A More Perfect Union: George Washington and the Making of the Constitution (Full Movie)

Summary

The video details how the U.S. Constitution was conceived and ratified after the Revolutionary War left the nation fractured under the ineffective Articles of Confederation. It profiles key figures like George Washington and James Madison who led the secret Constitutional Convention, overcoming objections and forging compromises between states to draft a unifying, durable charter. Despite initial mixed reactions, Washington's revered leadership convinced Virginia, the critical ninth state, to ratify. The new Constitution established an empowered government with checks and balances that has endured for over 200 years.

Takeaways

• 😊 The American revolutionaries declared government existed to protect rights, and could be overthrown if violated
• 👨‍🏫 George Washington was reluctant to attend the Constitutional Convention but realized reform was needed
• 🤝 The Great Compromise broke a deadlock between large and small states by creating a two chamber legislature
• 😢 The constitution compromise counted slaves as 3/5ths a person for representation
• 😮 The public had been kept in the dark about the convention details for months
• 🎉 9 states had to ratify the new constitution for it to take effect. Delaware was first, Virginia 10th
• 😠 Patrick Henry and Anti-Federalists worried about lack of individual rights protections
• 🙏🏻 Washington's leadership at the convention convinced Virginia to narrowly ratify by 10 votes
• 😌 Washington was elected the first president unanimously in 1789
• 🇺🇸 Thanks to compromises and leadership, the fractious states unified under the longest lasting constitution

Q & A

What was the main weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

The Articles of Confederation gave most power to the states, leaving the national government very weak. The Confederation Congress had no power to tax or regulate commerce, which made it difficult to address national issues.

Why was the Constitutional Convention held in secret?

The Constitutional Convention was held in secret so the delegates could debate freely without outside influence. Windows were shuttered and oaths of secrecy were taken so the public would not know what was being discussed until a final proposal was ready.

What was the Great Compromise?

The Great Compromise settled the dispute between large and small states over legislative representation. It established a bicameral legislature with the House based on population and the Senate giving equal votes to each state.

How were slaves counted under the Three-Fifths Compromise?

Under the Three-Fifths Compromise, slaves were counted as three-fifths of a person for determining representation and taxation. This inflated the population numbers of slave states and enabled them to gain more representatives.

Why did some delegates oppose a single executive?

Some delegates opposed having a single powerful executive because they feared it could lead to tyranny or monarchy. However, others argued a single leader was necessary to transcend state interests.

Why was George Washington's support so critical?

George Washington was enormously popular and trusted by all. His support for the Constitution convinced many skeptics to ratify it based on faith that he would become the first president.

Which states were the last to ratify the Constitution?

The key late holdouts were New York and Virginia, two of the largest and most powerful states. Virginia narrowly voted to ratify, followed by New York, ensuring the Constitution would be adopted.

Why was Washington reluctant to become president?

Washington wanted to enjoy a peaceful private life at Mount Vernon after the war. However, he felt obliged to accept the presidency out of duty and to prevent the fragile new nation from failing.

What convinced Washington to attend the Constitutional Convention?

Washington was initially reluctant, but the outbreak of Shays' Rebellion convinced him that major reform was needed to strengthen the central government and stabilize the nation.

How long did ratification of the Constitution take?

Ratification was a drawn out process, taking over two years. Delaware ratified first in December 1787, Rhode Island was last in May 1790, and the Constitution took effect in March 1789.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 The American Revolution and the Fragile New Nation

Paragraph 1 sets the scene, describing how the American revolutionaries overthrew British rule but struggled to establish a stable government under the weak Articles of Confederation. States acted in their own self-interests, causing economic troubles. General Washington worried the fragile union could collapse into civil war without reform.

05:03

👑 Washington Convinced to Attend the Constitutional Convention

Paragraph 2 covers Washington's reluctance to get involved in reforming the Articles of Confederation, but his concern over Shays' Rebellion convinces him of the need for change. He agrees to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to draft a new, stronger constitution.

10:06

🔨 Forging Compromises to Establish a New Government

Paragraph 3 details the contentious debates and compromises made at the Constitutional Convention over representation. Delegates threaten to walk out but agree to the Great Compromise on legislature representation and the 3/5 Compromise on counting enslaved peoples.

