3. The Constitutional Convention: The First Four Battles

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we examine the first four battles of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. These were: (i) whether to create a new national government at all; (ii) whether to have proportional or equal representation between states; (iii) how to choose members of the House of Representatives; and (iv) whether to have a class of nobility and monarchy.

Course

In this course, Professor Woody Holton (University of South Carolina) explores the origins of US Constitution and the differing ideological positions on the structure and function of the federal government in this period. We start by looking at both the internal and external reasons for a new federal government. We then turn to explore how the Constitution differed from the Articles of Confederation. After this, we turn to examine the nine battles of the Constitutional Convention.

Lecturer

Woody Holton is Peter and Bonnie McCausland Professor of History at the University of South Carolina. He specialises in early American history, especially the American Revolution, with a focus on economic history, African Americans, Native Americans, and women. He is author of a number of books within these fields including Liberty is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution.