Creating a Constitution

Summary

In this video, Dan Harris explores the creation of the U.S. Constitution at the National Constitution Center. He discusses the challenges faced by the founding fathers in establishing a new form of government, the compromises made, and the significance of the Constitution. Harris emphasizes the human nature of the framers, their fears, and the remarkable outcome of their work, which has shaped the United States for centuries.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The founding fathers viewed the creation of the U.S. Constitution as an experiment in starting a new type of government, which was unprecedented at the time.
• ⚖️ The Constitution aimed to create a government not ruled by individuals but by institutions that would manage conflict through a system of checks and balances.
• 🌟 The founding fathers were not infallible; they were ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges, and their humanity is what makes their achievement remarkable.
• 📜 The Constitution was written during a crisis, reflecting the urgency to establish a stable government to prevent the country from failing.
• 🔒 The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, was deemed a failure due to its inability to create a unified nation and effectively govern.
• 🤝 The Constitutional Convention was initially called to amend the Articles of Confederation, but it ultimately led to the creation of an entirely new constitution.
• 🗣️ The debate over representation in Congress was a critical point, leading to the Great Compromise which established a bicameral legislature with proportional and equal state representation.
• 🔢 The Three-Fifths Compromise was a significant, though morally complex, concession made to secure the Constitution's passage, reflecting the practical and political realities of the time.
• 🏆 The Constitution did not initially include a Bill of Rights, which was added later to address concerns about individual liberties and to secure ratification.
• 🛠️ The framers intentionally designed the Constitution to be amendable, acknowledging its imperfections and the need for future adjustments to adapt to a changing nation.

Q & A

What was the primary concern of the founding fathers when drafting the Constitution?

The founding fathers were primarily concerned with creating a government that could manage conflict, prevent the concentration of power, and ensure that the people would accept the outcomes of the government's decisions.

Why did the founding fathers believe that a government run by the people was a risky experiment?

They believed it was risky because history had shown that people are messy, have their own interests, and tend to disagree, leading to conflicts. Traditionally, rulers or kings used armies to control the people, but the founding fathers wanted a constitution that allowed for conflict and resolution through institutions.

How did the founding fathers view the concept of a government run by the people?

The founding fathers viewed a government run by the people as an old idea that had never quite worked. They believed that it was essential to create institutions that would allow for conflict to occur and be dealt with, and that people would accept the outcomes.

What was the significance of George Washington's presence at the Constitutional Convention?

George Washington's presence was significant because he was a trusted figure who had demonstrated his commitment to the country by laying down power after the Revolutionary War. His leadership was crucial in uniting the delegates and ensuring the success of the convention.

Why did the framers of the Constitution decide to meet in secret during the Constitutional Convention?

The framers decided to meet in secret to allow for open and candid debate without external pressures or influence. They took a vow of secrecy to ensure that they could discuss freely and make decisions in the best interest of the country.

What was the main issue that led to the failure of the Articles of Confederation?

The main issue was that the Articles of Confederation did not bind the states together into one nation effectively. They failed to provide a strong central government, lacked power to tax, and could not protect the nation or its citizens effectively.

What was the compromise made regarding the structure of Congress known as?

The compromise made regarding the structure of Congress was known as the Great Compromise or Connecticut Compromise, which led to the creation of a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with equal representation for each state.

What was the 'three-fifths compromise' and why was it included in the Constitution?

The 'three-fifths compromise' was an agreement where enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of taxation and representation in the House of Representatives. It was included to balance the political power between the northern and southern states, as it gave the southern states a higher population count without granting full representation to enslaved people.

Why didn't the original Constitution include a Bill of Rights?

The original Constitution did not include a Bill of Rights because the framers believed that every state already had its own bill of rights, and they did not want to prolong the convention with debates over what should be included in a federal Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was added later as the first ten amendments to the Constitution.

How did the founding fathers view the potential longevity of the Constitution they created?

The founding fathers did not expect the Constitution to be perfect or to last indefinitely. They viewed it as a framework that could be amended and changed as needed, which is why they included Article 5 to allow for amendments.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Founding of the United States Constitution

Dan Harris introduces the creation of the U.S. Constitution at the National Constitution Center, emphasizing the experimental nature of establishing a government by the people. The historical context is set, highlighting the lack of precedent for such a government and the skepticism it faced. The founding fathers' belief in a constitution that allows for conflict and resolution is discussed, as is the crisis that led to the Constitution's drafting. The narrative challenges the mythologized view of the founding fathers, presenting them as ordinary men facing extraordinary challenges.

05:01

📜 The Articles of Confederation and Its Failures

This section delves into the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation, which failed to unite the states under a strong central government. The lack of a national power structure and taxation authority led to economic and security issues. Shay's Rebellion is highlighted as a pivotal event that underscored the need for a more effective government. The challenges faced during the Constitutional Convention are explored, including the contentious debate over state sovereignty versus a unified national government, and the critical role of George Washington in the process.

10:02

🤝 The Great Compromise and Structure of Government

The paragraph discusses the formation of the U.S. government's structure with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The intention behind this separation of powers was to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful. The Electoral College is introduced as a compromise for electing the president. The debate over representation in Congress, leading to the Great Compromise and the creation of a bicameral legislature, is detailed. The three-fifths compromise regarding the counting of slaves for representation and taxation is also covered, illustrating the political and moral compromises made during the Constitution's drafting.

15:02

🗳️ The Debate Over State and Individual Rights

This section focuses on the tension between state sovereignty and individual rights during the Constitutional Convention. The threat of smaller states walking out and the potential for alliances with foreign countries is mentioned. The bicameral legislature is presented as a solution, with the House of Representatives having proportional representation and the Senate ensuring equal representation for all states. The three-fifths compromise is further discussed, revealing the practical and political considerations that influenced the Constitution's drafting. The framers' limited view of political rights and the necessity of compromise for the Constitution's ratification are highlighted.

20:04

🎉 The Legacy and Adaptability of the Constitution

The final paragraph reflects on the Constitution's legacy and its ability to adapt over time. It notes the absence of a Bill of Rights in the original Constitution and the eventual addition of the first ten amendments. The framers' understanding of the Constitution's imperfections and their intention to allow for amendments is emphasized. The paragraph concludes by celebrating the Constitution as a framework that enables the United States to uphold its founding principles and evolve as a nation.

Keywords

💡Constitution

The Constitution refers to the fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. In the context of the video, it specifically refers to the U.S. Constitution, which was drafted in 1787 to replace the Articles of Confederation. The video discusses the creation of this Constitution as a response to the perceived inadequacies of the Articles, aiming to establish a stronger federal government. The Constitution is central to the video's theme, illustrating the founders' efforts to balance power and create a government that could endure.

💡Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution of the United States, which served as a set of rules for governance among the states. The video highlights that these Articles were deemed a failure because they did not create a strong central government, leading to issues like the inability to tax, protect citizens, or maintain a unified foreign policy. The discussion of the Articles sets the stage for the narrative of why the U.S. Constitution was necessary.

💡Federal Government

A federal government is a political system in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units. The video emphasizes the struggle to create a federal government that was strong enough to govern effectively but not so strong that it would infringe upon states' rights or individual liberties. The framers' debates over the structure of the government, particularly the balance between federal and state powers, are a key part of the video's exploration of the Constitution's creation.

💡Separation of Powers

Separation of powers is a model for the governance of a state, wherein the powers of government are divided into distinct branches. The video explains that the framers of the Constitution established three branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial—to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. This concept is integral to understanding the checks and balances that are a hallmark of the U.S. Constitution and the video's discussion of the framers' intent to prevent tyranny.

💡Compromise

In the context of the video, compromise refers to the agreements made during the Constitutional Convention to reconcile differing views among the delegates. Notable compromises discussed include the Great Compromise (or Connecticut Compromise), which created a bicameral legislature, and the Three-Fifths Compromise, which addressed the issue of how enslaved individuals would be counted for representation and taxation. These compromises were necessary for the Constitution's eventual ratification and illustrate the practical and political considerations that shaped the document.

💡Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights refers to the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which保障了公民的一系列基本权利. The video notes that these rights, including freedom of speech and religion, were not originally part of the Constitution but were added later. The decision to include a Bill of Rights was a subject of debate among the framers, and the video uses this to highlight the practical challenges and political negotiations involved in the Constitution's creation.

💡Shay's Rebellion

Shay's Rebellion was an armed uprising in Massachusetts in 1786 and 1787, which the video uses as a pivotal event that highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The rebellion underscored the need for a stronger central government that could maintain law and order, thus providing a compelling argument for the drafting of a new Constitution.

