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On September 17, 1787, the members of the Constitutional Convention concluded their work by signing the final draft of their new proposed government. The document they signed was the United States Constitution, which is why the United States marks Constitution Day each year on September 17. In honor of Constitution Day, we explore the life of a Founder who played a large role in the creation and shaping of the United States Constitution: James Wilson. Michael H. Taylor, Professor of United States History and Political Science at Northeast Community College and author of James Wilson: The Anxious Founder, joins us to investigate the life of James Wilson, who stands as one of the United States' overlooked founders. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/366 Sponsor Links Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Factor Meals Save 50 percent by using code benfranklin50 Complementary Episodes Episode 055: Robb Haberman, John Jay: Forgotten Founder Episode 094: Cassandra Good, Founding Friendships Episode 107: Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison's Hand Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 153: Committees and Congresses: Governments of the American Revolution Episode 212: Researching Biography Episode 258: Jane Calvert, “John Dickinson Life, Religion, & Politics” Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Amazon Music Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin's World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter
Can Congress take away SCOTUS jurisdiction? Can states defy SCOTUS? Has SCOTUS lost its power and prestige? Is SCOTUS a political institution? Do its holdings bend to popular culture? Can universities consider race in their admissions process? No, they cannot... because the U.S. Supreme Court said so on Thursday, June 29th. Can a web designer refuse to provide services for same-sex marriages based on her First Amendment rights? Yes, she can... because the U.S. Supreme Court said so on Friday, June 30th. Can a web designer refuse to provide services for same-sex marriages based on her First Amendment rights? Yes, she can... because the U.S. Supreme Court said so on Friday, June 30th. But where does the Supreme Court get its power? And where does it get its prestige? And are the Supreme Court's power and prestige eroding? Now that everything is so polarized! Now that serious allegations of ethical misconduct have been raised about Justice Clarence Thomas, and to much lesser extent regarding Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Neil Gorsuch! To better understand this history, the history of the US Supreme Court's prestige and power, and to better understand its politics, as in, is the highest court in the land inherently a political institution? And whether or not it bends to America's popular sentiments? I spoke with Dr. Michael Klarman, who digs deeps into centuries past, going back to the Court's early years, to answer these important questions in the historical context with vivid examples and familiar stories that you thought you knew but I bet you may be surprised to learn otherwise now. I know I was surprised many times by what I learned during this conversation. For example, did you know that the U.S. Congress can take away the Supreme Court's jurisdiction on a case pending before it? A 'wow" is warranted here, right? What about separation of powers? What about our systems of checks and balances? Dr. Klarman is the Charles Warren Professor of Legal History at Harvard Law School. He has won numerous awards for his teaching and scholarship, which are primarily in the areas of Constitutional Law and Constitutional History. In 2009 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. In 2020, he authored the Foreword to the Harvard Law Review's annual Supreme Court issue, which is titled “The Degradation of American Democracy—and the Court.” He is author of many books, including this one: The Framers' Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution, a book that was a finalist for the George Washington Book Prize. To learn more about Dr. Klarman, you can visit his academic homepage. Also, you should definitely check out my conversation with Dr. Gideon Rahat of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem about Israel's Supreme Court and Mr. Netanyahu's attempts to reform his country's judiciary. Dr. Rahat is a Senior Fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, and he draws important distinctions between Israel's democracy and ours. He talks about how integral Israel's Supreme Court is to that country's democracy because it's the only check on Israel's government. I hope you enjoy these episodes. Adel Host of the History Behind News podcast SUPPORT: Click here and join our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.
