Constitution Alive Section Two – The Seeds Of Liberty Day One: Our Constitution is still alive and applicable today! As citizens, we all have a duty to study the Constitution, to understand where our rights and our freedoms are laid out in that document, and how our government structure should work. The reason our government continues to overstep its boundaries is because “we the people” don’t know what those boundaries are! Tune in for day one of another segment from Constitution Alive as we talk about the seeds of liberty and lay the foundation for studying our Constitution and Declaration in later episodes.

Air Date: 09/09/2023

On-air Personalities: David Barton and Rick Green

Transcription note: As a courtesy for our listeners’ enjoyment, we are providing a transcription of this podcast. Transcription will be released shortly. However, as this is transcribed from a live talk show, words and sentence structure were not altered to fit grammatical, written norms in order to preserve the integrity of the actual dialogue between the speakers. Additionally, names may be misspelled or we might use an asterisk to indicate a missing word because of the difficulty in understanding the speaker at times. We apologize in advance.

Faith And The Culture

Rick:

Welcome to the intersection of faith and politics. This is WallBuilders Live with David Barton and Rick Green. Thanks for joining us today. Visit online at WallBuilders.com and WallBuildersLive.com.

We’ve got a special program lined up for you this week. We”€™re going to share some more from Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green. This is the program that David and I put together to basically give you a quick start guide to the Constitution. So, most people are not going to go spend five years studying every Supreme Court decision, studying all the debates at the Constitutional Convention, and the ratification conventions, and application of the Constitution over the last 200 years. Most people are going to do that.

But all of us as citizens have a duty and a responsibility to study the Constitution, to understand where our rights and our freedoms are laid out in that document, and how our government structure should work. The reason we have so much lawlessness in America today, the reason that our president, and our Congress, and our courts, have overstepped their boundaries and continue to do so was because “€œwe the people”€ don’t know what those boundaries are. We don’t know what the limitations are on each of those branches of government, we don’t know what the proper jurisdictions are and responsibilities.

Constitution Alive?

Rick:

So, it’s first up to us, “€œwe the people”€, to learn these things, to understand the Constitution, and then we’ll be able to properly elect good men and women that will also uphold that document and then to hold them accountable. But it begins with that.

So, what David and I did was we put together Constitution Alive meaning that the document is still alive today, it’s still applicable today. Not meaning, you know, some folks say living, breathing, document, it changes on a whim with what five of the nine justices want. Not at all. It can change, but only if the American people wanted to change through the amendment process laid out in Article 5.

What we mean by Constitution Alive is that what the original intent of the Constitution was still stands today, that that document is not dead, that those principles are alive and well today if we will apply them.

So, we did two things. Number one, I went out to Philadelphia to Independence Hall and right there in the very room where the Constitution was framed, where all the debates took place, and where it was signed by those men like Benjamin Franklin and others. Right there in that room same room where the Declaration of Independence was signed, same room where all those debates took place, in that room we held a Constitution class and we walked through the entire Constitution – all seven articles, all 27 Amendments.

And then David and I together in his library, amazing library, that has so many of the original documents. Just, it’s unbelievable. He’s got the largest private collection of Founding Fathers documents in the country. It’s amazing.

So, what we did was we took each of these segments of Constitution Alive and we went through those concepts in his library. And he was able to pull stuff off the shelf and say, “€œLook, Rick, here’s where this is in an original writing.”€ And it was just incredible. So, we’ve actually put together a program where we take you both to Philadelphia to where the Constitution was framed and the WallBuilders library and all of those original documents. We just want to give you a sneak peek of it, we want to share it with you right here to our WallBuilders Live listeners, give you a chance to experience Constitution Alive.

The Secret Sauce

Rick:

A few weeks back we shared Constitution Alive segment one. So, you got the introduction, the purpose and approach, of the entire program and we laid some of that foundation. This week we want to share with you segment two and that’s our opportunity to give you the seeds of liberty, to lay the foundation before we get into those specific sections and clauses in the Constitution, to lay the foundation of the philosophy upon which the Constitution was built. And that’s what we’re going to share with you over the next four days.

It will be four days of programs, it will all be available to you free right there on our website at WallBuildersLive.com. And by the end of the week you’ll be able to take the links to all four programs and share those with your friends and family and get them educated on this part of the Constitution. So, this is section 2, the seeds of liberty, out of Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green. We’re going start that segment right now.

Welcome back to Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green. In our first chapter, we kind of laid the foundation, talked about our purpose and approach and why it’s important to study the Constitution. Now, we’re going to dive a little bit deeper into the secret sauce. Really, we’re going to find out what that formula is that made the American experiment so successful. So, David, why are we not going to start with the Constitution? Why do we back up a decade to the Declaration?

David:

We have to go to the Declaration because it’s the document that set forth the principles. So, the Constitution said, “€œYou remember the principles we gave you eleven years ago? Here’s the way we want them applied.”€ So, the Constitution is the application of the principles. You have to go back to the principles.

In the first session we talked about kind of like baseball training camp, kind of like basketball camp–

Get The Basics Right

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

You go back and you get the basics right. And that’s what the Constitution did is it went back to those principles.

Now, there’s a real interesting movement that has been going for three or four decades in America and that is to separate the Declaration from the Constitution – “€œOh, we take an oath to uphold the Constitution – not the Declaration. Those documents–“€ I remember one of the guys we worked with and got elected to Congress actually took out the chairman Judiciary Committee. We have a letter from the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, “€œNo, no, no, the Declaration is absolutely irrelevant in America.”€

Rick:

I wonder is it because it mentions God? Is it because–

David:

It mentions God a lot, but, see, the thing is if you ignore the principles you can take and do anything you want with this.

Rick:

That”€™s true, you can change–

David:

You can change–

Rick:

–you lose the intent, you lose the foundation.

David:

You can take that screwdriver and make it into a shovel.

Rick:

Right. Right.

Four Simple Reasons Against Separation

David:

If I get rid of the owner’s manual, if I get rid of the principles, then I can use this any way I want to. So, there is a movement to that.

Now, there’s four reasons, real simple reasons, that people need to know why you do not separate the Declaration from the Constitution. You’re going to talk about this at Independence Hall.

Rick:

And why we have to study the Declaration to even understand the Constitution correctly.

David:

You can’t understand it.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

You can never properly interpret and understand– Because the key is knowing what they were trying to do–

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

–because that’s what you– “€œWell, they were trying to do certain things.”€ Who cares if we’ve got cars and internet. It”€™s what they were trying to do in jurisdictional.

So, when you look at the Declaration and Constitution, there”€™s four reasons they can’t be separated. The first is constitutional acts. The Constitution itself dates itself to the year of our independence. It does not date itself to what they did in 1787. That’s not when they started the numbering. The Constitution says, “€œWe have done this Constitution in the 11th year of our independence.”€

Rick:

So, they saw that as the beginning.

Presidential Acts

David:

They saw that as the beginning.

Rick:

They say the Declaration as the beginning and therefore part of it.

David:

See, and that’s what we still do– to this day, the current president, when he signs a presidential act– Now, these are early presidential acts, this one happens to be from John Quincy Adams. Hold that one.

Rick:

This is an actual presidential act.

David:

That’s presidential act signed by John Quincy Adams.

Rick:

Wow.

David:

Here’s one. This one is one with James Madison up here, his signature down here.

Rick:

That”€™s delicate. I can see why you didn’t let me take this to Independence Hall.

David:

By the way, a little bit of trivia on this. Your great grandparents probably talked about getting their sheepskin when they graduated from college.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

And that was their diploma and that”€™s because it was sheepskin. This is vellam. This is animal skin.

Rick:

Oh, really.

David:

So, the old days, when you got a diploma, when you got a certificate, it was literally animal skin.

Rick:

Wow.

Constitutional Defense of your Family and Freedom

Hey friends, Rick Green here, I know there’s a lot of crazy stuff going on in America right now, chaos in the streets. But we know God is sovereign and we know that He’s in charge. We also know that duty is ours, results are God’s. And that means we do our duty and part of that duty is being prepared to protect our families. You know, Proverbs 22:3 says a prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions, the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

Friends, if you are not prepared to defend your family, can I just challenge you to come spend a few days with us for a training we call ‘Constitutional Defense of your Family and Freedom’. During the day on the range, you’re going to get the best handgun defense training in the world. And in the evening, I’m going to teach you on the Constitution.

So, you’re going to get intellectual training as well as physical training on how to defend your family. It’s a great time of fellowship. We have a wonderful time every time we do one of these trainings. We have taken several thousand people through this constitutional defense training, handgun defense by day, constitutional knowledge by night. Sign up today at rickgreen.com.