💡Electoral College

The Electoral College is a process established by the U.S. Constitution for the selection of the president and vice president. The video discusses the creation of the Electoral College as a compromise to decide the method of presidential election, balancing the interests of larger and smaller states. It demonstrates the framers' efforts to create a system that would be fair and representative while also addressing the concerns of different states.

💡James Madison

James Madison, often referred to as the 'Father of the Constitution,' was a key figure in the drafting of the Constitution. The video mentions Madison's significant role in shaping the document, including his advocacy for a strong national government and his strategic approach to the convention. Madison's contributions are central to understanding the development of the Constitution and the video's portrayal of the drafting process.

💡George Washington

George Washington, the first President of the United States, is depicted in the video as a unifying figure whose presence was crucial to the success of the Constitutional Convention. Washington's leadership and reputation for integrity were essential in fostering cooperation among the delegates and ensuring the legitimacy of the Constitution. His role is emphasized to illustrate the importance of leadership in the founding of the nation.

💡Three-Fifths Compromise

The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement between Southern and Northern states during the Constitutional Convention that counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for purposes of taxation and representation. The video discusses this compromise as a difficult but necessary concession to achieve consensus among the states, reflecting the moral and political complexities of the time and the practical challenges faced by the framers.

Highlights

The founding of the United States was an experiment in creating a new type of government.

The Constitution was written during a time of crisis, with the understanding that failure would mean the failure of the country.

The founding fathers believed in a government run by the people, not by rulers, which was a radical idea at the time.

The Constitution aimed to create institutions that would allow for conflict and ensure its resolution.

The founding fathers were ordinary men who faced real challenges, not demigods or larger-than-life figures.

The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, was a failure.

Shay's Rebellion highlighted the need for a stronger central government to maintain law and order.

The Constitutional Convention was initially called to amend the Articles of Confederation, but it led to the creation of an entirely new constitution.

The convention operated in secret to allow for open and candid debate among the attendees.

The Constitution established a central government with three separate branches to keep each other in check.

The Electoral College was created as a compromise for the election of the president.

The bicameral legislature was a compromise between large and small states for representation in Congress.

The three-fifths compromise was a controversial decision that counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation purposes.

The Constitution did not initially include a Bill of Rights, which was added later through the first ten amendments.

The Constitution is not perfect and was never intended to be; it allows for amendments to address unresolved issues.

The Constitution's framework allows for the creation of the kind of world the people want to live in.

The Constitution has endured beyond the expectations of the founding fathers, still guiding the United States in the 21st century.

