Founding Documents: The Constitution

Civics 101

NHPR

History, Government, Society & Culture

4.2 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 12 February 2019

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

After just six years under the Articles of Confederation, a committee of anxious delegates agreed to meet in Philadelphia to amend the government. While the country suffered recession and rebellions, a group of fifty-five men determined the shape of the new United States. The document that emerged after that summer of debate was littered with strange ideas and unsavory concessions. The delegates decided they'd be pleased if this new government lasted fifty years. It has been our blueprint for over two centuries. This is the story of how our Constitution came to be. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro. Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Civics 101 is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
0:04.4	George Washington wakes up early per usual on November 5, 1786.
0:13.3	He goes to a study and reads over his correspondence, and then around 7 a.m. the Bell rings for breakfast
0:18.8	and he joins his guests, Charles Pinkney of South Carolina among them at the table.
0:23.9	They probably have cold ham and mutton, though Washington's favorite is mush cakes with
0:28.6	butter and honey and three cups of tea, no cream.
0:31.8	When the guests hit the road, Washington heads into a study and sits down to write some
0:36.7	letters.
0:37.7	In fact, he spends the rest of the day writing.
0:41.2	He's got a lot on his mind.
0:43.6	He's really worried about the state of this fledgling nation.
0:47.4	At this point in history, the country is still under the articles of confederation, and
0:52.4	things aren't going so well.
0:54.1	Yeah, those articles.
0:55.8	The US did not exactly thrive under the articles.
0:58.5	Washington has just received word from James Madison, who is in session with the Virginia
1:02.8	Congress, that the assembly is considering amending the articles of confederation.
1:08.0	So why is Washington worried?
1:09.3	This is good.
1:10.3	Things are looking up.
1:11.3	Because it's very nearly too late.
1:14.0	The articles of confederation have only been in place for five years and they do not work.
	...

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