Creating the Constitution, Part One: Enabling the Government to Control the Governed

American Revolution
Written By Tom Hand

It is important to understand the challenges faced by the Founders in creating our new federal system. As James Madison wrote, "the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses how the Constitution was created, and why it still matters today.


Images courtesy of the National Archives, Library of Congress, Yale University Art Gallery, Library Company of Philadelphia, National Park Service, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, National Gallery of Art.

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Tom Hand
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Creating the Constitution, Part Two: The World’s Oldest, and Shortest, Written Constitution
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