Transcripts

I'm Dan Harris in signers Hall at the

National Constitution Center in

Philadelphia we hardly think of it this

way today but to these men this was an

experiment starting a new type of

government for a new country they were

going to call the United States of

America not only was there no guarantee

that it would work but history pretty

much told them it wouldn't and their de

nations were run by rulers not rules

kings and emperors told everyone else

what to do a government run by the

people themselves that was an old idea

but it had never quite worked people

fight with each other

it's human nature people are messy they

have their own interests and they

disagree all rulers knew that it took

armies to keep the people under control

but these men believed it took a

constitution that they could create

institutions that would let conflict

occur deal with it and that people would

accept the outcome that's what they

believed and in the spring of 1787 it

was time to deliver but they weren't

sure that they could the Constitution

was written in a time of crisis they

knew that if they failed at that moment

their country would fail they responded

by starting a nation in one room with

just a handful of ideas and a small

group of men I do solemnly swear that I

will faithfully execute the office of

President of the United States films

like this really kind of missed the

point

protect and defend the Constitution of

the United States oh boy they play right

into the myth a lot of the image that we

have of the founding fathers comes in

part from 19th century historians who

actually wrote that god handed down the

Constitution Thomas Jefferson was a

founding father he was the one who wrote

the Declaration of Independence he

called the men who wrote the

Constitution demigods so what did that

make him they're the closest thing we

have to the Greek gods or or royalty and

so they've been transformed into

larger-than-life figures for 200 years

we've written books about them we passed

them in bronze carved them from marble

dr. Benjamin Franklin we've made awful

educational films about them and you

James Madison our children's children

will remember you and the average school

child in America is taught to speak of

these men and kind of hushed whispers

they were all heroic figures who are

going to be whisked directly up to

heaven in fact everyday visitors to the

nation's capital can walk into the heart

of the rotunda look up to the ceiling of

the dome and see a painting called the

apotheosis of Washington in other words

George Washington becoming a god these

were real men who faced real challenges

they knew they weren't gods gods have

special powers that men don't and they

didn't trust any man who wanted the

power of a god or say a king many of

them would blush or be embarrassed by

the way we look up to them now some of

them want anyway we should admire them

not because they're superhuman not

because they're Superman but because

they're ordinary people that's what

makes the real story so much more

remarkable

than the myth okay for the record Ben

Franklin thought the Constitution would

last oh about 10 years Franklin and some

of these men were actually brilliant but

they really didn't know what they were

getting themselves into point was they

were trying to get out of a long

seemingly endless cycle of conflict

let's go back for a minute

I'll make this quick 150 years before

the Constitution we were separate

colonies of Britain we ruled as the king

saw fit and could throw us in jail make

us pay unfair taxes take our land his

word was last word I caused some

conflict in 1776 Thomas Jefferson and 55

other men risked their lives by signing

the Declaration of Independence telling

Britain in the world that they weren't

going to obey the king anymore we fought

a war to win our independence and

started our own government in 1781 the

Articles of Confederation and the

Articles of Confederation turned out to

be a recipe for more conflict the first

constitution of the United States was a

failure the Articles of Confederation

really did not bind the new states

together into one nation the Articles of

Confederation were actually called a

League of friendship what kind of a

nation calls itself a League of

friendship remember that the colonists

were revolting against England they were

revolting against a monarchy and they

were revolting against a parliament that

had total power but they wanted to do

was to prevent anybody or any group of

people in the institution in this

country from having that kind of power

over their lives

you had groups of people who had existed

for a fairly long time and identified

themselves as Virginians or as people

from Maryland who prefer Massachusetts

North Carolina where the wonders never

cease

Bella where it's good being first they

want what later would be called states

rights state sovereignty the state saw

themselves as essentially sovereign

nations that had kind of agreed to kind

of maybe work together maybe kind of

sorta and things fall apart so quickly

that it's really kind of dazzling one of

the biggest if not the biggest problems

that there was no power of taxation

under the Articles of Confederation the

national government was flat broke it

couldn't afford to protect ships on the

Atlantic from Pirates and it couldn't

protect citizens on the western borders

either each state printed its own money

even more dramatically New York State

which has a great court of New York City

is charged in Connecticut in New Jersey

and arm and leg for everything that

comes into their port and so Connecticut

in New Jersey are meeting to plan a

United military attack on New York but

the breaking point for the Articles of

Confederation came when veterans of the

Revolutionary War mostly farmers staged

a revolt against the state of

Massachusetts and in this scene against

the basic principles of acting we're

here to get justice Daniel Shays you are

in contempt of court I will see you

jailed for this oh no you're not gonna

judge me or any other man in this county

go to join this Court I will clear you

out Shay's rebellion sends fear through

every state what it represents is a

breakdown of law and order and all their

rhetoric is the rhetoric of the

revolution this is a tyrannical

government this is a government that's

not looking out the interests of the

people when Washington hears about

Shay's rebellion I think for him this is

the low point of the whole Confederation

period General Washington another such

outbreak exists Massachusetts affair and

we shall have an arc he said it's a

triumph for our enemies that we are

incapable of governing ourselves we

can't even win the loyalty of our own

citizens something has to be done but

what everyone knew this government

needed to be fixed but the big

question was how a convention was called

in Philadelphia to fix the Articles

Confederation

but just look around this room these

were the people who were coming to fix

this mess just months before this state

was going to war with this state

delaware came in saying they'd leave

before they gave up any power this

delegation was arguing with itself over

whether or not to commit to a stronger

central government and him he was drunk

only james madison of virginia came with

a clear plan madison was a brilliant

strategist but he wasn't popular enough

to get all these men to follow him poor

James Madison he arrives nobody even

notices him they think he's a minister

he wakes up one morning and he his

church bells ringing and crowds cheering

and he knows right away he says

Washington has arrived George Washington

was the indispensable person when it

came to 1787 he's the only person

everyone in America has heard of there's

no CNN there's no Nightly News he was

famous throughout the world and he

defeated the most powerful nation in the

world

you know Great Britain a French hadn't

been able to do it in hundreds of years

and then instead of seizing power he

laid down power and went home and was a

farmer this was incredible he could be

trusted because people knew he was not

interested interested in wielding or

gaining any kind of absolute power that

he had the best interests of the country

at heart

Washington fought to establish a

republic and here he was less than four

years after the war trying to save it

right away they take care of the easy

stuff the convention unanimously chooses

Washington to preside after that

everything they talked about could have

brought them big big trouble you know

the interesting thing about the

Constitution's drafting is that wasn't

authorized illegal is too strong a word

but what they were doing was not

permitted under the Articles of

Confederation itself these people had no

authority under the previous system of

government to do what they were doing

not supposed to be a constant

additional convention this is a tweaking

convention was it supposed to come for

the new constitution out was supposed to

amend it the third day of the convention

Edmund Randolph gets up and he says

Virginia thinks we should throw out the

Articles of Confederation and write a

new constitution so on the third day of

a convention called to make

recommendations to amend the Articles of

Confederation they overthrow the

government this was it the moment of

truth these 55 men were either going to

save the nation where they had just

destroyed it there was no turning back

they decided in order to accomplish this

mission they had to meet in secret they

really want to have an open and candid

debate they take a vow of secrecy you're

not supposed to say anything to anybody

and they all obey the rule and they pay

for it every day

they literally lock themselves in this

room you've seen the paintings long hair

wigs the northerners are wearing wool

Philadelphia is having a bad summer I

grew up in Philadelphia and is

oppressively hot and humid it pours

every day and there is an invasion of

great big bottleneck flies and so people

can't even open their shutters and

they're in a cooped up room of no

air-conditioning the group buys

Madison's idea and it basically goes

like this a central government with

three separate branches a legislature

which was most important to these men an

executive to do what the legislature

wanted and a judiciary and here's why

the three branches of government should

keep each other in check

no one branch should become too powerful

kind of like a giant very elaborate game

of Paper Scissors rock see look the

president can't go to war unless

Congress declares it Congress can't

create a law unless the president signs

it a president can appoint a judge

unless

this confirms that nominee and then the

judge would surf a life and could one

day strike down a law that both the

President and Congress passed if that

law violated the Constitution sounds

difficult a little complicated

good that's just the way they wanted it

the thing you notice most about the

Constitution in reading it is the keen

awareness that concentrated power is

dangerous it is almost as if the whole

thing was written to make making laws

difficult they expected legislators and

congressmen to try to expand their

powers and expect the President to try

to expand his powers expected the course

try expand their jurisdiction but by

placing them in tension with each other

they thought they would block each

other's overly ambitious actions these

men are anxious each and every one of

them believes that powerful governments

are dangerous so they want to create

something that in a sense they're afraid

of and that double irony of this is that

the very people they don't trust with

power is themselves because they are

going to be the leaders of that

government they start with the executive

branch and can't decide if it should be

a committee or just an individuals all

that power might be too tempting for one

person you might try to take over and

become a dictator or a king or worse and

they can't decide how the president

should be elected to the people vote

form directly or should each state

choosen near the end of the convention

someone comes up with a compromise

called the electoral college in the

electoral college voters choose a slate

of representatives who then never mind

ask your teacher they move on to the

discussion of Congress and this is when

it gets serious the larger states wanted

representation based upon population and

the smaller states wanted equal

representation by state okay

proportional representation

let's say Delaware's got 1 million

people and Virginia's got 10 million

suppose we give each state a vote in

Congress for each million Virginia is

fat and happy with 10 votes

Delaware's got one bigger states rule

they would have a much bigger voice in

the national government Madison wanted

this because he thought a true national

government should be elected by the

people and that states well we tried

that with the Articles of Confederation

remember County the people from the

small states go beserk Maryland will

never give up her freedom nor will

Connecticut mr. Martin my state will

never stand by to see Pennsylvania and

Virginia rule the country

neither will New Jersey they were so far

apart no know that some of the

representatives including one of the

ones from Delaware threatened to walk

out and even threaten that some of the

smallest states would make alliances

