Becoming America: The Constitutional Convention of 1787

How did the United States Constitution become the supreme law of the land? Who wrote it? What issues did they face? Why is the Constitution important to us today? The Constitution is under attack at the same time few Americans can answer simple questions about what it says and what it means. Becoming America: The Constitutional Convention of 1787 addresses these important issues in a unique blend of interviews with nationally acclaimed scholars and experts and lively, upbeat songs from the new musical “Convention: The Birth of America.”

Designed for “we the people” of all ages, Becoming America will take you on a tour of America in 1787 and in-person encounters with Presidents George Washington and James Madison.  Sponsored by the Center for Civics Education at Concordia University Irvine, each of seventeen episodes is co-hosted by Dr. Jo Ellen Chatham, Judge James P. Gray (retired) and the Honorable Bijan Kian.

An underlying theme is the notion that “The United States of America is the perfect idea. The United States of America is a work in progress.” How do we, as Americans, continue to build on the original principles of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and equality under the law? Only a basic understanding of those principles, their origin and purpose, and commitment to their fulfillment can we assure their endurance and applicability to all Americans and those who live here.

Becoming America promises to inform, inspire and entertain you through an historic journey unique in the history of the world and foundational to how our government was established and has endured for more than two hundred thirty years. The Constitution is ours. It belongs to us, “we the people.”