Lectures For Lifelong Learners!

When representatives of 11 of the 13 new states gathered in Philadelphia in the sweltering summer of 1787, they thought they were going to tweak the Articles of Confederation. They were thunderstruck day one when Virginia introduced a new Constitution, authored by James Madison. Four months later, after endless and often bitter debate, they emerged with a document that met with immediate opposition as well as praise. Follow the debates to create the document, ratify it, and form a new government. Understand the built-in tensions that propelled us toward Civil War and continue to keep us debating and moving forward today.