Have We Always Been a Divided Nation?

A Historical Look at Who Opposed the New American Constitution: One can argue that the idea of a divided, polarized America into so-called red and blue voters has always been the case. The national discussion and vote on a new Constitution involved plenty of dissenting voices from those who were organizing around slavery, debt, political elites, and other wedge issues. Using video, photos, and excerpts from writings and speeches, we will take a close look at who those dissenting voices were at the creation of our Constitution. And as a group, we will consider and imagine alternative Constitutions with different meanings that might have been created at our founding–and likely would have had different consequences for American history.