15:08

⏳ The Fight Over Ratification of the New Constitution

Paragraph 4 covers the mixed reaction to the proposed constitution and the emergence of rival Federalist and Anti-Federalist factions. 9 states are needed to ratify and establish the new government. Washington's home state Virginia narrowly votes to ratify, ensuring the new nation will endure.

20:09

🎉 Washington Unanimously Elected as the Nation's First President

Paragraph 5 describes Washington's reluctance to lead the new government but his sense of duty to accept when elected unanimously. His leadership carries the fragile nation forward with the new Constitution as its foundation.

Keywords

💡Revolution

The act of overthrowing a ruling government through a popular uprising . The American Revolution resulted in the colonies overthrowing British rule to form an independent nation . The video emphasizes that while revolutions can overthrow oppression, they often lead to new tyrants or chaos . The American founders sought to create a stable democratic system that avoided these pitfalls.

💡Union

The term 'union' in this context refers to a confederation of states with a centralized, unifying federal government. The Articles of Confederation had united the states weakly under a loose confederation that was falling apart . The Constitutional Convention aimed to form a more perfect union - a phrase from the Constitution's preamble - by creating a strong central government to bind the states into one stable nation .

💡Constitution

The written document that defines the structure and powers of a government. The Constitutional Convention was tasked with amending the dysfunctional Articles of Confederation but succeeded in drafting an entirely new constitution that created a strong federal government balanced by checks between branches and state/federal powers.

💡Compromise

Reaching agreement through mutual concession or partial sacrifice of ideals. Key compromises were made at the convention to balance federal/state powers (Great Compromise), settle disputes over how to count slaves, and give broad executive power to a president that many feared could become a monarch.

💡Representation

The principle of having the people's interests represented through elected lawmakers in a republic. Debates arose over how states would be represented proportionally in Congress. The Great Compromise established two legislative houses: the House granted representation based on population size, while the Senate gave equal votes to each state.

💡Federalism

The decentralization of power between state and federal government. Federalism was a core solution arising from the convention. The Constitution granted the federal government substantially more power over taxation, lawmaking and governance than the weak Articles of Confederation system but retained roles and autonomy for the states.

💡Ratification

Formal approval and adoption of the new Constitution by at least 9 states. After intense debate between Federalist supporters and Anti-Federalists skeptical of centralized power, the Constitution was ratified once 9 states (and then the other 4) voted by state conventions to approve the new charter.

💡Rights

Protections of essential civil liberties and freedoms from government overreach. Opposition to ratification centered on the Constitution lacking enumerated individual rights and checks on federal power. However, ratification compromises led to the quick addition of the Bill of Rights after the Constitution took effect.

💡Presidency

The newly created executive office holder who would govern the nation and oversee the federal bureaucracy. Delegates debated creating a single powerful president versus diluting the role among multiple co-executives. Washington's esteemed reputation and presumed leadership weighed heavily in the decision to vest unitary executive authority.

💡Leadership

The influential direction, unification, compromise-building and assurance provided by key figures, especially George Washington, that enabled the improbable drafting and ratification success of the Constitution against great odds and obstacles.

Highlights

The American revolutionaries declared that government existed to protect fundamental rights, and when those rights were violated, that government could be overthrown.

The trick was finding the right balance between a government made too powerful that could lead to tyranny, and one without power to protect liberties, leading to anarchy.

Without power to tax or enforce law, the Confederation Congress could do little but watch as states acted with increasing self-interest, causing economic turmoil.

General George Washington was unsure about the lasting stability of the new American nation, fearing civil war or foreign interference if citizens did not unite.

The Constitutional Convention sought to prove wrong foreign powers that predicted the American experiment would fail.

The Great Compromise between large and small states broke a deadlock by proposing a bicameral legislature, birth of the House and Senate.

Counting slaves as 3/5ths a person for representation was a compromise deemed necessary for convention success, but failed to resolve slavery.

The public had been kept in the dark for months about what the Constitutional Convention conceived under Washington's leadership.

Patrick Henry and Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution for lacking individual rights protections and fear of tyranny.

Washington's public silence but behind-the-scenes support carried influence in Virginia's narrow ratification vote, ensuring the Constitution lived.