We’re going to take you out there for 1/10th, that’s only 10% of the normal price of going out to these very good trainings and no more important time than to do it right now. Rickgreen.com, sign up today doesn’t matter if you’ve had a lifetime of gun experience or you’ve never touched a gun ever in your life.

We’ve had all types with us. Every single one of them are so glad that they went and you need to be with us on the next trip. Check it out at rickgreen.com, we’ve got multiple dates coming up and we want you to be with us for constitutional defense.

David:

Here’s what you see. Signed there by the president, James Madison. But what you need to see is, “€œGiven under my hand”€, the city of Washington, this is a constitutional act, the 19th day of June in the year of our Lord, which is the way the Constitution closes. So, anybody who says it”€™s secular, then what do you do with that, “€œThe year of our Lord”€? That’s the Constitution close. One thousand eight hundred and thirteen and of the independence of the United States of America and the thirty seventh year.

Rick:

So, it’s counting all the way back.

David:

That”€™s a constitutional act that dates itself back to– look at the one you”€™ve got.

Rick:

So, that’s 1813. Then they back up 37 years and that’s going to take us to 1776. So, mine”€™s 2nd of March in the year of our Lord 182– I think it’s says six, doesn”€™t it?

David:

It looks– twenty seven.

Diving Deeper Into The Reasons

Rick:

Oh, twenty seven. Okay. And the independence of the United States of America– I can’t read it. It’s fifty something, right?

David:

But the point is it does go back to independence.

Rick:

It goes back to independence – not the Constitution itself.

David:

That”€™s right.

Rick:

So, if we– okay, so that’s one good reason, just the Constitution itself. What’s the next one?

David:

The second good reason is the way that states became part of the United States. You had to have an enabling act. So, when we had the original 13 colonies we also had territories – southern territory, the Ohio territory, Northwest Territory. If you want to become a state in United States you have to follow the provisions set up by Congress in an enabling act.

So, enable acts, we had through what was called the Northwest Ordinance that says you get forty thousand people in a territory, you set up a territory form of government, you have to have a republican form of government, here’s what you do with judiciary, education, etc.. And those are the requirements. If you fulfill that then you can become a state in the United States on application to Congress and Congress accepting that.

Enabling Acts

David:

It’s interesting that the Enabling Acts for the states – whether you’re Colorado, whether you”€™re Nebraska, whether you’re in Nevada, wherever, it said you can’t become a state in the United States unless you follow the principles of the Declaration and the wording the Constitution. So, to become a state, the two documents were joined together.

Rick:

Saying, “€œWe don’t want you part of our nation as a state unless you get those principles and that philosophy.”€

David:

Principles of the Declaration and the wording of the Constitution.

Rick:

Wow.

David:

So, that’s the second reason. The third reason we point to is the US codes organic laws. Now, the US Code annotated is what lists all the laws the United States with all the decisions by courts telling you how they’re currently interpreted. And on page one of the current federal code– and we know from the supremacy clause that federal law trumps state law, trumps state constitutions etc..

So, the Supremacy Clause puts federal law at the top up with the Constitution. And in this U.S. code, which is federal law, on page one, it lists four organic laws of the United States and those are the four laws that no other law can be allowed to violate. And one of those is the Declaration of Independence. So, the Constitution and Declaration are two of the four organic laws. You cannot pass laws that violate the Declaration. So, even our federal code recognizes that.

The fourth reason is fairly simple – grievance corollaries. And this is what you alluded to earlier. If you don’t understand what the Declaration is trying to do, you don”€™t understand what the Constitution did.

Rick:

Yeah.

Taking The Two Together

David:

Because so many clauses in the Constitution came directly– they said in the Declaration, “€œHere’s twenty seven reasons we’re leaving Great Britain because they’ve got 27 things wrong.”€ Well, eleven years later when we get a chance to fix them, we do fix them. So–

Rick:

They don’t want it happening again.

David:

We don’t want it happening again.

Rick:

We don”€™t want a repeat, so–

David:

Here’s a simple one – you take. And if you want to know what Article 1 Section 5 Clause 4 in the Constitution means you need to read grievance number four in the Declaration. So, let’s do that.

Rick:

So, we’re literally taking them together.

David:

We’re taking them together.

Rick:

We”€™re taking the two documents together. Okay.

David:

So, we’re going to take the two together. Grievous number four in the Declaration says he, the king, King George III, “€œHas called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of the public records for the sole purpose of * them into compliance with his measures.”€ We had Congress and state legislatures that said, “€œWe’re not doing what the king wants.”€ He says, “€œOkay, you’re not going to meet in Williamsburg anymore, you’re going to meet out in the boonies out here.”€

Just To Make It Difficult

Rick:

He”€™s just trying to make it difficult.

David:

That’s right.

Rick:

And keep them from meeting.

David:

All your government documents are there in Williamsburg in Virginia, but we’re going to have you meet in the boonies. Now let’s see you get the documents, let’s see you refer to the laws. So, it was for the purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

So, we don’t want that happening in the Congress, so that’s why in the Constitution we’re specifically told neither House during the session of Congress shall without the consent of the other adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be set. You can’t send us somewhere else. And it specifically gives that as a corollary.

Same thing if you want to know with Article 1 Section 4 Paragraph 1 and 2 means, you”€™ve got to go back and read grievances 5 and 6. Grievances 5 and 6, again, we’re talking about King George the Third and the British. It says, “€œHe’s dissolved representative houses repeatedly.”€ So, he didn’t like what they were doing, he would just wipe them out as he did in Massachusetts – “€œYou’re out of session, your session just ended by my order.”€ For opposing with manly firmness his invasion on the Rights of the people. That’s what Massachusetts legislators are doing and standing for North Carolina etc..

Rick:

Yeah.

Protecting Representation

David:

He has refused for a long time after such. So, he wipes out the legislatures, and then for a long time he’s refused to cause others to be elected. He wants to let us have new elections.

Rick:

Basically taking away our right–

David:

To representation.

Rick:

–of representative government. That”€™s right.

David:

Whereby the legislative powers which are incapable of annihilation, in other words, legislative powers are supposed to be there. Government is ordained by God, you”€™re supposed to have those powers, they’ve been returned to the people at large for their exercise, the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without and convulsions within. We’ve lost our ability to have civil government. We’re now in anarchy.

Rick:

Setting us up for easy invasion, easy–

David:

Because nobody can make decisions or protect us.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

So, Constitution says specifically the, “€œTimes Places and Manner of holding Elections for senators and representatives shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof. But the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations except as in the place of choosing senators. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year and such meetings shall be on the first Monday in December unless they shall by law appoint a different day.”€

Quite frankly, you can’t wipe out Congress and tell us we can’t meet for years. We’re going to make sure we get together once every year. In other words, you’re not going to be able to dissolve us.

Setting Up The Playbook

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

We’ve got to be together and we are going to get together at least once a year. So, you can’t wipe us out for five years and tell us don’t come– Constitution took care that grievance.

Rick:

It sets up the playbook. It sets up “€œHere’s the parameters. Here”€™s how things are going to happen.”€

David:

That’s exactly right.

Rick:

“€œBecause we don’t want this to be willy nilly to whatever the king wants.”€

David:

That’s right.

Rick:

“€œThis has got to be set in stone.”€

David:

And two more quick examples.

Rick:

Okay.

David:

Article 1 Section 8 Paragraph 4 Clause 4, if you want to know what that means you read grievance seven in the Declaration. Grievance seven in the Declaration says, “€œHe, the king has endeavoured to prevent the population of these states. For that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners, refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations, etc..”€ He wants our numbers as small as he can get them and he won’t let us grow and he’s not letting us have immigration.

By the way, immigration for a long time, including through the early presidents, was a state issue – not a federal issue.

Not A Federal Issue

Rick:

Interesting.

David:

States are the ones who set immigration laws. So, you’re not immigrating to the United States – you’re immigrating– you’re going to live in Virginia, or you’re going to live in North Carolina, you’re going to live in Georgia. So, the states are the ones who set the immigration laws when they signed the Constitution.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

So, he said what’s happened is we’re trying to get more people in our states to populate and he won’t let us do that. So, the Constitution says–

Rick:

How”€™d they solve it.

David:

“€œThe Congress shall have power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization.”€ You’re not going to be able to shut down immigration, you can’t shut it down.

And here’s the fourth and final example. If you want to understand Article 1 Section 8 Clause 9 you have to read grievance number eight and it says, “€œHe’s obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.”€

We”€™re Not Going To Have This

David:

Now, this is one of those four grievances in the Declaration where the Founding Fathers were complaining about what he was doing in the judiciary. And they specifically said he doesn’t let the judges be accountable to the people, he’s given them lifetime appointments, he’s running the judges not us. So, he’s obstructed our administration of justice, he wiped out for a while jury trials etc.. John Adams went through the roof when they didn’t have jury trials.

