Citizen Founders: Americans Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788
Pauline Maier, one the premiere historians of the American Revolution, explores the state conventions that ratified the new U.S. Constitution after it was drafted and proposed by the Federal Convention in Philadelphia. Maier focuses on the politics of ratification in the 18th Century and James Madison’s statement that the state conventions breathed “life and vitality” into the Constitution, transforming it from a mere document to a set of governing principles embraced by a young nation. Maier, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of American History at MIT, has written numerous books, including American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence, which was named by the editors of The New York Times Book Review as one of the best 11 books of 1997.
Format: Lecture
Length: 45 minutes
Presenter(s): Pauline Maier
Date: February 9, 2011
Location: Bc Law School, East Wing Room 200
Sponsor(s): Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy
URL: http://frontrow.bc.edu/program/maier/
The information on this page is accurate as of February 2011