Creating the Constitution required the representatives of the states to compromise on things like representation, power, and slavery. Listen in to hear more.

So maybe having a weak federal government like the Articles of Confederation wasn't such a great idea after all? Daniel Shays' Rebellion has the leaders of the nation worried about its survival.

People like to talk about how dysfunctional our government is today. But did you know, that our government was originally so bad that we had to completely get rid of it? Let me introduce you to the Articles of Confederation -- the worst form of government we've ever tried.

How does the United States REALLY elect its president? Learn all about the function (and disfunction) of the Electoral College.

In this episode, we quickly fly through some of the main events of the American Revolution from the fall of 1776, all the way through to the technical end of the war at Yorktown in 1781 (even though the Treaty of Paris wouldn't be signed until 1783). Things included: Trenton and Princeton, Valley Forge, Saratoga, and Yorktown.

Join us, as we walk through the opening shots of the war at Lexington and Concord, the American defeat at the Battle of Bunker Hill and continue through the demoralizing year of 1776, setting us up to tune in next time when we turn this thing around after a long hard winter for the Continental Army.

This episode provides context for the American Revolution by overviewing the strengths and weaknesses of both sides as well as how the colonies became mentally ready to declare independence. (Salutary Neglect, The Great Awakening, and The Enlightenment)

Why is it that the colonists are so upset about taxes after the French and Indian War? Aren't taxes just a part of life? Perhaps, but the increased taxation of the colonies also represented a shift in British policy in dealing with the colonists that we just couldn't accept. No taxation without representation? No thank you.

As the British colonies continue to look west for more land, their hunger for territory leads them into conflict with the French, starting the French and Indian War. This colonial squabble shortly goes global between the entire British and French Empires and carried with it an incredibly steep price to pay.