On September 17, 1789, thirty-nine delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constitution and submitted it to the states for ratification. In honor of Constitution Day, we join three historians from the Senate Historical Office to investigate Article 1 of the Constitution and its creation of the United States Senate. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/338 Join Ben Franklin's World! Subscribe and help us bring history right to your ears! Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute Colonial Williamsburg Foundation The Ben Franklin's World Shop Complementary Episodes Episode 040: Kathleen Bartoloni-Tuazon, For Fear of an Elective King Episode 078: Rachel Shelden: Washington Brotherhood Episode 107: Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison's Hand Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 153: Committees & Congresses: Governments of the American Revolution Episode 202: An Early History of the United States Congress Episode 279: Lindsay Chervinsky, The Cabinet Episode 285: Elections and Voting in the Early Republic Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Amazon Music Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin's World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter
What has enabled the American experiment in democracy to endure for nearly 250 years? What is it about early American history that captivates peoples' attention and makes them want to support the creation of historical scholarship and the sharing of historical knowledge? David M. Rubenstein, the co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group and a great student and supporter of history and history education, joins us to explore his patriotic philanthropy and the history of American democracy with details from his book, The American Experiment: Dialogues on a Dream. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/315 Join Ben Franklin's World! Subscribe and help us bring history right to your ears! Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute Colonial Williamsburg Foundation The Ben Franklin's World Shop Complementary Episodes Episode 018: Danielle Allen, Our Declaration Episode 038: Carolyn Harris, Magna Carta & Its Gifts to North America Episode 078: Rachel Shelden, Washington Brotherhood Episode 107: Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison's Hand Episode 141: A Declaration in Draft Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 285: Elections and Voting in the Early Republic Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Amazon Music Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin's World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter
SCOTUS Finally Releases Trump's Taxes to the Manhattan DA | If the Democrats Don't Go Bold the GOP Will Control the Senate and Courts Into the Future | Iran Takes an American Hostage as Blinken Endorses the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State to State Relations backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia
Join us on this episode as we unpack the election with legal scholars Michael Klarman, Professor at Harvard Law School, and Amna Akbar, Professor at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Michael's forthcoming Harvard Law Review foreword outlines the threat President Donald Trump and the Republicans pose to democracy and how the Supreme Court has enabled them. Amna's response article outlines what she views as the key movements of our time, including defund the police, cancel rent, and others, that seek to deepen democratic participation.
Aaron Freiwald, Managing Partner of Freiwald Law and host of the weekly podcast, Good Law | Bad Law, is joined by Professor Michael Klarman, of Harvard Law, to discuss the notion of expanding the Supreme Court, the 2020 election and its potential outcomes, political history, and what Justice Barrett’s recent conformation could mean for our future. Aaron and Michael have a truly riveting conversation that covers many critical topics which may prove paramount to our country’s democratic future. We post this episode days after one of the most contentious and important election nights of our lifetime. In today’s episode, Aaron and Michael talk about entrenching democracy and how this is absolutely a moment of opportunity. Delving into all of the relevant topics of this week, Michael and Aaron touch on the electorate, the Constitution, geographic clustering, race, voter suppression and more. Michael explains why he believes it absolutely necessary to expand the Court, exploring both the arguments for and against this idea, as well as why in his opinion we as a society can’t afford not to. Aaron and Michael discuss the electoral college, the future of Roe v. Wade, the role of politics in the Supreme Court and the potential agenda of conservative Justices, court legitimacy, and the questions surrounding the future of our institutions’ norms. Is the system broken? Professor Klarman is the Kirkland & Ellis Professor at Harvard Law School. He received his B.A. and M.A. in political theory from the University of Pennsylvania, his J.D. from Sandford and his D. Phil. In legal history from the University of Oxford. After law school, Professor Klarman clerked for the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit before joining the faculty at the University of Virginia School of Law. He has won numerous awards for his teaching and scholarship, which are primarily in the areas of Constitutional Law and Constitutional History. In 2009 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Professor Klarman is also a published author; he is currently working on a revisionist history of the Founding. Listen now to learn more! To learn more about Professor Klarman and to find a list of his publications, please click here. To read Professor Klarman’s recent Q&A feature in the Harvard Gazette, please click here. Host: Aaron Freiwald Guests: Michael J. Klarman Follow Good Law | Bad Law: YouTube: Good Law | Bad Law Facebook: @GOODLAWBADLAW Instagram: @GoodLawBadLaw Website: https://www.law-podcast.com
For four months during the summer of 1787, delegates from the thirteen states met in Philadelphia to craft a revised Constitution that would define the government of the United States. It took them nearly the entire time to settle on the method for selecting the President, the Chief Executive. What they came up with is a system of indirect election where the states would select electors who would then cast votes for President and Vice President. Today we call these electors the Electoral College. In this final episode of our series on Elections in Early America, we explore the origins and early development of the Electoral College and how it shaped presidential elections in the first decades of the United States with Alexander Keyssar and Frank Cogliano. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/287 Join Ben Franklin's World! Subscribe and help us bring history right to your ears! Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute OI Reader Election Series Bibliography October 28, 2020 at 8pm eastern: Join Holly, Joe, and Liz LIVE in the Ben Franklin’s World Listener Community Production of this episode was made possible by a grant from the Roller-Bottimore Foundation of Richmond, Virginia Complementary Episodes Episode 040: Kathleen Bartoloni-Tuazon, For Fear of an Elective King Episode 107: Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison's Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention Episode 131: Frank Cogliano, Thomas Jefferson's Empire of Liberty Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 179: George Van Cleve, After the Revolution: Governance During the Critical Period Episode 193: Partisans: The Friendship & Rivalry of Adams & Jefferson Episode 279: Lindsay Chervinsky, The Cabinet: Creation of an American Institution Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter
The British North American colonies formed some of the most democratic governments in the world. But that doesn't mean that all early Americans were treated equally or allowed to participate in representative government. So who could vote in Early America? Who could participate in representative government? Historians James Kloppenberg, the Charles Warren Professor of History at Harvard University, and Amy Watson, an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, help us explore who democracy was meant for and how those who lived in colonial British America understood and practiced representative government. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/284 Join Ben Franklin's World! Subscribe and help us bring history right to your ears! Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute OI Reader Election Series Resource Guide The Ben Franklin's World Shop Complementary Episodes Episode 038: Carolyn Harris, Magna Carta Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 243: Joseph Adelman, Revolutionary Print Networks Episode 250: Virginia, 1619 Episode 255: Martha Jones, Birthright Citizens Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter
Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com
Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com
On Thursday, April 23, ACS finished its 2020 Student Convention Virtual Series with a discussion with Harvard Law professor Michael Klarman entitled “The Degradation of Democracy – and the Courts.” Featuring: Michael Klarman, Kirkland and Ellis Professor of Law, Harvard Law School ACS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization. It does not take positions on candidates, pending legislation, or judicial nominees.
What do you know about the Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution? Caitlin Galante-DeAngelis Hopkins, a Lecturer in the History Department at Harvard University and a former research associate for the Harvard and Slavery Project, joins us to explore the origins of the Eleventh Amendment and why the United States added it to its Constitution. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/272 Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute Ben Franklin’s World Virtual Reading Group The Ben Franklin's World Shop Complementary Episodes Episode 107: Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison’s Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 259: American Legal History & the Bill of Rights Episode 260: Creating the First Ten Amendments Episode 261: Creating the Fourth Amendment Episode 262: Interpreting the Fourth Amendment Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter
Michael Klarman is a historian at Harvard Law School and the author of "The Framers' Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution".