with foreign countries but it's not just

large state small state this is the

moment of truth are the states going to

have as States a house a a platform in

the government where their sovereignty

is recognized or is this government

going to be a government of the

individual people is it going to be the

United States of America or the United

States of America even the men who

believed in a strong national government

knew they had to give him a little right

now if they said any chance of working

one of the supporters of the nationalist

camp comes up to James Madison and says

Corner 'some and says if you don't

compromise the small states are going to

walk out of this convention and you will

have destroyed the chance for the

country to survive this was it the whole

thing was on the line so the next day

Connecticut's Roger Sherman came back

with the idea of a bicameral legislature

which is a fancy way of saying two

houses in one Congress so now to go

along with the House of

there would be a Senate the house would

have proportional representation based

on population that made the nationalists

happy and the Senate was the compromise

there each state big and small would

have two representatives so Delaware we

get the same number of votes in the

Senate as Virginia

this made the federalist happy this is

all in article 1 and if you look closely

you'll see another big compromise right

here three fifths of all other persons

probably the biggest consideration

regarding slavery in the Constitution is

what's known as the three-fifths

compromise other persons was a code that

everyone in the room understood it meant

slaves and slaves were counted as

three-fifths of a person to the framers

this wasn't a direct statement about a

person's value as a human being

equality the end of slavery they weren't

there to talk about that this was all

about the power some states would have

in the new Congress if slaves were

counted even though they were slaves

then southern states would get more

representatives in the house northerners

didn't want slaves to count as whole

persons because then the southern states

would have more power half or more of

the population in many of those southern

states were slaves so it means the more

slaves a state has the more political

power it has so on Philadelphia the

founders decided that almost everyone in

the population would be counted but not

everyone counted would have rights or

could even vote the framers of the

Constitution the leaders of the

revolution had a very limited idea about

who was entitled to political rights

they did not believe in democracy they

did not believe that every man should

have the vote they certainly didn't

believe that women should have the vote

they didn't believe that

african-americans should have the vote

to have a vote in the 18th century he

had to have what they called a stake in

society it is you had to have property

because it was their theory that you

would make irresponsible decisions if

you didn't have anything to lose they

didn't get things something's right I

mean clearly we now realize if they and

many framers then realize a slavery was

evil he should not be protected by a

legal system

at the same time it showed that they had

to make compromises to get the

Constitution through if the Constitution

actually prohibited slavery in 1788 and

79 ever would have been ratified by the

southern states and we would not have

had a constitution at all so you can

also see saw the practical aspect of

people willing to make compromises

sometimes against the principles they

believed in they were making it up as it

along and they were making compromises

for purely political reasons to get an

agreement they didn't believe for a

moment it was an ideal Constitution it

was simply the best one they could get

in the circumstances the story of the

Constitution is too often told without

acknowledging its problems not all the

compromises made in Philadelphia worked

out as brilliant as it was the

constitution written in 1787 left

slavery and state sovereignty unresolved

and seventy years later these

compromises led to the greatest

constitutional crisis the United States

has ever seen the Civil War to me it's

important to realize that the

Constitution is not perfect and it was

never intended to be perfect the framers

themselves did not think it was perfect

so they made it possible to change it

that's why they wrote article 5

amendments they knew they hadn't solved

every issue and it was one problem with

their constitution they'd have to fix

almost as soon as the ink dried why

didn't the framers at the Philadelphia

Convention add a bill of rights to the

Constitution to us it would seem obvious

your freedom of speech freedom of

religion freedom the press we won and in

there you have to understand every state

had a bill of rights virtually every

state had very carefully spelled out

Bill of Rights the guys wanted to go

home that's just the plain fact of it

and when someone said should we have a

Bill of Rights

everyone moaned because they thought by

time we all argue of what should be in

it and how many clauses will be here

another month the Bill of Rights are the

first ten amendments and they weren't

part of the original Constitution

the first Congress wrote the bill of

rights and it was ratified two years

later finally it was time to go home

they had created a constitution it would

last beyond the wildest dreams quite

certain not one of them would have

imagined that in the early part of the

21st century we would still be operating

under their constitution it would be as

if you started a club with a bunch of

friends in 2001 and someone said to you

what's the probability it'll be in

existence in 20 to 25 and so we have the

legends the coins the statues they're

all part of the myth now but their words

tell the better story

they weren't gods and they knew they

weren't perfect but they were pretty

good these are men who are remarkable

largely because they were ordinary human

beings facing a major crisis who did

something that turned out really quite

well they were in a new world they were

away from all the old forms of

government what they were saying is we

have an opportunity to create the right

kind of government what should that

government beam they created a framework

that is extraordinary in that it allows

us to set in motion the kind of world we

want to create for ourselves each year

we have our parades and our fireworks on

July 4th because our founding principles

were first announced to the world with

the Declaration of Independence

but it's the Constitution that allows us

to live by those principles every day