Constitution Videos

Civics Summer: Civics Fundamentals with Judge Douglas Ginsburg 101

• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp79CNianrN40nzGvFDmLukzIr7D_n7Pq Jul 23, 2024 Join host Judge Douglas Ginsburg on a journey through the fundamentals of US civics including American history, the Constitution, and the branches of government. https://civicsfundamentals.org izzitEDU

The Constitution of the United States 4:56

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FxDqh4SLpI Sep 6, 2024 The opening phrase of our Constitution’s preamble, “We the People,” spoke volumes regarding upon whose authority the Constitution rested and suggested the unanimity of country and purpose that this new Constitution would create. The document is a 4,543-word masterpiece of political thought that has stood the test of time and is the longest standing written constitution in the world. Americana Corner

Why a Written Constitution? [No. 86] 3:09

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq-ceCob4g8 Apr 30, 2020 Professor Lillian BeVier describes the process of drafting and the ratification of the Constitution. The most obvious reason that the Constitution had to be written down was that it needed to be studied by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention and sent to the various states. But an equally and perhaps more important reason, was that the Founders knew that a new government needed a written and enforceable structure to preserve freedom for themselves and future generations. Professor Lillian BeVier is the David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Virginia School of Law. Professor BeVier taught constitutional law (with special emphasis on First Amendment issues), intellectual property (trademark, copyright), real property and torts from 1973-2010 at the Law School, and now teaches a January Term course on judicial philosophy. The Federalist Society

Mayflower Compact: Roots of Our Democracy 3:58

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku2BTsgvrhM Jun 26, 2020 The Mayflower Compact and William Bradford's "Of Plimoth Plantation" are two documents that give a window into what the men and women of Plymouth Colony went through to survive, and they hold lessons still relevant 400 years later. 1620: Beyond Thanksgiving" is produced by NBC News Learn in partnership with NBC 10 Boston. NBC News Learn

Blueprint for American Rights: George Mason’s Declaration 11:59

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goGkBHx8LHA Nov 24, 2020 George Mason may be one of the lesser-known Founding Fathers, but his role in shaping the philosophical thought and legal documents of the United States is hard to overstate. Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights is argued to be the blueprint for three of America’s founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.   Three experts, Senator Mike Lee, Professor of Law Joyce Lee Malcolm, and author William Hyland, Jr., dive into what makes George Mason such an interesting figure in American history in this short film, Blueprint for American Rights. The Federalist Society

A More Perfect Union: George Washington and the Making of the Constitution (Full Movie) 22:53

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k55VdRD8DDo Dec 12, 2018 A More Perfect Union explores the many challenges facing the new nation and describes how our founding fathers, led by George Washington, created the United States Constitution. Born of compromise, this founding document laid the foundation for our more perfect union. George Washington's Mount Vernon

How the Founders Perfected the British System [No. 86] 3:28

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZsMJ2iZB9Q Apr 16, 2019 How much did the authors of the U.S. Constitution borrow from the British system? What did they change? Professor Michael McConnell discusses some of the similarities and differences between the US Constitution and the British constitutional history and experience the Framers brought with them to Philadelphia in the summer of 1787.  Michael William McConnell is a constitutional law scholar who served as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit from 2002 until 2009. Since 2009, McConnell has served as Director of the Stanford Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School. The Federalist Society

The Declaration & Constitution: The Framing of a Nation [No. 86] 3:05

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StCZjzhFVrM Jul 4, 2019 How do our founding documents, the Declaration and the Constitution, frame our nation? President of Hillsdale College Larry Arnn explains how the partnership between the two political documents describe the “why” and the “how” of the United States of America.  As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker. The Federalist Society

Oath of Commissioned Officers 0:44

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AHnLQbuNsY May 30, 2018 “In this country, in these United States, under our colors of red, white and blue … all Americans are created free and equal and we will rise or fall based on our merit and the content of our character and not the color of our skin. That is the core organizing principle of the U.S. Army and that is why we fight.” - Gen Mark Milley, Chief of Staff of the Army. Right now across America, the U.S. Army is commissioning the next generation of officers who will make an oath to support and defend the ideals of the US Constitution. Join us by celebrating their service to their service to our country or by sharing a memory from when you were commissioned. The U.S. Army

