Summary
Highlights
Narrator discusses the Continental Congress's efforts to adopt the Articles of Confederation to formally bind the 13 states while guaranteeing their independence. Historian Taylor emphasizes that the American Revolution was not just about independence, but also the unprecedented formation of a republican government and a union of states, a difficult undertaking given bitter rivalries between colonies.
Congress debated draft articles for weeks, encountering issues like apportionment, boundary disputes, taxation, and state autonomy. The assembly was characterized by infighting, inertia, and secret committees, as illustrated by John Jay's comment about intrigue and lack of secrecy.
While Congress debated, Pennsylvania formed its own government with a radical, egalitarian constitution. It included a Bill of Rights and a one-house legislature, allowing nearly any white, free, taxpaying workingman to vote and hold office, a concept that worried many delegates and prominent figures like John Adams, who responded with "Good God!" upon reading it.
Abigail Adams' letter to her husband, John, urging him to "remember the ladies" in the new code of laws and warning of rebellion if women lacked representation, is presented. John Adams' response reveals his apprehension about expanding voting rights, fearing it would lead to demands from women, young men, and property-less individuals, ultimately destroying social distinctions and creating a "common level."
William Hogeland clarifies that the founders were not pro-democracy but rather adamantly opposed to it. He suggests that democracy in America was an unintended consequence of the Revolution, rather than its direct purpose.
The debates over the Articles of Confederation became so heated that delegates agreed to table the subject. Thomas Jefferson, frustrated, returned to Virginia.
Ken Burns introduces an excerpt from his film, "The American Revolution," encouraging viewers to watch the full series on PBS and join the conversation about the founding of America.