A Revolution in Government: Philadelphia, American Independence, and the Constitution, 1765-1791

FAIN: BH-50241-07

National Constitution Center (Philadelphia, PA 19106-1514)
Steve M. Frank (Project Director: March 2007 to September 2009)

Two one-week workshops for 80 school teachers on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, including visits to key Philadelphia sites.

Philadelphia's National Constitution Center requests NEH funding for two one-week workshops, to be held in the summer of 2008. Titled "A Revolution in Government," the Institute will instruct participants in the history and significance of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, and will use the very sites in which those documents were drafted. Participating educators will learn about key political figures behind the documents, including Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, and Gouverneur Morris. The influence of Pennsylvania's state constitutional experiments on the ultimate shape and direction of the federal government will also be highlighted. Alongside field trips to Philadelphia's unique historic sites, the Institute will create lectures by celebrated visiting faculty, and open, collegial discussions with fellow participants. The Institute will be an unprecedented opportunity for educators to revisit - or learn - Philadelphia's role in constitutional history.