Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Constituting America
  • 4.6 (24)
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Constitutional Chats are hosted by Janine Turner, Cathy Gillespie, student ambassadors, and experts who join us weekly to discuss hot-topic issues! The audience is not on camera, but you may ask questions!

  1. 29m ago ·  Video

    Ep. 306 | Constitutional Chats Podcast | Chuck Schwam | Lafayette & Liberty: A Founding Alliance Revisited for America 250

    The Marquis de Lafayette came to America as a young man to aid the colonists in the American Revolution.  He would return 47 years later at the invitation of President James Monroe and Congress to tour the country in the lead-up to our country's 50th birthday.  On this return trip, he received a true rockstar welcome wherever he went as he toured all 24 states.  As we now prepare to celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, we want to revisit the extraordinary legacy of this great man in service to our country.  To help us do so, we are honored to welcome Chuck Schwam.  Chuck is the Executive Director of the American Friends of Lafayette and on June 10, 2026, he was awarded the Ordre National du Merit by the government of France (National Order of Merit).

    58 min

  2. Jun 11 ·  Video

    Ep. 305 | Constitutional Chats Podcast | Doug Maclntyre | America 250: Sullivan's Island - A Crucial Stand for Freedom

    It's a year after the Battles of Lexington and Concord and only days before the Declaration of Independence would be signed. It's June 1776 and along the shores of South Carolina, British troops are amassing while the colonists rush to construct Fort Sullivan out of the local palmetto logs which would later be commemorated on that state's flag and in its nickname.  After a day of fighting involving 10,000 British and American troops, the British abandoned their effort and the patriots proved they could compete in battle with the British Army and Navy.  To walk us through this historic battle including its buildup and aftermath, we are honored to welcome historian and scholar Doug Maclntyre.  Doug is a fellow of Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution and served on the board of the South Carolina Historical Society and chaired the Fort Sumter – Fort Moultrie Historical Trust.

    56 min

  3. Jun 5 ·  Video

    Ep. 304 | Constitutional Chats Podcast | Libby McNamee | The Historic 40 Mile Ride of Sybil Ludington

    Did you know two years after Paul Revere's famous ride, there was a second ride made by a teenaged woman?  That's right. On April 26, 1777, 16-year old Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles throughout the night to alert and rally American militiamen to participate in a planned attack organized by her father, Col. Henry Ludington,  on British troops near Danbury, Connecticut.  To walk us through this historic event, what led up to it and its aftermath in the American Revolution, we are honored to welcome Libby McNamee.  Libby is a public speaker, lawyer, Army veteran and author on events surrounding the American Revolution.

    55 min

  4. May 23 ·  Video

    Ep. 303 | Constitutional Chats Podcast | Lucas Morel | Elizabeth Freeman and the Promise of Liberty

    The story of Elizabeth "Mumbet" is inspirational.  Born into slavery in New York in 1744, she spent most of her life in Massachusetts.  Following the ratification of the new Massachusetts Constitution in 1780 which stated in Article 1, "All men are born free and equal and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights…,"Mumbet sued for her freedom.  She won and her court victory set the legal precedent that ended slavery in Massachusetts.  To further illustrate this remarkable woman and her victory, we are pleased to welcome  Dr. Lucas Morel, professor of politics at Washington and Lee University.  Dr. Morel is currently serving on the United States Semiquincentennial Commission which is planning events to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country.

    55 min

  5. May 16 ·  Video

    Ep. 302 | Constitutional Chats Podcast | Kurt Smith | How Virginia Set the Stage for the Declaration

    Regular followers of Constituting America know we view the Declaration of Independence as one of the greatest documents ever written.  An interesting point to ponder is that it had to come from somewhere, that there was a buildup to its drafting.  We can point to a moment in history as the beginning of that buildup: the 5th Virginia Convention that took place immediately after a vote to disband the House of Burgesses.  It was in the 5th Virginia Convention that Virginia's vote for independence took place.  To help further explain this extraordinary timeline and series of events that led to the Declaration of Independence, we are delighted to welcome Kurt Benjamin Smith.  Kurt is a historian and actor who portrays Thomas Jefferson with carefully sourced historical research at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and through The Jefferson Experience.

    57 min

  6. May 8 ·  Video

    Ep. 301 | Constitutional Chats Podcast | Richard Bell | The American Revolution and the Fate of the World

    The American Revolution obviously changed the course of American History.  That's a given.  Have you ever contemplated how that singular event changed the course of world history over the ensuing centuries?  Think of how the American Revolution weakened the British and Spanish Empires and as our guest discusses, "it gives rights seekers everywhere a new vocabulary."  To discuss this fascinating topic, we are delighted to welcome Richard Bell, author of "The American Revolution and the Fate of the World" and professor of history at the University of Maryland.

    57 min

  7. May 1 ·  Video

    Ep. 300 | Constitutional Chats Podcast | Scott Harris | A Young Patriot: James Monroe Turns 18 in 1776

    As a teenager, he dropped out of college and served in the in the 3rd Virginia Regiment in the Continental Army.  After studying law under Thomas Jefferson, he later served in the Virginia House of Delegates, as the US Ambassador to France and England, as governor of Virginia, as the Secretary of War and then Secretary of State. Finally, in March 1817, James Monroe became our country's 5th President and in 1823 he famously introduced the Monroe Doctrine.  Quite a legacy for a teenager wounded in the Battle of Trenton at just 18 years old.  To help us better grasp James Monroe's incredible service to our country, we are delighted to welcome Scott Harris as our special guest this week.  Scott is Executive Director of the University of Mary Washington Museums and previously served as Director of the James Monroe Museum, which is administered by the university.

    53 min

  8. Apr 24 ·  Video

    Ep. 299 | Constitutional Chats Podcast | Scot Faulkner | No Tax Without Consent: The Fight for Self-Government

    Every now and then a government does something that goes just a bit too far and causes the people to protest.  One such example was the British imposition of the Stamp Act on the American Colonies.  What was the Stamp Act?  What was the so-called justification for it?  What was the reaction from the Americans?  To help us tackle this important event that helped usher in a growing anti-monarchy sentiment that culminated in the American Revolution, we are delighted to welcome Scot Faulkner as our special guest today.  Scot Faulkner is longtime friend of Constituting America and served as the first-ever Chief Administrative Officer for the U.S. House of Representatives and is Vice President of Shepherd University's George Washington Institute of Living Ethics.

    55 min
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Constitutional Chats are hosted by Janine Turner, Cathy Gillespie, student ambassadors, and experts who join us weekly to discuss hot-topic issues! The audience is not on camera, but you may ask questions!

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