How and why did Congress draft the First Ten Amendments to the Constitution? In the United States, we use the Constitution and Bill of Rights to understand and define ourselves culturally. Americans are a people with laws and rights that are protected by the Constitution because they are defined in the Constitution. And the place where the Constitution defines and outlines our rights is within its First Ten Amendments, the Bill of Rights. In this second episode of our 4th Doing History series, we’re investigating how and why Congress drafted the First Ten Amendments to the Constitution. Our guide for this investigation is Kenneth Bowling, a member of the First Federal Congress Project and a co-editor of A Documentary History of the First Federal Congress. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/260 Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute Production of this episode was made possible by a grant from the Roller-Bottimore Foundation of Richmond, Virginia. Series Resources Joseph Adelman, "Articles of Amendment: Copying "The" Bill of Rights" Gautham Rao blog post: Friends in All the Right Places: The Newest Legal History Doing History 4 Legal Lexicon; or A Useful List of Terms You Might Not Know" "Doing History 4: Bibliography" Complementary Episodes Episode 141: A Declaration in Draft Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the U nited States Constitution Episode 151: Defining the American Revolution Episode 179: George Van Cleve, Governance During the Critical Period Episode 202: The Early History of the United States Congress Episode 259: American Legal History & the Bill of Rights Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter
Law is all around us. And the basis of American Law comes not only from our early American past, but from our founding documents. This episode begins our 4th Doing History series. Over the next four episodes, we’ll explore the early American origins of the Bill of Rights as well as the history of the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment will serve as our case study so we can see where our rights come from and how they developed from the early American past. In this episode we go inside the United States National Archives to investigate the Constitution and Bill of Rights. During our visit we’ll speak with Jessie Kratz, First Historian of the National Archives, and Mary Sarah Bilder, the Founders Professor of Law at Boston College, to better understand our founding documents and the laws they established. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/259 About the Series Law is all around us. The Doing History: Why the 4th? series uses the Bill of Rights and the Fourth Amendment as case studies to examine where our rights come from and how they developed out of early American knowledge and experiences. It also uses the history of the Bill of Rights and the Fourth Amendment to explore the history of law as a field of study and how this field of study differs from other historical subjects and how historians and lawyers use and view the history of the law differently. The Doing History series explores early American history and how historians work. It is part of Ben Franklin’s World, which is a production of the Omohundro Institute. Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute The Ben Franklin's World Shop Series Resources Gautham Rao blog post: "Friends in All the Right Places: The Newest Legal History" Jonathan Gienapp, “Constitutional Originalism and History” Doing History 4 Legal Lexicon; or A Useful List of Terms You Might Not Know" "Doing History 4: Bibliography" Complementary Episodes Episode 038: Carolyn Harris, Magna Carta & Its Gifts to North America Episode 062: Carol Berkin, The Bill of Rights Episode 107: Mary Sarah Bilder, Revising the Constitutional Convention Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 210: Considering John Marshall, Part 1 Episode 211: Considering John Marshall, Part 2 Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter
Who gets to be a citizen of the United States? How does the United States define who belongs to the nation? Early Americans asked and grappled with these questions during the earliest days of the early republic. Martha S. Jones is a Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University and a former public interest litigator. Using details from her book, Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America, Martha joins us to investigate how early Americans thought about citizenship and how they defined who could and couldn’t belong to the United States. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/255 Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute The Ben Franklin's World Shop Complementary Episodes Episode 076: Nathan Perl-Rosenthal, Becoming American in the Age of Revolution Episode 096: Nichoals Guyatt, The Origins of Racial Segregation in the United States Episode 142: Manisha Sinha, A History of Abolition Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 157: The Revolution’s African American Soldiers Episode 166: Freedom and the American Revolution Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter *Books purchased through the links on this post will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.
Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong
Why does our government work the way it does? Is it supposed to represents citizens, or states? We consider the origins of the U. S. Constitution, particularly the creation of the controversial bodies (Senate and Electoral College) that represent the public in skewed and disproportionate ways. We dispel the false notion that these bodies were created in order to protect small states, tracing instead the Framers' quest to tamp down the "excess of democracy" of the 1780s, wrest control over monetary policy away from the poor majority, and strike a careful balance between slave and non-slave states. Please support this podcast in order to keep the lectures coming and make them regular and dependable! -- https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632 Suggested further reading: Woody Holton, "Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution"; Charles Beard, "An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States"; Michael Klarman, "The Framers' Coup"; Max Edling, "A Revolution in Favor of Government," Robert Brown, "Charles Beard and the Constitution"; Irwin Polishook, "Rhode Island and the Union,"; Hillman Metcalf Bishop, "Why Rhode Island Opposed the Federal Constitution"; Gordon Wood, "Ideological Origins of the American Revolution" and "Creation of the American Republic"
On this bonus episode, we spoke with Professor Michael Klarman, author of the excellent book the Framer’s Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution, about how the Framers designed the Constitution to be less democratic than the existing state governments, how the Federalists managed to ratify the Constitution over strong opposition, the mistakes of the antifederalists, and whether we should mythologize the Constitution and its founders.
