Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights After Independence Pt. 11: The Philadelphia Convention
The Philadelphia Convention assembled in 1787 to amend the Articles of Confederation. The Framers quickly decided that merely amending the Articles was not nearly enough.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights After Independence Pt. 16: No Bill of Rights
The Constitution did not originally contain a bill of rights. Find out why on today's episode.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights in the Constitution Pt. 1: Three Categories of Rights
The Constitution itself contains protections of rights that can be organized into three categories. Learn what they are on today's episode.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights in the Constitution Pt. 2: Political Independence
It's important that elected representatives have rights, too. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to do their jobs.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights in the Constitution Pt. 4: Protecting Individual Rights
How does the Constitution protect you from the federal government? Learn all about it on today's episode.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights in the Constitution Pt. 5: Need for a Bill of Rights
It wasn't easy convincing the states to ratify the Constitution. First, proponents of the new Constitution would have to overcome some serious objections.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: The British Constitution
On today's episode, we discuss the British constitution.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Ratifying Constitution Pt. 2: A Plan for Ratification
James Madison's plan for ratification of the Constitution would not give Anti-Federalists much time to organize their opposition. The Federalists wanted to stack the odds in their favor.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Ratifying Constitution Pt. 5: The Lack of a Bill of Rights
The lack of a bill of rights was the most powerful weapon in the Anti-Federalist arsenal.
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60 Second Civics: Ratifying Constitution Pt. 6: The Constitution Is Ratified
New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. The Federalists had to concede one point, however: to add a bill of rights.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Creating Bill of Rights Pt. 1: Beginning of New Government
For the first time in history, the people held the ultimate power of government and had selected the person to lead their government.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Creating Bill of Rights Pt. 2:james Madison and Bill of Rights
James Madison faced a big task: sorting through almost two hundred proposed amendments to create the Bill of Rights.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Creating Bill of Rights Pt. 3: Drafting the Bill of Rights
The amendments James Madison considered for the Bill of Rights either (1) placed limitations on the power of the federal government or (2) protected individual rights.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Creating Bill of Rights Pt. 4: Madison Proposes Bill of Rights
Madison proposed the Bill of Rights in 1789 to the House of Representatives.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Creating Bill of Rights Pt. 5: Concerns About State Government
Madison was concerned about state governments violating individual rights. So, he included several amendments that protected these rights.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: The British Constitution: Foundational Documents
Today we identify the three historical documents important in the development of the British constitution and the rights of the British people.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Creating Bill of Rights Pt. 6: The House Drags Its Feet
Members of the House of Representatives were unimpressed with the proposed Bill of Rights at first.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Creating Bill of Rights Pt. 7: The Bill of Rights Is Adopted
On December 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights was finally ratified by the states. It wasn't until the Fourteenth Amendment that citizens would be protected by the Constitution against violation of their rights by state governments.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Creating Bill of Rights Pt. 8: A "Nauseous Project"
When the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791, most Americans were ambivalent. Find out why on today's podcast.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights Before Civil War Pt. 1: Rights Did Not Extend to States
How much did the federal government impact people's lives in the 1790s? Not as much as you might think.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights Before Civil War Pt. 2: States and Rights
Could people rely on the states to protect their rights? Not everyone, it turns out.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights Before Civil War Pt. 3: Congress Passes Sedition Act
James Madison had warned that rulers might violate the rights of the people. This happened in 1798 when Congress passed the Sedition Act, which violated the right to freedom of expression.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights Before Civil War Pt. 4: The Election of 1800
The Sedition Act of 1798 proved so unpopular that the Federalists lost the presidential election of 1800.
Center For Civic Education
60 Second Civics: Rights Before Civil War Pt. 5: Marbury v. Madison
How did the Supreme Court establish its power of judicial review? Find out on today's podcast.