"James Madison's 'Notes' are by far the best record we have of the deliberations in the Constitutional Convention. They are one of the most authoritative records we have of the intentions of the framers of the Constitution when they were drafting that document. In this course we will study these 'Notes' as thoroughly as we can, aiming at a fuller understanding of the Constitution and the founding statesmanship that produced it."

"This course is an intensive study of the constitutional convention, the struggle over ratification of the Constitution, and the creation of the Bill of Rights. It will include a close examination of the Federalist Papers and the antifederalist papers."

"What perhaps more than anything else distinguished the Revolution and Founding from European experience was the American transformation of the idea of a social contract from theory to practice. By focusing on the role of the social contract this seminar can shed new light on the old question, 'Was the American Revolution a revolution?' The enormous importance of the idea of a social contract in America after the revolutionary era can be tracked by studying, among other developments, the land reform movement or the uses of the Declaration of Independence, down to Martin Luther King's famous 'I Have A Dream' speech of 1963." Will use primary sources to examine the effects of the American Revolution and the U.S. concept of a social contract, including the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, the English Declaration of Rights, the Gettysburg Address, and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

"This seminar is concerned with the formative period of early American constitutionalism. It begins with the pre-Revolutionary debate over the rights that the American colonists could claim under the 'ancient' imperial constitution, and ends with the escalating controversies over the interpretation of the Federal Constitution of 1787, culminating (in a sense) with the Supreme Court’s much-heralded decision in Marbury v. Madison and its less known but arguably more important holding in Stuart v. Laird a week later. In between, the heart of the seminar focuses on the constitutional experiments of the 1770s and 1780s: the adoption of the first state constitutions (1776-1780), and the framing and ratification of the Federal Constitution (1787-1791, if we throw in the first ten amendments)."

This seminar will "explore the separation of powers as it applies to the allocation of responsibility between Congress and the president concerning national security and foreign policy powers," "by examining the foundations of the Framers' thought" and "selected executive-congressional debates as they arose during later military conflicts." The seminar will including readings, lectures, discussions, visits to historic sites, and lesson planning.

This workshop "will explore the American Revolution and the creation of the U.S. Constitution through the use of the National Constitution Center’s innovative museum exhibits, lectures by leading scholars, interactive discussion and visits to numerous historic landmarks." Topics will include "The Anglo-American Heritage of Liberty," "Declaring Independence," "To Begin the World Anew: Establishing Government in the Name of the People," "Creating a New Federal Constitution," and "Adding a Bill of Rights: The Federalist/Anti-Federalist Debate."

This workshop "will explore the American Revolution and the creation of the U.S. Constitution through the use of the National Constitution Center’s innovative museum exhibits, lectures by leading scholars, interactive discussion and visits to numerous historic landmarks." Topics will include "The Anglo-American Heritage of Liberty," "Declaring Independence," "To Begin the World Anew: Establishing Government in the Name of the People," "Creating a New Federal Constitution," and "Adding a Bill of Rights: The Federalist/Anti-Federalist Debate."

This seminar will analyze the content and history of the Bill of Rights, through lectures, readings, discussion, and specialized tours of Montpelier.

This seminar will analyze the content and history of the Constitution, through lectures, readings, discussion, and specialized tours of Montpelier.

Participants in this workshop "Participants will study James Madison’s the life and political career, which encompassed the development, establishment, and maintenance of a new constitutional enterprise." Site says more information to come.