The People’s Constitution

The Constitution, foundation of our democracy, was not always a democratic document.  Many of its authors, believing governance should be left to a wealthy and well-educated elite, resisted including the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens in the original draft. However, it was those very citizens who refused to ratify the Constitution until it addressed their concerns. Guided by the aspirations and demands of the people, the framers created a new, radically democratic version of the Constitution that remains the foundation of American government and a framework for new nations around the globe. With award-winning historian and author Woody Holton.