In this episode of Constitutionally Speaking, Jay and Luke examine the first session of the First Congress, which met from the spring through the fall of 1789. One of the most productive legislative assemblies in American history, this session submitted the Bill of Rights to the states, created the first national tax, established the major cabinet departments, and began to set up the judiciary. At this early stage of the government, James Madison emerged as the key agent in Congress. While there is a broad consensus in favor of Federalism at this point, there are early indications of the coming ideological divisions that would define the 1790s.

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