America's Founding Fathers
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Episodes
- S1 E1 - George Washington's Doubts
March 30, 201731minCould the American experiment succeed? George Washington, one of the most iconic Founders, had strong doubts. After explaining the importance of getting a well-rounded understanding of the Founders, Professor Guelzo explores Washington's fears about post-Revolutionary America and his concerns about how people could administer their own affairs. #HistoryFree trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E2 - Thomas Mifflin's Congress
March 30, 201726minBefore the ratification of the Constitution, there were presidents not of the United States but of the Congress created by the Articles of Confederation. As you'll discover, the failures of one president, Thomas Mifflin, offer a window into the potent problems facing the United States of America in 1783.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E3 - Robert Morris's Money
March 30, 201728minMoney issues abounded in the new United States. Why was the abundance of land (and the lack of hard coin) such a problem? What compelled states to print so much of their own unsecure paper money? How did Robert Morris attempt to restore the links between commerce, agriculture, and government finances?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E4 - Benjamin Franklin's Leather Apron
March 30, 201727minNo one in the 1780s defined the idea of an "American" as much as Benjamin Franklin. Here, explore the many roles Franklin played in the formative years of the republic: as independent printer, public "gentleman," nobleman of nature, and tradesman cynical of the wealthy and powerful.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E5 - Thomas Jefferson's Books
March 30, 201731minExplore how books by Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and Adam Smith influenced Thomas Jefferson's political philosophy. Also, consider Jefferson's fierce critiques of religion and commerce, and the ways he nevertheless betrayed (as a large-scale slave owner) the Enlightenment principles he held so dear.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E6 - Daniel Shays's Misbehavior
March 30, 201727minShays's Rebellion would spark unease not just about tax increases and their impact on landowners but on the entire Confederation. As you follow this dramatic insurgency and its fascinating leader, you'll learn how Shays's Rebellion prompted many to consider a strong government as essential to liberty and property.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E7 - Alexander Hamilton's Republic
March 30, 201729minProfessor Guelzo takes you inside Alexander Hamilton's views about the American Republic: the fictions of hierarchy and aristocracy; the voluntary compact between rulers and ruled; the division of power into small packets; and his suspicions of the behavior of the Confederation Congress.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E8 - James Madison's Conference
March 30, 201727minHow did James Madison become the prime mover of the United States Constitution? The key, it turns out, is a 1786 conference he organized between several states. Originally intended to discuss commercial regulations, the assembly would transform into a deliberation over how to put the Confederation out of business.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E9 - Patrick Henry's Religion
March 30, 201730minCome to see Patrick Henry in a new light: as the most self-contradictory (and most often defeated) Founder. Topics include the influence on Henry of the Reverend Samuel Davies, how the Awakeners shaped his brilliant oratorical skills, the public funding of Christianity, and his unremarkable accomplishments as governor of Virginia.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E10 - James Madison's Vices
March 30, 201732minIn a private study, James Madison detailed what he called "the vices of the political system of the United States." Here, explore these vices, including state failure to comply with constitutional requisitions and the provincial nature of state legislatures. Also, examine his most important suggestions for a new frame of government.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E11 - Edmund Randolph's Plan
March 30, 201729minGo inside the start of the Constitutional Convention, where you'll learn how and why the Founders assembled to craft a new, improved system of government. Central to this was the plan set out by Edmund Randolph, which aimed at stopping a jealous Congress or greedy state legislatures from destroying it.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E12 - William Paterson's Dissent
March 30, 201730minOne speech by William Paterson, a member of the New Jersey delegation, halted the Randolph Plan from sailing smoothly to adoption. What were Paterson's arguments? Why did he support a simple amendment to the Articles of Confederation instead of a rewrite? What did his alternative plan look like?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E13 - Roger Sherman's Compromise
March 30, 201730minTurn to a moment of great exhaustion at the Constitutional Convention: a deadlock between the New Jersey and Virginia plans for a national government. Roger Sherman's compromise of two branches of government (one equal, one proportional) would play an important role in moving the debate forward.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E14 - Elbridge Gerry's Committee
March 30, 201729minDiscover how the report by the Convention's Grand Committee, chaired by Elbridge Gerry, ended the first great battle over the US Constitution. As you'll find out, it settled for good what the American Congress would look like, but it also raised an issue that would soon dominate the debates: slavery.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E15 - James Wilson's Executive