Washington was reluctant to re-enter public life but realized denying the presidency would shipwreck the country, so he accepted.

Washington won unanimous election as the first president, thanks to his trusted leadership at the Constitutional Convention.

Washington's leadership carried the fractious states into unified nation with a balanced, representative government.

Born of compromise, the 200-year-old Constitution endures as the world's oldest functioning representative framework.

The Constitution's democratic bedrock continues serving the people and guiding the nation's 'more perfect union'.

Transcripts

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] History is filled with stories

of rebellion and revolution, oppressor and oppressed.

But for every dictator overthrown

and noble victory achieved,

too many revolutions have succumbed

to either the siren call of new tyrants

or descended into bloody chaos.

So how is it that the United States,

formed from its own eight-year war,

managed to avoid these common pitfalls?

How is it that no American king

stepped forward to be crowned?

That 13 fractious states chose to unify

rather than go their separate ways?

(grand music)

It was largely due to the leadership

of a small group of visionaries

who understood the lessons of the past

and sought a new representative form of government,

leaders like George Washington who were capable

of compromise while pursuing a more perfect union.

(people laughing)

The American revolutionaries declared that government

existed to protect fundamental rights,

and when those rights were violated,

that government could be overthrown.

(gentle music)

But what should fill the void?

A government made too powerful could lead to tyranny,

but without power to protect the rule of law

and the liberties of the people, anarchy.

The trick was finding the right balance.

During the War for Independence, the colonies

had united under the Articles of Confederation.

The bond formed under the Articles was weak at best.

(dramatic music)

The Confederation Congress had no power to tax

or coordinate foreign policy.

The states, retaining much of their original sovereignty,

even had their own separate currencies.

Though the Americans had secured their

independence under the Articles,

it was increasingly evident that this weak

government was no match for the diverging

interests and priorities of the individual states.

It was a union in name only.

(peaceful music)

Though he had led the Americans to victory,

General George Washington was unsure

about the lasting stability of this new American nation.

If the citizens did not find a way to set aside

their regional interests for the greater good,

America risked civil war or being picked

apart by foreign powers.

But he had relinquished his command

and resumed a private life at Mount Vernon.

"Now," he said, "It was the choice of the people

"whether they will be respectable and prosperous

"or contemptible and miserable as a nation."

But his advice was ignored.

The states were in debt from the war

and acted with increasing self-interest.

Some responded by printing paper money,

causing rampant inflation.

Others raised taxes on farmers, throwing them in jail

when they could not pay.

Without power to tax or enforce law,

the Confederation Congress could do little but watch.

It was so weak, it did not even have the power

to enforce the peace treaty with Great Britain,

whose forces lingered menacingly in American territory.

Foreign policy consisted of begging for new loans

to pay existing debts.

By 1786, the Union was unraveling.

(dramatic music)

Amending the Articles of Confederation

required unanimous support of the 13 states,

an impossible hurdle.

To a growing number of the nation's

political and intellectual leaders,

a new, lasting solution was needed.

A new national constitution.

But without widespread public support,

could there really be any chance of reform?

For the Constitutional Convention to have

any chance of success, they needed the leadership

of the only man known and trusted throughout the states.

They needed George Washington.

But Washington was reluctant to leave Mount Vernon

and risk his hard-won reputation

in a cause that was less than certain.

"That it is necessary to revise

"and amend the Articles of Confederation,

"I entertain no doubt," he uttered.

"But what may be the consequences of such

"an attempt is doubtful."

In the fall of 1786, angry mobs of farmers,

led by the Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays,

went on a march through Massachusetts,

protesting high taxes, closing courthouses

and threatening the armory in Springfield.

Ultimately, Shays Rebellion was brought

to a bloody halt, but the fear of further uprisings

convinced Congress that action was needed.

They called for a national convention

to be held in Philadelphia in 1787.

"There are combustibles in every state

"which a spark may set fire to," Washington exclaimed.

He agreed to attend the convention,

concluding that, "Reform of the present

"system is indispensable."

He would wager his hard-earned reputation

on the hope that the convention would succeed

not in revising the Articles of Confederation

but in drafting a new constitution

that would create a truly national government.

(gentle music)

Throughout May 1787, delegates

from all over the union arrived in Philadelphia.

