The American colonists were not the first people on the North American continent. Native Americans had lived on the continent for at least 24,000 years. Listen to today's episode to learn a little more about Native Americans during colonial times!

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Many new arrivals viewed colonial America in the 1770s as a land of opportunity. Learn why in today's episode!

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Who were the American Founders?

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The American Founders drew on a number of basic ideas and experiences to create the kind of government they believed would best protect the natural rights of Americans and promote the common good. Get introduced to some of the Founders in today's episode!

Center for Civic Education

The history of the American people has been a great adventure in ideas and in trying to make these ideas a reality. Over the next few weeks, 60-Second Civics will explore the important philosophical ideas and historical events that influenced the writing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

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People disagree over what powers the general welfare clause gives Congress to spend taxes. Under our Constitution, the Supreme Court of the United States is given the power to interpret the meaning of the Constitution. Learn more about how the Court has interpreted these powers in today's episode!

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Even before the Constitution was ratified in 1788, people disagreed over what powers the Constitution gives to Congress to promote "the general Welfare." The topic is still debated today.

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The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution states that one of its purposes is to promote the general Welfare. Article I, Section. 8. 1. of the Constitution says "The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States."

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As the Annapolis Convention met in September 1786, to ???Remedy Defects of the Federal Government,??? Shays' Rebellion had just begun. This extensive, sometimes bloody conflict began in Massachusetts began in August 1786 and stretched into 1787.

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By the mid-1780s, acts of violence protesting the poor economic conditions for American farmers had become commonplace. Farmers had borrowed money to raise crops to support the high demand during the Revolutionary War.

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