Professor Mackubin T. Owens traces the flow of antebellum history, up to the Civil War, examining the many changes and pushes for more change that characterized this period.

Professor Gordon Lloyd examines the U.S. Bill of Rights, its wording, its drafting and acceptance, and the arguments that sprang up surrounding it during its creation.

Professor Gordon Lloyd details the final proceedings of the Constitutional Convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution. He looks at the final form of the Constitution agreed upon, the Brearley Committee, the Committee of Style, the convention members who refused to sign the Constitution and their reasons, and Benjamin Franklin's "Rising Star" speech which concluded the Convention. This lecture continues from the lecture "Constitutional Convention, Part Three: The Committee of Detail Report."

Professor Gordon Lloyd looks at the Constitutional Convention and the debate over what form the new government and its constitution should take. He focuses on the Committee of Detail and the Slave Trade Committee. This lecture continues from the lecture "Constitutional Convention, Part Two: The Connecticut Compromise."

Professor Gordon Lloyd looks at the Constitutional Convention and the debate over what form the new government and its constitution should take. He examines the Connecticut Compromise. This lecture continues from the lecture "Constitutional Convention, Part One: The Alternative Plans."

Professor Gordon Lloyd looks at the Constitutional Convention and the debate over what form the new government and its constitution should take. He examines the Virginia Plan, the revised Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, and the Hamilton Proposal.

Professor Gordon Lloyd follows the early history of the United States from 1776 to 1787, focusing on the forms of government that were established to try to realize the sentiments expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

Professor Christopher Flannery examines the prominence of the Declaration of Independence in U.S. history and present life, the context in which it was written, and the intentions of its drafters. He includes readings from historical documents.

Professors Mackubin T. Owens and Lucas E. Morel discuss general issues related to the Civil War, including the role of African-American soldiers in the war and the various frameworks in which historians have cast the war since its completion.

Professor Mackubin T. Owens looks at the role of African-American soldiers in the Civil War and the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation on the U.S. African-American population in general.