We the People: The National Archives 5:21

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw-nUXC-Zjs Jul 21, 2020 Once a vision for the United States of America, crafted by our founding fathers, the Declaration of Independence is preserved as living proof of our history at the National Archives and Records Administration. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about this document and others and what it means to be "We the People." The "We the People" videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. NBC News Learn

We the People: The U.S. Capitol 5:26

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUPs46Qpju8 Jul 21, 2020 Of the three branches of our government, many believe that the most important is the one directly elected by "We the People": the legislative branch, represented by the two houses of the U.S. Congress at the Capitol building. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about the Constitution and what it means to be "We the People." The "We the People" videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. NBC News Learn

We the People: The White House 4:49

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfot7MIaVLY Jul 21, 2020 The president of the United States serves as the chief executive and commander of the armed forces, all defined in Article II of the Constitution as the executive branch. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about the Constitution and what it means to be "We the People." The "We the People" videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. NBC News Learn

We the People: The Supreme Court 5:09

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHvzZ-LRduI Jul 21, 2020 Article III of the Constitution sets up the third and final branch of our government, the judicial branch. At its head is the Supreme Court. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about the Constitution and what it means to be "We the People." The "We the People" videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. NBC News Learn

We the People: George Mason, Forgotten Founder 5:31

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7_smlA8oMA Jul 21, 2020 The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as our Bill of Rights, which serve as a guarantee for our freedoms. But these amendments almost didn't happen. Join a group of middle schoolers on a tour of Washington, D.C. as they learn about the Constitution and what it means to be "We the People." The "We the People" videos are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. NBC News Learn

Inquiry Design Model: Did the Constitution Fulfill the Ideals Stated by the Declaration of Independence? 4:44

• https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/idm-constitution-fulfill-ideals-doi-video-gallery/benjamin-franklin Sep 16, 2022 Grades: 6-8, 9-12 Collection: Ken Burns in the Classroom https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/kenburnsclassroom/home

• Film: Benjamin Franklin https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/kenburnsclassroom/film/benjamin-franklin One of the most iconic lines of the Declaration was edited by Benjamin Franklin. While Thomas Jefferson had written, “we hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable,” Franklin made an extraordinary change to the statement. He wrote “we hold these truths to be self-evident.” https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/subjects/social-studies PBS Learning Media for California Educators

"A More Perfect Union" (1989) - America Becomes a Nation 1:51:58

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vs5anM_LVU&t Sep 17, 2022 Constitution Day - September 17th - a feature film dramatization of the events of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Produced by Brigham Young University to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the drafting of the United States Constitution, and many professors from BYU's School of Fine Arts and Communications were involved in its production either as actors or in other capacities. After its release, the film was officially recognized by the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution. The movie was filmed on location at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, in Williamsburg, Virginia, and at other historical sites. Much of the film is shot from the viewpoint of James Madison, with the script being based primarily on his writings. These include the copious minutes he took during the Constitutional Convention, which were published as Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787. LionHeart FilmWorks

Chapters 0:00 Introduction | 2:48 Articles of Confederation Lead to Constitution | 10:13 Framers & Constitutional Convention | 17:39 Compromising on Slavery | 21:19 Drafting a New Government | 26:17 Natural Rights | 28:39 Preventing Tyranny | 33:59 Enumerated Powers & 2-Part Legislative Branch | 39:20 Executive Branch – No Kings! | 42:51 Judicial Branch | 45:36 Checks & Balances | 47:32 Morris – The Wordsmith | 49:17 Living Document vs Original Meaning | 53:44 Ratification | 55:13 Next Episode

A More or Less Perfect Union Episode 2: A Constitution For All - Full Video

Chapters 0:00 Introduction | 2:18 Bill of Rights | 5:08 1st Amendment | 13:06 2nd Amendment | 19:19 3rd Amendment | 20:34 Rights of the Accused | 24:20 More Rights than These | 26:48 Changes over Time | 30:50 Dred Scott Case | 35:28 Slave Life & Limiting Southern Power | 42:27 Civil War – 2 Big Constitutional Questions | 47:15 Rights for More Americans | 51:22 Ignoring Black Rights | 53:47 Conclusion | 55:13 Next Episode

A More or Less Perfect Union Episode 3: Our Constitution At Risk - Full Video