There are many different opinions on the founding fathers and the impact they had on America. This video offers a unique perspective into how we might view them, their actions and legacy.

Take the Founding Fathers quiz to find out how much you know about the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.

Since 2005, the "Past and Present" podcast from Colonial Williamsburg has taken you behind the scenes to meet interpreters, chefs, tradesmen, musicians, historians, curators, and more. We offer two versions of our podcast: one that's audio-only and one that includes a slideshow. In this episode, Paul Aron, Director of Publications for Colonial Williamsburg, joins to discuss his new book Founding Feuds: The Rivalries, Clashes, and Conflicts that Forged a Nation.” In this podcast, Paul delves into some of the most infamous feuds of the 18th and 19th centuries that included some very famous names such as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton.

This resource from the National Constitution Center includes an introduction, big questions, recorded class sessions, briefing documents, slide decks, and worksheets about the fourth amendment of the United States Constitutuion.

Charles Lindbergh was a genuine American hero. He was the first pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic. When his infant son was kidnapped, the trial of the alleged kidnapper developed into a sensational news story. The reaction of the public to this highly publicized crime, and the effects that modern publicity had on the jury, seriously challenged the limits of freedom of the press. The controversies raised by the media coverage of the Lindbergh kidnapping trial still resonate today. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.

This lesson will use close reading of documentary selections and class discussion to analyze the concepts of “freedom” and “equality” as they have appeared and been tested throughout American history. By the conclusion of this lesson, students should be able to view these ideas as contested concepts that can and often do exist in tension. Students will assess whether or not “equality” comes at the expense of “freedom” and vice versa.

This film explores the First Amendment right of the âpeople peaceably to assembleâ through the lens of the U.S. Supreme Court case National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie. The legal fight between neo-Nazis and Holocaust survivors over a planned march in a predominantly Jewish community led to a ruling that said the neo-Nazis could not be banned from marching peacefully because of the content of their message.

In colonial Virginia, those that followed religions other than the Church of England were considered dissenters.”

In this lesson, based on the Annenberg Classroom video âA Conversation on the Constitution: Freedom of Speech,â students gain insight into the many challenges involved in defining and protecting free speech. They also learn about principles that come from Supreme Court decisions and case law that are applied to define the limits for us today.

This documentary examines the First Amendment's protection of a free press as well as the historic origins of this right and the ramifications of the landmark ruling in New York Times v. United States, the Pentagon Papers case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that prior restraint is unconstitutional. Justice Hugo Black wrote: âOnly a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government . . . â

Dallin H. Oaks Utah's Constitution Day Celebration, "Fundamentals of Our Constitutions". Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah September 17, 2010. (This speech has some good solid explanations of fundamentals of constitutional ideals--best as a resource for teachers or mature students.)

Furman v. Georgia (1972) was a landmark Supreme Court case in which a majority of justices ruled that existing death penalty schemes in states nationwide were arbitrary and inconsistent, violating the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

General George Washington held a rally to launch his 2016 campaign to promote participation in the democratic process. Follow along at itstartshere2016.org

Since 2005, the "Past and Present" podcast from Colonial Williamsburg has taken you behind the scenes to meet interpreters, chefs, tradesmen, musicians, historians, curators, and more. We offer two versions of our podcast: one that's audio-only and one that includes a slideshow. In this episode: A pocket-sized ornament gives monumental insight into the private life of America’s best-known General: George Washington.

Since 2005, the "Past and Present" podcast from Colonial Williamsburg has taken you behind the scenes to meet interpreters, chefs, tradesmen, musicians, historians, curators, and more. We offer two versions of our podcast: one that's audio-only and one that includes a slideshow. In this episode, as Veterans Day approaches, the venerated Virginian veteran himself, Gen. George Washington, discusses his military past and how he believes veterans should be honored today.

One of the most significant documents in Constitutional History, George Washington's Farewell Address, is a letter written by the first American President, George Washington, with the help of Alexander Hamilton, to "The People of the United States." Washington wrote the letter near the end of his second term as President.

In Georgia v. Randolph (2006), the U.S. Supreme Court found that evidence seized during an unwarranted search where two occupants are present but one objects to the search, cannot be used in court against the objecting occupant.

The Supreme Court determined that the Commerce Clause of the Constitution grants the federal government the power to determine how interstate commerce is conducted. This resource includes teacher materials, guides, and activities for teaching about this Supreme Court case.

The Court unanimously ruled in Gideon’s favor, stating that the Sixth Amendment requires state courts to provide attorneys for criminal defendants facing felony charges who cannot otherwise afford counsel. This resource includes teacher materials, guides, and activities for teaching about this Supreme Court case.

The purpose of this lesson is to engage students in a discussion of the Constitutional Convention. Students will explore the key disputes that arose during the Convention, including how power would be divided between the federal and state governments and the various branches of government. Furthermore, students with understand the importance of compromise during the Constitutional Convention. They will synthesize various sources explored debate and compromise and the Convention to understand the idea of civic discourse--discussion rooted in mutual respect for differences and a desire for understanding--in the United States.