"Average Americans Were the True Framers of the Constitution Woody Holton upends what we think we know of the Constitution's origins by telling the history of the average Americans who challenged the framers of the Constitution and forced on them the revisions that produced the document we now venerate. The framers who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 were determined to reverse America's post-Revolutionary War slide into democracy. They believed too many middling Americans exercised too much influence over state and national policies. That the framers were only partially successful in curtailing citizen rights is due to the reaction, sometimes violent, of unruly average Americans. If not to protect civil liberties and the freedom of the people, what motivated the framers? In "Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution," Holton provides the startling discovery that the primary purpose of the Constitution was, simply put, to make America more attractive to investment. And the linchpin to that endeavor was taking power away from the states and ultimately away from the people. In an eye-opening interpretation of the Constitution, Holton captures how the same class of Americans that produced Shays's Rebellion in Massachusetts (and rebellions in damn near every other state) produced the Constitution we now revere."
"A Yale Law School professor offers a thought-provoking analysis of the history and tenets of the U.S. Constitution, detailing the original intent of the creators of the document, answering questions about the text, and critically assessing the evolution of the Bill of Rights and all other amendment...Ambitious, even-handed, eminently accessible, and often surprising, America's Constitution is an indispensable work, bound to become a standard reference for any student of history and all citizens of the United States.
"The Constitution: An Introduction is the definitive modern primer on the US Constitution. Michael Stokes Paulsen, one of the nation's most provocative and accomplished scholars of the Constitution, and his son Luke Paulsen, a gifted young writer and lay scholar, have combined to write a lively introduction to the supreme law of the United States, covering the Constitution's history and meaning in clear, accessible terms. Beginning with the Constitution's birth in 1787, Paulsen and Paulsen offer a grand tour of its provisions, principles, and interpretation, introducing readers to the characters and controversies that have shaped the Constitution in the 200-plus years since its creation. Along the way, the authors provide correctives to the shallow myths and partial truths that pervade so much popular treatment of the Constitution, from school textbooks to media accounts of today's controversies, and offer powerful insights into the Constitution's true meaning. A lucid and engaging guide, The Constitution: An Introduction provides readers with the tools to think critically and independently about constitutional issues--a skill that is ever more essential to the continued flourishing of American democracy."
"In an introductory essay written for the general reader, Jack N. Rakove provides a narrative political account of how these documents came to be written. In his commentary on the Declaration of Independence, Rakove sets the historical context for a fuller appreciation of the important preamble and the list of charges leveled against the Crown. When he glosses the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the subsequent amendments, Rakove once again provides helpful historical background, targets language that has proven particularly difficult or controversial, and cites leading Supreme Court cases. A chronology of events provides a framework for understanding the road to Philadelphia."
History Reference Center: Time-travel through the ages from wherever you study! Dig into the past with tons of cool articles, videos, and primary sources on everything from ancient civilizations to modern events. Stuck on your history paper? This database is your ticket to acing it. Find firsthand accounts, analyze historical photos, and uncover fascinating facts that'll make your essays pop. Whether you're a history buff or just trying to pass that gen-ed course, History Reference Center makes the past come alive!
Excellent for finding information on a specific work of literature, or an author. Search using the title of the work to get a complete overview, including characters, plot summaries, cultural context, and criticism of the work. Contains more than 85 reference sources, including encyclopedias, series, and more.
"This comprehensive series explores each amendment, its origins, its real-world applications, its history of interpretation in the nation’s courts, and its implications for the future. Combining computer graphics, original live-action video, historical artwork, and archival footage with narration and interviews, each program reveals an important chapter in the ongoing history of the U.S. Constitution."
"This program explores the origins, outbreak, and outcome of the American Revolution, the major political texts which grew out of that struggle, and their ongoing significance today. Topics include the heavy British taxation that helped spark the Revolution; the spirit and structure of the Declaration of Independence; the short-lived Articles of Confederation; the drafting and ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and their implications for U.S. government as we know it today."
In commemoration of Constitution Day, constitutional law and history professor Michael J. Klarman of Harvard Law School discussed his book, a comprehensive history of how the framers drafted and ratified the U.S. Constitution despite their clashing interests.
A History of the U.S. Constitution is presented in this second program on the U.S. Constitution, which examines how the American style of democracy evolved through the United States Constitution and the amendments to the Constitution.
Risa L. Goluboff lectured on "How the Constitution Changes: Social and Political Aspects of the Law." This program is part of the Law Library's annual celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day--a federal holiday observed each year to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787, and to "recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens."
"These three 20-minute videos examine key constitutional concepts. The first explains why the nation's framers created the Constitution. The second describes the protection of individual rights by highlighting the Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright, affirming the right to an attorney. The last explores the separation of powers by examining the Supreme Court case of Youngstown v. Sawyer, a challenge to President Truman's decision to take over steel mills during the Korean War"--Container.
United States Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Stephen Breyer talk about the Constitution with high school students and discuss why we have and need a constitution, what federalism is, how implicit and explicit rights are defined, and how separation of powers ensures that no one branch of government obtains too much power.
Introduction -- Teaching the Constitution -- Why have a constitution? -- Helping to solve problems -- The power of precedent -- Moral values/Decision-making -- Separation of powers -- Relevance today -- Federalism -- Individual liberty vs. security -- Most influential cases -- Court decision making -- Conclusion.
In commemoration of Constitution Day, the Law Library of Congress hosted a public program on that examined the right of religious freedom, which is protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Provides resources highlighting the history of Constitution day, the framers of the Constitution, a close reading of the Constitution, and additional websites for more information.
In celebration of Constitution Day, the Library of Congress has compiled a variety of materials from across its collections. Explore these rich resources and features to learn more about one of America's most important documents.
To assist in planning Constitution Day programs, the U.S. Department of Education is pleased to provide links to Web sites that contain materials that can be publicly accessed for general use or for use as teaching materials in the classroom.
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