This week, as the 2024 Presidential election draws nearer, the possibility of a second Trump term looms larger, and the very question of what is and isn’t constitutional becomes increasingly divisive, I want to go all the way back to where it all began. So in this episode, I want to know… what was the Constitutional Convention? Special Guests: Emma Long, Associate Professor of American History and Politics and Head of the Department of American Studies at the University of East Anglia Frank Cogliano, a Professor of American History at Edinburgh University and author of ‘Revolutionary America, 1763-1815’ Highlights from this episode: (02:27) What do we mean by the Constitutional Convention? (05:20) The Articles of Confederation (14:16) A pretty short time to write an entire Constitution? (17:36) The Bill of Rights and why they were inevitable (23:41) Slavery and other Constitutional compromises (30:37) Present day impact of the 1787 convention with Veep (36:26) What will it take for another convention to happen? Additional Resources: BOOK: Revolutionary America, 1763-1815 by Frank Cogliano WEBSITE: The Articles of Confederation WEBSITE: National Constitution Center, Constitution Drafting Project WEBSITE: National Constitutional Center Town Hall, The Constitutional Convention with David Rubenstein VIDEO: Veep | Tied Election And if you like this episode, you’ll also love: Why Does the President Only Serve Two Terms? What is the US Constitution? How Are Presidents Elected? Is the President Above the Law? ----------- Thank you for listening to our podcast. It's a labor of love by an American history nerd and his former lecturers at the University of East Anglia, but making it does come at a small cost so if you can spare some change, please check out our Patreon page. Supporters of the show get awesome additional bonus content, access to private community forums, and exclusive invites to the virtual audience on every recording. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices