ABOUT THIS PODCAST 🔗

Update frequency:
every 10 hours
Average audio length:
9 minutes
English
United States
105 episodes
since April 1, 2022
serial

OLDEST EPISODE 🔗

This is a postlude – a reflection and commentary about where we have been in this series.  The Federalist Papers, authored by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, laid the foundation for a balanced system of government with a strong union, a deliberative legislature, an energetic executive, and an independe…

SEARCH PAST EPISODES

Search past episodes of Making a Great America.

PREVIOUS EPISODES

In March 1789, Thomas Jefferson wrote one last letter to his friend James Madison. “If we cannot secure all our rights,” he said, “let us secure what we can.” It was both encouragement and command — urging Madison to fulfill his promise to champion a Bill of Rights.  Within months, Madison would do…
James Madison Reconsiders By the fall of 1788, the Constitution had been ratified—but only after fierce debate. James Madison, once skeptical of a Bill of Rights, wrote to Thomas Jefferson with new humility: “I have favored it because I supposed it might be of use, and if properly executed could no…
Thomas Jefferson’s letter of December 20, 1787, stands as one of the founding documents of American liberty. It transformed the Constitution’s silence on individual rights into a national conversation — one that would culminate two years later in the adoption of the Bill of Rights. By praising Madi…
When the Constitution was signed in 1787, it contained no explicit guarantees of freedom — no right to speech, religion, or due process. That silence nearly doomed it. Across an ocean, Thomas Jefferson demanded those rights be written down; James Madison hesitated, then listened. Their exchange of …
 On June 5, 1788, Patrick Henry delivered history's most devastating attack on the proposed U.S. Constitution. Before Virginia's Ratifying Convention, the legendary orator systematically dismantled the document's legitimacy, warning that "We, the People" illegally destroyed…
In this final paper, Hamilton summarizes the case for the Constitution, arguing that while it may not be perfect, it provides a solid framework for governance. He warns against waiting for a perfect constitution, as endless revision could lead to instability. Hamilton emphasizes that the Constituti…
Hamilton argues that a Bill of Rights is unnecessary because the Constitution itself is a bill of rights, explicitly limiting government power. He contends that many state constitutions lack comprehensive bills of rights, yet adequately protect liberties. Hamilton also addresses concerns about vari…
The Anti-Federalists argued that the proposed judiciary branch would have excessive and unchecked power, particularly through lifetime appointments that made judges unaccountable to the public. They feared that the federal courts, especially the Supreme Court, could overrule state laws and undermin…
Hamilton addresses the omission of a specific right to jury trials in civil cases under the Constitution, arguing that it’s unnecessary to mandate jury trials in all instances. He explains that different cases require different methods of adjudication, and the Constitution allows flexibility. Hamil…
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Charles Jett, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.