"What is it? A Constitution / A Bill of Rights"
Speaker: Will Harris, Center for the Constitution
The Center for the Constitution, housed at James Madison's Montpelier, challenged teacher participants to think constitutionally regarding governmental systems and to critically analyze primary documents. Just as Madison's house is being recovered, Dr. Harris encouraged, we must also recover the Constitution, following it to its source in an effort to understand this living, future oriented document. In addition to the lectures and discussions led by Dr. Harris, the groups examined the archaeology, architecture and natural history of the 2700 acre historic estate.
Session Resources
Primary Document Links
- Declaration of Independence
- Articles of Confederation
- The Constitution of the United States (1787-1788)
- The 27 Amendments Added to the Constitution
- Frame of Government for Pennsylvania (1682)
- Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges (1701)
- Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776)
- The 1776 Constitution of Virginia
- The 1780 Constitution of Massachusetts
- James Madison' "Memorial and Remonstrance" (1785)
- "Vices of the Political System of the United States" (1787)
- "The Virginia Plan" (1787)
- The Federalist (1787 - 1788)
- Anti-Federalist Writings:
- Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Massachusetts; February 6, 1788
- Letter to Thomas Jefferson on the Value of a Bill of Rights (1788)
- US House Debates on the Bill of Rights (1789)
- Resolution of the First Congress Submitting Twelve Amendments to the Constitution; March 4, 1789
- A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison
- Res Publica (2003)