Luminaries like Benjamin Franklin

and rising stars like Alexander Hamilton

were in attendance.

There were seven former governors,

including Virginia's Edmund Randolph

and jurists like Pennsylvania's James Wilson.

And there were relative newcomers like James Madison.

Eventually, 55 men would serve at the convention.

And chairing this body, George Washington.

Together, they had won the war.

Now, they needed to secure the peace.

Foreign powers had predicted the American

experiment would fail.

This convention sought to prove the world wrong.

The delegates agreed that they would

write a new constitution.

It was risky.

They were only authorized by Congress

to suggest amendments to the existing

Articles of Confederation.

To proceed, they would work in secret.

Windows were shuttered despite the summer heat,

and oaths of secrecy were taken.

It was thanks to James Madison's diligent

note taking that we even know what took place.

There was little unity over many of the most

important questions confronting the delegates.

Smaller states, which had enjoyed equal

representation in the existing government,

feared they would lose sovereignty

to the dominance of the larger states.

Delaware's Gunning Bedford warned

that the small states would find some

foreign ally if their autonomy was threatened.

The larger states wanted representation

based on population.

James Wilson reminded the delegates,

"Can we forget for whom we are forming a government?

"Is it for men or for the imaginary

"beings called states?"

As the debate went on, two delegates

from New York walked out, believing the convention

had exceeded its mandate.

If others left, the convention might collapse.

(men muttering)

Overseeing the debate, Washington grew

anxious for a solution.

Then Roger Sherman of Connecticut arrived with a proposal.

It would come to be known as The Great Compromise.

Sherman proposed a legislature split into two bodies.

One would allocate representatives

based on a state's population.

The other would treat states as equals.

Here was the birth of the House

of Representatives and Senate.

The Great Compromise broke the deadlock

between large and small states,

but left them with a new, troubling question.

(somber music)

The next challenge: how would enslaves people

be counted for purposes of representation and taxation?

In 1787, slavery existed in every state

except Massachusetts.

But the institution was most heavily concentrated

on the plantations and farms of the southern states.

This painful reality raised the question

of how should states determine population.

More to the point, who counts as a person?

The southern state delegations, led by Charles Pickney

and Pierce Butler, sought to have slaves

counted as part of their population,

even though they were considered

to be property by their owners.

The Southern delegates threatened to oppose

any actions that would limit or constrain slavery.

- Dangerous in the extreme.

- [Narrator] Some Northern delegates were incredulous.

Once again, faced with the threat of a mass

defection and a doomed convention,

the delegates reached yet another compromise.

They agreed to count all slaves,

for purposes of representation, as 3/5 of a person.

Looking back through time, this 3/5 decision

looks like a moral failure.

But to the delegates, many who assumed

that slavery was already fading away,

this compromise was deemed necessary

if the Constitutional Convention was

to have any chance of success.

Of course, what the delegates could not see

is that this new constitution left millions in bondage

and failed to extinguish the slow fuse

that would ignite in bloody civil war 70 years later.

(drum music)

(gentle music)

The last challenge: would the American people

accept a powerful executive?

The Articles of Confederation lacked one.

Each state could overrule the others.

There was nobody to transcend states' interests

and represent the nation's.

Hamilton and Madison argued a powerful,

national leader was necessary.

Madison's proposal, the Virginia Plan,

offered a powerful, single executive

balanced by a representative legislature and a judiciary.

Others, including Edmund Randolph, questioned

the nature of this executive,

worrying that too much power in the hands

of one person could lead to monarchy.

(gentle music)

Even Benjamin Franklin expressed concern.

Though he expected Washington would likely

be the first to serve as the chief executive,

he worried that nobody knows what sort

may come afterwards.

But in the end, the proposal for a single executive

carried, based largely on the hope that one

man would lead the new government, George Washington.

The public had been kept in the dark for months.

What had the greatest minds of their country,

their beloved General Washington, conceived?

By the time the Constitution was ready for signing,

42 of the original 55 delegates remained in Philadelphia.

Washington signed first, followed by the rest.

Three delegates, George Mason, Elbridge Gerry

and Edmund Randolph refused to sign,

protesting the lack of a bill of rights.

What they signed contained a mere seven articles,

seven pieces that together formed a new government.

