On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by 39 framers who changed the course of history. This year we celebrate not only our government’s birth, but the ideas that define us as Americans.
Jones International University honors this historic moment with a special podcast series,
“In Their Own Words.” We’ve assembled several speeches and letters of figures who were instrumental in shaping this living document we call the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the subsequent amendments that comprise the supreme law of the United States.
Performed by actors, these podcasts bring to life the events, struggles and triumphs that mark the creation and evolution of, perhaps, our most revered historical document. Feel free to download these podcasts as an educational tool to understand the context in which the Constitution was developed.
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Benjamin Franklin addressing members of the Constitutional Convention, Sept. 17, 1787 Immediately after the War for Independence, the United States was governed for several years by the Articles of Confederation, a document that provided for a government too loosely formed and too weak to be effective in running the country. Congress then sanctioned a formal convention representing all of the states to “render the Federal Constitution adequate to the exigencies of Government and the preservation of the Union.” The Convention met in late May, 1787, in Philadelphia. After nearly four months of intense discussion, debate, and compromise, the members of the Constitutional Convention completed their task on Sept. 17, 1787. At the conclusion of their deliberations, Benjamin Franklin (who was a delegate from Pennsylvania) rendered his opinion of the completed Constitution and asked his colleagues to unanimously sign it. Listen now to Franklin’s remarks read by actor Joey Wishnia. Duration 5:25 |
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George Washington’s transmittal letter of the new
Constitution to Congress, Sept. 17, 1787 George Washington, as the President of the Constitutional Convention, formally presented the newly drafted Constitution to the Congress and included this personal transmittal letter. Listen to Washington’s remarks read by actor Joey Wishnia. Duration 3:33 |
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Thomas Jefferson describes his thoughts on the new
Constitution, Dec. 20, 1787 James Madison, the father of the Constitution, wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson, the father of the Declaration of Independence, explaining the new Constitution to him. Jefferson had been in France on government business during the Constitutional Convention. Jefferson captured his reactions to the new Constitution in a reply letter to Madison. Listen to what Jefferson liked—and didn’t like—about the new Constitution in his letter read by actor D. Jeffrey Brothers. Duration 3:31 |
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James Madison presents the case to the House of Representatives for amending the new Constitution with a Bill of Rights, June 8, 1789 Before the drafting of the new Constitution was completed, delegates had discussed the need for a Bill of Rights that clearly described the core set of rights that the government could not take from the people. For a variety of reasons, such a list was not included in the original Constitution. But as Congress and state legislatures considered ratifying the Constitution, many lawmakers (including Thomas Jefferson) asked for the Constitution to be amended to include a set of inviolable rights. James Madison addressed Congress to make the case for amending the Constitution. Listen to this excerpt of his remarks as read by actor D. Jeffrey Brothers. Duration 12:26 |
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Senator Charles Sumner addresses the Senate, arguing for the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, abolishing slavery, April 8, 1864 Near the end of the Civil War, with a Union victory assured, Congress debated the issues that had resulted in the war. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was proposed, abolishing slavery. Charles Sumner, senator from Massachusetts and a leading abolitionist, addressed Congress on the need to amend the Constitution to abolish slavery. Listen to this excerpt of his remarks to the Senate read by actor Joey Wishnia. Duration 7:37 |
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Susan B. Anthony speaks on women’s right to vote, 1873 Although the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870 prohibited abridging the right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude,” the Constitution did not contain a guarantee for women of any color to vote (it contained no prohibition of women’s right to vote). Since before the Civil War, women’s organizations had advocated for such a law. For many years, Susan B. Anthony was a leading advocate for women’s right to vote (known as a “suffragette”). In November 1872, Anthony registered and voted in the Presidential election in Rochester, New York. On Nov. 18, she was arrested for illegally voting and fined $100. She argued her position in this speech given in 1873, read here by actress Andra Brown. Duration 5:12 |
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Carrie Chapman Catt addresses women after the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, Aug. 26, 1920 Carrie Chapman Catt was a leading suffragette in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. When the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and 36 state legislatures, she spoke candidly to the women of the United States. Listen to her remarks read by actress Andra Brown. Duration 2:06 |
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