But the British were taking judges to make policy, they were taking judges to keep the Americans pushed down. So, what we did was say, “€œWell, we’re not letting that happen. Congress shall have power to constitute tribunals and *.”€ Congress is the one who takes care of judges. Congress is– we’re not going to have the king having judges tell us what to do. We’re going to have Congress over the judges.

Rick:

Yeah.

David:

So, you cannot understand the Constitution without the Declaration. And that’s because the Constitution itself dates itself back there. The enabling acts, you can’t be part of the United States if you don’t follow both documents. Our current federal code says you have to follow both documents. And you just don’t understand the Constitution without the Declaration. So, you can”€™t separate the two.

Rick:

Yeah. You’ve got to put them together. You”€™ve got to steady both of them.

David;

That’s the framework for it.

Rick:

Yeah. Alright. Well, let’s dive into that framework. We’re going to get into some of those seeds of liberty. Let’s go back to the place where those seeds bore fruit. We’re headed to Independence Hall.

Moment From American History

This is David Barton with another moment from America’s history. What is the purpose of government? Founding Father Oliver Ellsworth believed he knew. Oliver Ellsworth was a delegate at the convention which formed the Constitution and later he became the chief justice of the US Supreme Court.

Concerning the purpose of government, Oliver Ellsworth declared, “€œThe primary objects of government are the peace, order, and prosperity of society.”€ Yet, how are these goals to be achieved?

Ellsworth explained, “€œTo the promotion of these objects, good morals are essential. Institutions for the promotion of good morals are therefore objects of legislative provision and support. And among these religious institutions are eminently useful and important.”€

Founding Father Oliver Ellsworth believed government could never reach its goals apart from the help of religious institutions. For more information on God’s hand in American history contact WallBuilders at 1-800-8-REBUILD.

Rick:

Welcome back to the Constitution Alive. We’re now going to talk about the seeds of liberty, what the ideas were that these guys actually sewed into our nation and how it created such a successful nation.

And remember that what John Jay told us, our secret formula for how we’re going to study the Constitution. He said to make sure that you not only read, but study the Constitution. So, if we’re going to study it, we’ve got to get inside the minds of these guys. We’ve got to know what that original intent. If that’s going to be our focus, is the original intent, we’ve got to go back to what these guys actually put in place.

I always think it’s important not just to study the Constitution, but to study the Declaration with the Constitution.

The Slab Of The Home

Rick:

In fact, the founders said you really had to do that. I like the way John Quincy Adams put it – in my language he said that it was the slab that the home of the Constitution was built upon, the Declaration was. But here’s the way he said it, “€œThe Declaration of Independence was the platform upon which the Constitution of the United States had been erected. The principles proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence were embodied in the Constitution of the United States.”€

I like the analogy to a business. If you’ve ever incorporated a business, you”€™ve got your articles of incorporation, you”€™ve got your your bylaws. Well, your articles of incorporation kind of tell the world, “€œThis is what we are. This is who we are, this is what we’re about.”€ And then the bylaws are the rules by which that company is going to operate.

In this room they gave us our articles of incorporation in the Declaration of Independence, the philosophy of America, and said, “€œHere’s who we are, what we’re about, and what we’re going to do.”€ And then the Constitution, that’s our bylaws, that’s the rules by which our nation operates. That’s the rules of our nation. So, we like to take them together.

I find it interesting that when you look at them side by side you find a lot of the grievances in the Declaration of Independence actually solved in the Constitution. Grievances that they said we’re separating from the mother country over this and we want to make sure that our nation never does the same thing.

Now, of course, if you grew up like I did on Saturday morning watching Schoolhouse Rock, anybody else watching– okay, I’m the only one in the room. Anyway, Schoolhouse– you know, “€œI’m a bill, a little guy–“€ well in Schoolhouse Rock, what’s the one reason why we declared our independence from Great Britain? What”€™s the one everybody always talks about? Taxation without representation. Right? That’s the one we all know.

Not The Only Grievance

Rick:

Twenty seven reasons. That was like number 17. It’s way down on the list. You had religious liberty issues, you had judicial tyranny issues, a lot of things that we’re going to raise later tonight. But all of these grievances in the Declaration, so many of them are mentioned in the Constitution.