March 30, 201730minTurn now to the next great issue facing the Convention: the shape of the new national executive. After pondering some of the concerns and fears the delegates had about executive power, you'll focus on James Wilson's argument for the need of an executive chosen not by Congress but by national election.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E16 - John Rutledge's Committee
March 30, 201729minJohn Rutledge's Committee of Detail answered the call to help answer unresolved questions about the role of the national executive. Here, learn how "Dictator John" helped develop a working document that included a number of features now seen as the cornerstone of American constitutionalism.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E17 - Rufus King's Slaves
March 30, 201730minIt was Rufus King who, at the debates, questioned the admission of slaves into the rule of representation. First, explore the dissonance between liberty and slavery in the new United States. Then, come to see how Rufus King predicted the angry tiger slavery would become in America.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E18 - David Brearley's Postponed Parts
March 30, 201731minThe Committee on Postponed Parts, headed by David Brearley, was the Convention's most effective committee. Its business, as you'll learn, was to reconcile demands about the shape of the new national president. You'll also learn about the Committee on Style, whose sole task was to wordsmith the Convention's agreements into a single document.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E19 - John Dunlap and David Claypoole's Broadside
March 30, 201731minOne day after the Constitutional Convention ended, the document was printed in 500 copies by John Dunlap and David Claypoole and shared with the general public. What happened next? How did George Washington use a cover letter to mitigate shock? How did the Founders brace themselves for the inevitable state conventions?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E20 - Alexander Hamilton's Papers
March 30, 201730minChief Justice John Marshall would call the Federalist Papers the "complete commentary on our constitution." Here, Professor Guelzo explains the daring act of aggression these landmark political writings were, and outlines the six themes Hamilton (under the pseudonym "Publius") believed would demonstrate the indispensability of the new constitution.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E21 - Patrick Henry's Convention
March 30, 201730minThe fate of the new constitution depended on the state ratifying conventions. And because Virginia's consent was necessary to make the overall ratification process work, neutralizing Patrick Henry was the Federalists' most important task. Go inside the battleground of the ratifying convention at Richmond on June 2, 1788.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E22 - George Washington's Inaugural
March 30, 201731minFirst, examine hurdles to electing George Washington as the first president of the United States. Then, follow the story of how the Constitution finally got its Bill of Rights, and how this task was undertaken by the one man who most vehemently opposed such a bill: James Madison.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E23 - Alexander Hamilton's Reports
March 30, 201732minAs the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton had the responsibility of handling the new nation's foreign, state, and domestic debts. In this episode, learn how Hamilton saw debt not as a problem but an asset, and discover how he argued for the establishment of a national bank.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E24 - Thomas Jefferson's Party
March 30, 201729minIn the past, Thomas Jefferson denounced political parties. Now, after the ratification of the Constitution, he began to form the nation's first political party. Discover how he did this by assembling allies, appealing to selected individuals to run for Congress, and playing for control of the media.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy - S1 E25 - Willian Findley's Whiskey
March 30, 201730minWhiskey, on the frontier of the early Republic, was a major business. So when the national government proposed an excise tax on whiskey, it led to the Whiskey Rebellion. Go back to the summer of 1794 and meet William Findley, a self-styled republican who saw Republican societies as vehicles for political strategy.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
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Bonus
In collaboration with Smithsonian, The Great Courses presents a deep dive into the creation of the US Constitution as it actually happened. Using the Founding Fathers as a lens through which to examine the early political history of the United States, you’ll better understand both the document under which Americans live and the people who brought it into being.
In collaboration with Smithsonian, The Great Courses presents a deep dive into the creation of the US Constitution as it actually happened. Using the Founding Fathers as a lens through which to examine the early political history of the United States, you’ll better understand both the document under which Americans live and the people who brought it into being.
In collaboration with Smithsonian, The Great Courses presents a deep dive into the creation of the US Constitution as it actually happened. Using the Founding Fathers as a lens through which to examine the early political history of the United States, you’ll better understand both the document under which Americans live and the people who brought it into being.
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- Audio languages
- English
- Subtitles
- English [CC]
- Producers
- The Great Courses
- Cast
- Allen Guelzo
- Studio
- The Great Courses
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