In the 21st century, we are all creators and users of content. We take original photos with our smartphones, generate blog posts, digital videos, and podcasts. Some of us write books and articles. And nearly everyone contributes content to social media. Given all of the information and content we generate and use, it’s really important for us to understand the principles of copyright and fair use, principles that have an early American past. Kyle Courtney, a lawyer, librarian, and Copyright Advisor for Harvard University, will serve as our guide through the early American origins of copyright and fair use. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/227 Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute William and Mary Quarterly OI Reader App with bonus content from episode Nora Slonimsky, “The Public Figure Exception(s): Finding Fair Use in the Vastness of Early American IP” Complementary Episodes Episode 062: Carol Berkin, The Bill of Rights Episode 107: Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison’s Hand Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 179: George Van Cleve, Governance During the Critical Period Episode 207: Nick Bunker, Young Benjamin Franklin Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this episode celebrates King’s life and work, his hopeful vision for America, and his fight to pass landmark civil rights laws and realize the promises of the Constitution. Civil rights and constitutional law experts Michael Klarman of Harvard Law and Theodore M. Shaw of UNC Law join guest host Lana Ulrich to explore King’s constitutional legacy. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this episode celebrates King’s life and work, his hopeful vision for America, and his fight to pass landmark civil rights laws and realize the promises of the Constitution. Civil rights and constitutional law experts Michael Klarman of Harvard Law and Theodore M. Shaw of UNC Law join guest host Lana Ulrich to explore King’s constitutional legacy. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.
For 34 years, John Marshall presided as the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. During his service, Marshal transformed the nation’s top court and its judicial branch into the powerful body and co-equal branch of government we know it as today. The Doing History: Biography series continues as Joel Richard Paul, a professor of law at the University of California, Hastings Law School and author of Without Precedent: Chief Justice John Marshall and His Times, joins us to explore the life of John Marshall and how he wrote his biography. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/210 Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute John Marshall Foundation John Marshall Papers (Use 01BFW to save 40 percent) OI Reader App for Bonus Content Complementary Episodes Episode 107: Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison’s Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention Episode 117: Annette Gordon-Reed: The Life and Ideas of Thomas Jefferson Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 179: After the Revolution: Governance During the Critical Period Episode 193: Partisans: The Friendship & Rivalry of Adams & Jefferson Episode 209: Considering Biography Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App *Books purchased through this link will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.
On this bonus episode, we spoke with Professor Michael Klarman, author of the excellent book the Framer’s Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution, about how the Framers designed the Constitution to be less democratic than the existing state governments, how the Federalists managed to ratify the Constitution over strong opposition, the mistakes of the antifederalists, and whether we should mythologize the Constitution and its founders.
Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com
Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com
A conversation with Harvard law professor Michael Klarman who argues that the creation of the United States Constitution was an act to stop the popular will of the people who were demanding debt and tax relief during an economic depression just after the revolutionary war. Guest: Michael J. Klarman, professor at Harvard Law School and author of The Framers' Coup: The Making of the U.S. Constitution. The post How the Framers Limited Democracy in the Constitution appeared first on KPFA.
The Confederation period is one of the most neglected aspects of United States History. And yet, it’s a very important period. Between 1781 and 1789, the Confederation Congress established by the Articles of Confederation had to deal with war, economic depression, infighting between the states, trouble in the west, foreign meddling, and domestic insurrection. It’s a critical period where no one knew whether the United States would survive as an independent nation. George William Van Cleve, a researcher in law and history at the University of Seattle Law School and author of We Have Not A Government: The Articles of Confederation and the Road to the Constitution, takes us into the Confederation period so we can discover more about the Articles of Confederation, the government it established, and the problems that government confronted. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/179 *Correction: After production we noticed that in her second question to George, Liz noted the Articles of Confederation has a history that begins in 1787. Liz misspoke. The Second Continental Congress drafted the Articles of Confederation in 1777, ratified them in 1781, and they remained the active constitution of the United States until 1789, when the Constitution of 1787 went into effect on March 4, 1789. Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute Georgian Papers Programme Citizen Transcriber Sign Up Complementary Episodes Episode 018: Danielle Allen, Our Declaration Episode 062: Carol Berkin, The Bill of Rights Episode 107: Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison’s Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention Episode 119: Steven Pincus: The Heart of the Declaration Episode 141: Drafting the Declaration of Independence Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 155: Pauline Maier’s American Revolution Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App *Books purchased through this link will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.
