On September 17, Americans celebrate Constitution Day. A federal holiday, Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution, a guiding document that continues to evolve and uphold the rights and freedoms of all U.S....

Constitution Day takes place every year on September 17. It celebrates the written document that outlines the rights and freedoms of U.S. citizens.

MOT 1940: ADDRESS TO AMERICAN YOUTH CONGRESS: President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) (SOT) 'It has been said that some of you are communists... very unpopular term... no American right... to subvert the Government & the...

Explore Constitutional Amendments 21 through 24 and understand why the Bill of Rights was a necessary addition to the Constitution. In-depth explanations of the amendments are presented with landmark cases and an analysis of each...

The divisiveness plaguing American politics today is nothing new, says constitutional law scholar Noah Feldman. In fact, it dates back to the early days of the republic, when a dispute between Alexander Hamilton and James Madison led the...

John Adams recruits Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence at the Second Continental Congress. Jefferson writes, Adams edits. After the American Revolution, their friendship flourishes in the courts of Europe, where...

John Adams recruits Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence at the Second Continental Congress. Jefferson writes, Adams edits. After the American Revolution, their friendship flourishes in the courts of Europe, where...

The very first in a very long series about the American presidential elections from 1788 to the present. I hope to have them done by Election Day 2016. Did you know that five different Johns ran for President in 1788? Woah!

The 48th episode in a very long series about the American presidential elections from 1788 to the present. I hope to have them done by Election Day 2016. In 1976, the country celebrates its bicentennial by not trusting the government....

The 49th episode in a very long series about the American presidential elections from 1788 to the present. I hope to have them done by Election Day 2016. In 1980, Ronald Reagan seems unstoppable as he tries to "make America great again."...

The Presidential Election of 1876 was considered a foregone conclusion, with Democrat Samuel J. Tilden sure to defeat Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, but disputed Southern electoral votes led to an outcome that nobody predicted.

The U.S. Presidential Oath of Office, delivered through the presidents of the past

1621 - Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag natives share an autumn harvest feast; this is believed to be the first Thanksgiving in the colonies. Despite objections, George Washington issues a thanksgiving proclamation to celebrate American...

1621 - Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag natives share an autumn harvest feast; this is believed to be the first Thanksgiving in the colonies. Despite objections, George Washington issues a thanksgiving proclamation to celebrate American...

The right to stand up for what we believe in is as American as apple pie and is protected under US law by the Bill of Rights: a list of ten amendments to the US Constitution that almost never existed.

Explore the significance of the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1933. Also known as the "Lame Duck" Amendment, it addresses the transition of power between elections and inaugurals, setting specific...

Written by Founding Father James Madison in 1789, The Bill of Rights makes up the first ten amendments to the US Constitution. Many people still consider the Bill of Rights to be the cornerstone of our society, but not everyone agrees.

Ratification of the Constitution was a contentious process, but America’s Jews, in contrast to many other religious groups, supported ratification by large margins.

Witness Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama take...

Independence Day takes place every year on the 4th of July. It celebrates the day that the Founders of the United States declared their independence from Great Britain.

What was life like in the Middle Colonies? Learn how this region of diverse cultures, fertile lands and significant historical events shaped America's early days and influenced its foundational principles.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. In this public radio story you will hear from activists who were present that day and heard the speech. They remember...

The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution is often talked about but rarely read in full. The reason? Counterterrorism expert Amyryllis Fox explains that it has, these days, simply become shorthand for not saying anything in...

Princeton professor Sean Wilentz explains why America has such a staunch two-party system, which was never part of the Framers' plan. Wilentz's new book is "The Politicians and the Egalitarians: The Hidden History of American