The Second American Revolution: Alexander Hamilton and the US Constitution

The Revolutionary War was fought to gain freedom from Great Britain and break away from the power of a distant central government.  This produced the Articles of Confederation in which each of the 13 colonies viewed themselves as separate nations--not part of a greater whole.  Four individuals:  George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, worked tirelessly to change that mindset so that the Colonies could embrace a document (the Constitution) and form of government that involved a central government.  

Participants will learn how the Articles of Confederation came to be, why the Colonies took that approach, and what the weaknesses were (session 1).

Before the US Constitution could be written and then embraced, the States needed to eventually move from a mindset that viewed a central government as tyrannical to instead an approach that allowed for a Federal system.   Participants will then learn how George Washington (session 2), Alexander Hamilton (session 3), John Jay (session 4), and James Madison (session 5) worked individually and collectively to move the colonies and their leaders to be able to embrace the concept of what would later become the US Constitution and a government in the form of a Republic.  For fans of the musical "Hamilton" this course will look at the specifics of how he helped shape the country.  And learners will see how critical George Washington's role was after being commander of the Continental Army and before becoming President of the new nation

I teach very visually and in a very interactive format.  I'm continually asking questions, posing scenarios, and challenging students to react to situations ("what would you have done differently?" or "was there a better way to do this?").  I end every class by asking each student to share what they found to be the most interesting or surprising thing they learned in that session.  My classes are very visual with lots of slides (of locations, people, maps, and events).  Interaction will be frequent and on-going.  I encourage learners to challenge what I say, to ask questions, and to share their own opinions.

It is useful for learners to have some basic knowledge of the Revolutionary War or at least know who George Washington was and have read the US Constitution.