The first three defined the branches of government,

creating checks and balances between them.

Three more outlined the relationship

between the states and the federal government,

along with the process for making amendments.

And the seventh established rules

by which the new Constitution could be adopted.

The reaction was mixed.

The Confederation Congress briefly considered

censuring the delegates for exceeding

their original mandate.

But they concluded something needed to be done,

and that this new constitution was the best option.

The states were called upon to form conventions

to ratify or reject the new charter.

At least nine states had to approve

for it to take effect,

any less, and the Constitution would be dead.

Rival factions quickly formed.

- A king, is a king, is a king.

- I disagree.

What is to keep us all together.

- [Narrator] Some favored the new Constitution

as a necessity.

They became known as Federalists.

Others, like the Patriot Patrick Henry, were skeptical.

The Constitution had no guarantee

of individual rights, like a free press

and protections against unlawful prosecution.

And they feared the executive could become a tyrant.

- The whole of Europe has been within that space

for hundreds, nay, thousands.

- [Narrator] Together, they were known as Anti-Federalists.

In states where Federalists held sway,

ratification came quickly.

Delaware was first, voting unanimously

in favor on December 7th.

Five more states followed over the next two months,

but six states were far from the nine required.

Even worse, the largest and most powerful states,

New York and Virginia, were deadlocked.

Could there really be a United States

without New York and Virginia?

(dramatic music)

In Virginia, Patrick Henry and George Mason

were the most vocal opponents of ratification,

fearing its lack of safeguards for individual liberty.

James Madison, with the quiet support

of Washington, argued fervently in support

of the Constitution.

Two more states voted to ratify.

Just one was needed for the Constitution,

the new federal government, to be born.

Who would be the ninth?

Could New York be convinced to ratify?

Could Virginia?

Or would the United States be born in pieces?

Would Washington suffer the indignity

of seeing his native state reject the constitution

he worked so hard to conceive?

On June 25, 1788, Virginia's votes were cast.

It was two days before the news reached Mount Vernon.

Virginia's convention has compromised.

They asked that a bill of rights be added

to the Constitution, and they had voted

to ratify by a margin of just 10 votes.

Unbeknownst to them, just four days earlier,

New Hampshire had become the ninth state to ratify.

They had ensured the United States would be born.

Now, by its vote, Virginia had ensured

the United States would live.

(peaceful music)

Though he had remained publicly silent in the debate,

the public's faith in George Washington's role

at the Constitutional Convention played

a vital role in Virginia's ascent.

They assured, wrote James Monroe, in a letter

to Thomas Jefferson, that Washington's influence

carried the government.

The new government now a certainty,

and with the endorsement of Virginia,

the remaining states, including New York, voted in favor.

Rhode Island would be the last hold out,

joining the Union in 1790.

After ratification, the question now turned

toward just who would lead this new government.

It seemed a foregone conclusion that George Washington

would be its first president.

He had presided over the Constitutional Convention.

He was trusted, beloved.

Many had agreed to support ratifying

the new charter because they believed

Washington would assume a leadership role.

But he was eager for a life of tranquility

at his Mount Vernon estate.

Letters from leaders throughout the states

began to arrive, urging him to reconsider.

No other man could bind the fractious nation together.

Duty overcame desire.

To deny the call, he realized,

would see the country shipwrecked

in sight of the port.

He decided he would re-enter public life

if the voters wanted him.

On April 14, 1789, the answer came by way

of a messenger from Congress.

It had taken several months to complete the tally.

George Washington had been elected president

by unanimous vote of the electors.

(gentle music)

His leadership carried a nation

ahead and into a realm unknown to humankind.

There were rights to be guaranteed,

a presidency to be defined and a nation

to be built from a collection of feuding states.

There were rivalries to be healed

and compromises to be made to ensure

the great American experiment continued.

Thanks to the leadership of George Washington

and his fellow delegates, the former colonies

were truly unified into one United States,

equipped with a representative government

that was both balanced and empowered to serve the people.

Now more than 200 years old,

the U.S. Constitution has endured to become

the world's oldest representative constitution

in existence today.

Born of compromise and enhanced through amendments,

the Constitution continues to be the democratic

bedrock of our more perfect union.

(grand music)

(dramatic music)