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How did the United States Constitution become the supreme law of the land? Who wrote it? What issues did they face? Why is the Constitution important to us today? The Constitution is under attack at the same time few Americans can answer simple questions about what it says and what it means. Becoming America: The Constitutional Convention of 1787 addresses these important issues in a unique blend of interviews with nationally acclaimed scholars and experts and lively, upbeat songs from the n ...
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Preservation of our founding documents and records of debates and other commentaries on the purposes and intentions of the Founders are essential to both our past and present application of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They are more than memories of the past, they continue to be the foundation upon which our government and liberties res…
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“America is perfect idea; the United States is a work in progress.” This has been a constant theme during our “Becoming America” series. In today's society, more diverse than ever, how do the ideas that motivated our Founders stand up? Does the Constitution still resonate with the people? This episode features everyday Americans sharing their thoug…
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The Preamble of the Constitution contains its most revolutionary statement, beginning with the remarkable statement that the new government would be based on the authority of “We the People.” In this episode of “Becoming America,” Dr. Jo Ellen Chatham, Judge Jim Gray, and Bijan Kian interview Judge Andrew Guilford. Retired after serving for nearly …
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Someone Has Got To Decide – Dr. Gordon Lloyd
52:58
52:58
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Fortunately, there are thousands of documents recording the drafting and ratification of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Letters, journals, newspaper articles, political pamphlets and much more provide a comprehensive account – including from both sides - those who favored and those who disapproved of the Constitution. Our guest in this ep…
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It’s Lonesome At The Top - George Washington
57:11
57:11
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It can be lonesome at the top, especially when you lead not only a country but a country at the cusp of transformation. At the creation of the United States, there was one indispensable man. He commanded the Continental Army through the Revolutionary War, presided over the Constitutional Convention, and was elected to be our first President. We all…
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The Studied Silence – Maj. Gen. James Williams
48:55
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Why did our Founding Fathers ignore the issue of slavery when crafting the Constitution? To understand this better, we need to put everything in context with the times. The incipient federation was at risk of many Southern states not joining if slavery was outlawed, and many of the delegates themselves were slave owners. But to their credit, they d…
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The Constitutional Convention was by no means a smooth proceeding. The delegates represented a wide array of interests and opinions and argued about almost every provision before coming to a near-unanimous conclusion before the Convention adjourned. Among the most hotly contested issues were the relationship between the states and the new national …
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My Country Needs Me - Trevor Burrus
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Many critical issues divided the delegates to the Constitutional Convention. One of the most contentious was how much power the central government should wield. Nearly everyone at the table agreed that The Articles of Confederation were weak and that giving the central government more authority was essential. But how much power should that central …
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We all learned from school that the Constitutional Convention was held in May of 1787 within of what is now known as Independence Hall. But how much do we know about the process the Founding Fathers followed in those crucial four months? Dr. Bryan M. Santin is here to discuss how the Constitutional Convention operated. He explains the major rules s…
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The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees the right of every citizen to religious freedom. While the Founders held varying religious opinions, they agreed that every individual must the right to hold their own religious beliefs and practices without government interference. Fast forward to the present time, Americans have become more di…
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More than 200 years ago, leaders representing twelve of the thirteen States calling themselves the United States of America gathered gathered together in Philadelphia. Concerned about the lack of cooperation among the states, a looming economic crisis, potential insurrections in the states and unstable relations with foreign nations, their critical…
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Article III of the Constitution establishes the federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court. Among issues facing the courts over many decades are rights and roles of women. Although the Constitution makes no distinction between men and women, state law often made such distinction and many were challenged in federal courts. Diving deep into this …
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What About Me? – Dr. William B. Allen
1:05:10
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America is built on our collective hopes and dreams to govern ourselves and to secure the promises to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, there are times in our history when these were not applied equally to all people and must not be ignored. Acknowledging them and addressing their legacies is a path to assuring that the promises of A…
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In each episode, we break down the events at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that drafted our Constitution. If there is a figure more suited than any other to join the podcast, it would no doubt be the Father of the Constitution himself, President James Madison. What would you ask if you could interview James Madison? What do you believe woul…
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Overthrow The Government - Dr. Larry Arnn
58:53
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Building what is now the United States of America was far from a tidy process of state-building. Much of what defines America was unprecedented when the Founders met in Philadelphia and drafted a new form of government, and ours were often in serious disagreement. In this episode of Becoming America, we are taken back to that time when opponents of…
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Off To Philadelphia - Dr. Bryan M. Santin
36:16
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If you went back to the time more than two hundred thirty years ago when the Constitution was being written, you probably wouldn’t recognize the place at all. America in 1787 was very different than today. The song “Off to Philadelphia,” talks about rutted trails of mud instead of roads and traveling by horse and coach instead of cars and trains. W…
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This trailer episode introduces the entire project with numerous excerpts from each episode.
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Introduction - Jo Ellen Chatham, Jim Gray, Bijan Kian
51:06
51:06
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The United States of America is a perfect idea, but the United States of America is a work in progress. Our Founding Fathers, the people who were responsible for the birth of America, weren’t perfect. They were human beings who had personal flaws and vested interests. But what they was unprecedented. It was an experiment in democracy that enjoy tod…
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