassadors, and experts who join us weekly to discuss hot-topic issues! The audience is not on camera, but you may ask questions!
"Consent of the governed." It's such a powerful phrase in our Declaration of Independence and truly speaks to the heart of the American Experiment. But what does consent mean? To dive into this notion of consent and how it is derived and utilized in the creation of our founding documents, we are pleased to welcome long-time friend of Constituting America, Professor Christopher Burkett. Dr. Burkett…
If we were to recognize one physical location as the birthplace of our great nation, it would undoubtedly be Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA. Originally serving as the Pennsylvania State House, this is where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and adopted. To share more information on this magnificent and historic structure, Constituting America is honored…
We all know the Fourth of July is when we adopted the Declaration of Independence to formally sever ties with the British Crown. But the physical act of signing the Declaration, and thus affixing the signers' personal oath to that document happened nearly a month later on August 2, 1776. To discuss the events of that day, we are honored to have Gary Porter return for a second week. Gary Porter is…
In an era of instant global communication, it is hard to fathom a time when it took it took months to communication across the Atlantic or weeks to send letters across the colonies. But that's the world in which our country was founded. The role of newspapers is such a vital component to our founding as it's how word of the new Declaration of Independence was transmitted to gain public support for…
Signing the Declaration of Independence was just the beginning. We then had to go out and confront the British and earn our independence. The first major battle of the American Revolution after signing the Declaration of Independence was the Battle of Long Island in the summer of 1776. Gen. George Washington faced off against a larger and better equipped Naval force and though the Continental Army…
The Articles of Confederation were the original set of laws established to govern the colonies after the Declaration of Independence, and were in effect from 1781 to 1789 when the United States Constitution was ratified. A defining feature of the Articles was its protection of the colonies' sovereignty and a weak central government. In discussing the Articles, three important questions must be…
Signing the Declaration of Independence was just the beginning. Now the colonists and Founding Fathers had to get the word out that it had been signed and gain public support for independence. Our guest today, Professor Jonathan Den Hartog explains how in the days immediately following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we had to figure out how this Declaration would affect the…
We have finally arrived at the 250th Anniversary of our independence: our country's 250th birthday! To celebrate America 250, Constituting America produced a vertical series called "The Pursuit" to reimagine some of the stories of our founding generation. For our show today, we invited our talented cast of actors to speak on their experience with this project, what they learned and to participate…
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this presents a great time to not only recognize the philosophical foundation of our country but also to admire the sheer beauty of the United States bound by the principles espoused in our founding documents of constitutional self-government. Our guest today has done just that. We are honored to welcome Matt Mehan, author…
The Marquis de Lafayette came to America as a young man to aid the colonists in the American Revolution. He would return 47 years later at the invitation of President James Monroe and Congress to tour the country in the lead-up to our country's 50th birthday. On this return trip, he received a true rockstar welcome wherever he went as he toured all 24 states. As we now prepare to celebrate our…
It's a year after the Battles of Lexington and Concord and only days before the Declaration of Independence would be signed. It's June 1776 and along the shores of South Carolina, British troops are amassing while the colonists rush to construct Fort Sullivan out of the local palmetto logs which would later be commemorated on that state's flag and in its nickname. After a day of fighting involving…