How much can the work of one historian impact how we view and study the American Revolution? We investigate the answer to this question by exploring the life and work of Pauline Maier, a historian who spent her life researching and investigating the American Revolution. Over the course of her lifetime, Maier wrote four important books about the American Revolution: From Resistance to Revolution, The Old Revolutionaries, American Scripture, and Ratification. Mary Beth Norton, Joanne Freeman, Todd Estes, and Lindsay Chervinsky join us as we journey through Maier’s body of work to better understand the American Revolution and how one historian can impact how we view and study history. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/155 Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute William and Mary Quarterly OI Reader App William and Mary Quarterly-Journal of the Early Republic joint issue on the American Revolution special discount Complementary Episodes Episode 007: Sara Georgini, John Adams and the Adams Papers Editorial Project Episode 031: Benjamin Franklin and the Papers of Benjamin Franklin Editorial Project Episode 074: Mary Wigge, Martha Washington Episode 098: Gautham Rao, Birth of the American Tax Man Episode 112: Mary Beth North, The Tea Crisis of 1773 Episode 123: Revolutionary Allegiances Episode 141: A Declaration in Draft Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The making of the United States Constitution Episode 152: Bernard Bailyn, Origins of the American Revolution Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App *Books purchased through this link will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.
"I don’t think we’re necessarily destined to have a democracy, I think it’s something we have to fight for." Professor Michael Klarman on Free Food for Thought Melissa and Melanie sit down with Professor Michael Klarman to discuss the role constitutional law played in the nation's founding and continues to play in politics today.
How did the American revolutionaries organize and coordinate local, provincial, and intercolonial action? How did the revolutionaries form governments? In this episode of the Doing History: To the Revolution series we explore governance and governments of the American Revolution with three scholars: Mark Boonshoft, Benjamin Irvin, and Jane Calvert. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/153 Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture Doing History: To the Revolution! series OI Reader App Care.com Senior Services Complementary Blog Post William Huntting Howell, "The Committee of Correspondence and the War at Home" Complementary Episodes Episode 112: Mary Beth Norton, The Tea Crisis of 1773 Episode 123: Revolutionary Allegiances Episode 129: J.L. Bell, The Road to Concord Episode 130: Paul Revere’s Ride Through History Episode 134: Spencer McBride, Pulpit and Nation Episode 141: A Declaration in Draft Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Episode 144: Robert Parkinson, The Common Cause of the American Revolution Episode 152: Bernard Bailyn, Origins of the American Revolution Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App *Books purchased through this link will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.
Mercy Otis Warren wasn’t your typical early American woman. She was a woman with strong political viewpoints, which she wrote about and published for the world to see and consider. Did anyone take her views seriously? Did her writings sway public opinion in the direction of her political views? In this episode, Rosemarie Zagarri, a professor of history at George Mason University and author of A Woman’s Dilemma: Mercy Otis Warren and the American Revolution, helps us kick off a new, six-episode series about the people of the American Revolution by taking us through the life of Mercy Otis Warren. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/145 Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture The Octo Complementary Episodes Episode 032: Michelle Marchetti Coughlin, One Colonial Woman’s World Episode 050: Marla Miller, Betsy Ross Episode 123: Revolutionary Allegiances (Doing History) Episode 129: J.L. Bell, The Road to Concord Episode 143: Michael Klarman, The Making of the United States Constitution Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App *Books purchased through this link will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.
Dr. Michael Klarman is the Kirkland and Ellis Professor at Harvard Law School and received his Ph.D. in legal history from the University of Oxford, where he was a Marshall Scholar. Dr. Klarman is the author of numerous books on constitutional law and history. In this episode he discusses his book The Framers' Coup: Building a United States, which was one of seven finalists for the 2017 George Washington Prize. Dr. Klarman spoke at a Ford Evening Book Talk on April 11, 2017.