So, let’s start with the Declaration. And let’s go back again to this room, and these guys in this room, and actually let’s back up about a month before what we talked about earlier. On June 7th, 1776, Richard Henry Lee right over here from Virginia stands up and he makes the motion. He says that, “€œThese United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.”€ And that’s treason. He has committed treason right here in Independence Hall, he committed treason against the mother country.

John Adams seconds the motion. The guy taking the journal scratches out both their names because he knows that’s the two guys King George is going after right off the bat. They debate it, they talk about it for several days, they talk about what they– should they even consider this? If they do consider it, how should they go about doing? Talk, talk, talk. Finally those five guys you see in the middle of the screen, those were the five guys that were given the responsibility for drafting the Declaration of Independence.

Immediately you probably recognize Jefferson and Franklin. Franklin’s on the ride of Jefferson there and to the far left is Adams. Two guys in the middle there – that’s Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. Livingston actually ended up not getting to sign. Here he’s the guy, the chairman actually, of the committee to write the Declaration when he gets called away and doesn”€™t get a chance to sign.

But anyway, so these guys come back with the Declaration. As you know, Jefferson did all the heavy lifting. In fact, right around the corner they’ve rebuilt his apartment there and they put all these original furnishings back in. It’s incredible. You can go in and see the place where he wrote the Declaration of Independence. You can see the things that he wrote it with. It’s just phenomenal.

But so he drafts it, brings it back in, they debated here for several days. And they’re debating and debating. Finally, one of the guys has had all he can handle. He’s just tired of the talk. He wants some action. He’s not a well-known founding father. I think he sat over in this corner over here, his name was Larry. And Larry got up and he said. “€œGuys, it’s time to get her done.”€

*laughter*

Rick:

I’m waiting for a ranger to tackle me for saying that because that did not happen, okay, it wasn’t Larry. It was actually John Witherspoon.

Constitution Alive

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the United States Constitution but just felt like, man, the classes are boring or it’s just that old language from 200 years ago or I don’t know where to start? People want to know. But it gets frustrating because you don’t know where to look for truth about the Constitution either.

Well, we’ve got a special program for you available now called Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green. It’s actually a teaching done on the Constitution at Independence Hall in the very room where the Constitution was framed. We take you both to Philadelphia, the Cradle of Liberty and Independence Hall and to the WallBuilders”€™ library where David Barton brings the history to life to teach the original intent of our Founding Fathers.

We call it the QuickStart guide to the Constitution because in just a few hours through these videos you will learn the Citizen’s Guide to America’s Constitution.  You’ll learn what you need to do to help save our Constitutional Republic. It’s fun! It’s entertaining! And it’s going to inspire you to do your part to preserve freedom for future generations. It’s called Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green. You can find out more information on our website now at WallBuilders.com.

Is Independence Going To Fail?

Rick:

It was Witherspoon from New Jersey right here saying– you know, it was kind of a 1776 version of “€œGet her done”€ because John Dickinson had actually said, “€œThe people are not ripe for revolution.”€ So, Witherspoon gets up and he says, “€œThey’re not only ripe, but rotting.”€ He said, “€œLet’s take the vote.”€ They took the vote. The vote failed. They had three states that said “€œno”€ initially – South Carolina, Delaware ,and Pennsylvania, all said “€œno”€.

Now, Delaware was close, man, Delaware was a tie. Delaware was a one to one tie. And the third delegate, Caesar Rodney, wasn’t here. He’d been called back home, a brigadier general. And instantly Thomas McKean the “€œyes”€ vote, he knows, man, if Rodney was here we could get independence. But if Rodney doesn’t get back by the time we take the vote again independence is going to fail.

Constitution Alive Section Two – The Seeds Of Liberty Day One

Rick:

Well, we’re out of time for today, folks. That was the first of a four part series laying out for you the entire second section of Constitution Alive. This is where we cover the seeds of liberty. And if you tuned in in the middle the program you can get this entire program today online at WallBuildersLive.com right now. And by the end of the week you’ll be able to get all four programs that we are going to share with you, free of charge, Section 2 out of Constitution Alive. If you’d like to know more about Constitution Alive, visit WallBuilders.com

We’re going to pick up tomorrow exactly where we left off today with David Barton and myself, Rick Green, on Constitution Alive. Thanks for listening today to WallBuilders Live with David Barton and Rick Green.