C-SPAN
On This Day: Life and Contributions of Alexander Hamilton
Historians have been fascinated by Alexander Hamilton long before he was the subject of a Broadway hit. Using video resources, scholars explore how his early upbringing as an orphan and social outcast may have influenced his role in the...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is one of the longest-lasting presidential policies, and it still impacts foreign policy today. Using three clips from historians and archivists, scholars explore the world of James Monroe and his watershed statement....
National Constitution Center
Convention, Ratification, and Amendment Process
While the Revolution is perhaps the most famous revolt in American history, do scholars know about Shays' Rebellion? The outcome of the uprising led to the current Constitution. A video resource traces the history of and how the Bill of...
National Constitution Center
The Bill of Rights (Second Edition)
Protecting basic liberties was at the heart of the American Revolution. However, it wasn't until after the Constitutional Convention that the Founding Fathers added a list of rights guaranteed to the people, now our most important legal...
National Constitution Center
The Bill of Rights
While the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution to preserve liberty, not everyone was on board. The dissenters refused to sign on unless the Constitutional Convention added a Bill of Rights. Viewers explore these important civil...
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Episode 1838: The Federalists Part 1: The Federalists Organize
Today we kick off our series on the Federalists, who supported ratification of the Constitution.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Episode 1840: The Federalists Part 3: New Science of Politics
The Federalists argued that the Constitution represented a "new science of politics" that made Anti-Federalist critiques obsolete.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: The Federalists Part 4: How Can Republican Government Survive?
The Federalists needed to counter the claim that republican government could not survive in America. They sent in their pinch hitter: James Madison.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Episode 1842: The Federalists Part 5: The Fear of Faction
The Framers of the Constitution knew the danger of factions.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics:the Federalists Part 6: Federalist 10 and Republican Government
James Madison devised powerful arguments supporting the idea that a republic could be successful in the United States. Learn about some of these arguments on today's podcast.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: The Federalists Part 7: Civic Virtue Is Not Reliable
Is civic virtue enough to ensure good government? Not according to the Federalists.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: The Federalists Part 8: State Legislatures and Civic Virtue
In the early years of the American republic, state legislatures sometimes favored creditors over debtors. The Founders saw this as a betrayal of the ideals of the Revolution.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics:the Federalists Part 9: The Constitution Promotes Republicanism
The Federalists argued that the rights and welfare of everyone is protected by the unamended Constitution.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics:the Federalists:the Branches of Government Protect Basic Rights
Do the three branches of government protect our basic rights? The Federalists thought so.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: The Federalists Part 11: The Lack of a Bill of Rights
On today's podcast, Alexander Hamilton's arguments against a bill of rights.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: The Federalists Part 12: A Compromise Saves the Constitution
On today's podcast, a compromise saves the Constitution.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics:the Federalists:the Robust Political Scene of the Founding Era
Political operatives in the Founding era weren't above using unsavory tactics.