Dr. Michael Klarman is the Kirkland and Ellis Professor at Harvard Law School and received his Ph.D. in legal history from the University of Oxford, where he was a Marshall Scholar. Dr. Klarman is the author of numerous books on constitutional law and history. In this episode he discusses his book The Framers’ Coup: Building a United States, which was one of seven finalists for the 2017 George Washington Prize. Dr. Klarman spoke at a Ford Evening Book Talk on April 11, 2017. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mountvernon/message
How did the framers draft the Constitution of 1787? What powers does the Constitution provide the federal government? Why do we elect the President of the United States by an electoral system rather than by popular vote? These are some of the many questions you’ve asked since November 2016. And today we’re going to explore some answers. Michael Klarman, the Kirkland & Ellis Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and author of The Founders’ Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution joins us to discuss the United States Constitution and how and why the framers drafted it. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/143 Sponsor Links Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture Georgian Papers Programme Complementary Episodes Episode 057: Max Edling: War, Money, and the American State, 1783-1867 Episode 061: Edward Larson, George Washington in Retirement Episode 087: Sean Condon, Shays’ Rebellion Episode 098: Gautham Rao, Birth of the American Tax Man Episode 107: Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison’s Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention Episode 141: A Declaration in Draft Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App *Books purchased through this link will help support the production of Ben Franklin's World.
Michael Klarman of Harvard Law School and Patrick Spero of the American Philosophical Society reassess the debates that defined the Founding era. This program was presented live at the Constitution Center on November 14, 2016. You can watch the program on Constitution Daily or at constitutioncenter.org. Get the latest constitutional news, and continue the conversation, on Facebook and Twitter. We want to know what you think of the podcast. Email us at editor@constitutioncenter.org. Please subscribe to We the Peopleand our companion podcast,Live at America’s Town Hall, on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app. We the People is a member of Slate’s Panoply network. Check out the full roster at Panoply.fm. Despite our congressional charter, the National Constitution Center is a private nonprofit; we receive little government support, and we rely on the generosity of people around the country who are inspired by our nonpartisan mission of constitutional debate and education. Please consider becoming a member to support our work, including this podcast. Visit constitutioncenter.org to learn more. This show was engineered by Kevin Kilbourne and David Stotz, and edited by Jason Gregory. It was produced by Nicandro Iannacci. Research was provided by Lana Ulrich and Tom Donnelly. The host of We the People is Jeffrey Rosen.
Michael Klarman of Harvard Law School and Patrick Spero of the American Philosophical Society reassess the debates that defined the Founding era. This program was presented live at the Constitution Center on November 14, 2016. You can watch the program on Constitution Daily or at constitutioncenter.org. Get the latest constitutional news, and continue the conversation, on Facebook and Twitter. We want to know what you think of the podcast. Email us at editor@constitutioncenter.org. Please subscribe to We the Peopleand our companion podcast,Live at America’s Town Hall, on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app. We the People is a member of Slate’s Panoply network. Check out the full roster at Panoply.fm. Despite our congressional charter, the National Constitution Center is a private nonprofit; we receive little government support, and we rely on the generosity of people around the country who are inspired by our nonpartisan mission of constitutional debate and education. Please consider becoming a member to support our work, including this podcast. Visit constitutioncenter.org to learn more. This show was engineered by Kevin Kilbourne and David Stotz, and edited by Jason Gregory. It was produced by Nicandro Iannacci. Research was provided by Lana Ulrich and Tom Donnelly. The host of We the People is Jeffrey Rosen.
We like to think that we live in a "democracy," even though we know that it's actually something called a "republic." But what's the difference? Is our particular republic something less than democratic? Well, Michael Klarman of Harvard Law School suggests that perhaps the Framers of our Constitution pulled a fast one on the rest of us, enshrining the power of "elites" rather than the common folk. Sound familiar? Join Stewart for a fascinating conversation about the nature of American "democracy."