Added: 4 years ago
From: mbrennanhunter
Views: 4,433
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  • ..priceless:).

  • I find this to be extremely intriguing. To see how the Constitutional Convention would be covered had it occurred in the modern day. Only on PBS can you find stuff like this. Thanks for uploading it.

  • I like the way that it's Robert McNeil who says: "I don't think we should send anyone into exile into Canada tonight!"

  • What you're watching, basically, is a debate over what type of NATIONAL government to have during the period where the states would vote whether to ratify or reject the newly created Constitution (it is worth noting that the context is pre-Bill of Rights). This re-enactment should be watched with the understanding that the current US govt/Constitution was only an idea/possibility/argument at

    the time

  • this strong central plan. Many other state leaders, however, argued that they had just spend a lot of time, money, and lives to defeat a similar body (English govt) and did not want to pass this Constitution. These are the Anti-Federalists, two of whom are re-enacted in the clip.

  • I seem to be confused as to what they are aguing about. I have a vague idea of how American politics works. I thought there was a federal government in Washington, D. C. controlling the whole of the United States, and then each of the fifty states has its own legislature controlling that particular state. I thought the original thirteen states (as well as the other 37) had their own legislatures anyway. Also what is the Continental Television Network? All (well, some) replies are welcome.

  • Hahaha,

    Sorry about that! I posted this clip for my class-- I can't believe you found it. This is a clip from American TV. A program called the Macneil-Lehrer Hour staged a somewhat improvised debate between Federalist (Hamilton) and Anti-Federalist re-enactors. The Continental Television Network is made up.

    The basic gist of the debate is whether or not to adopt the Constitution, which would give an expanded central government more power (esp. tax). Hamilton, for example, really favored...

  • Oh, I see. With that all cleared up, that's actually quite a clever concept (I already knew of MacNeil/Lehrer). Thanks for the explanation.

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