Constitution Explained: How the Founders Got It Done | History in 5 | PragerU Kids

Before we start this episode, you should know that History in 5 is a series that teaches about America's greatest ideas in a fun, conversational, age-appropriate style for tweens. From civics to history to our U.S. Constitution and beyond. Enjoy more free videos like this for kids of all ages on our website. And for parents and teachers, subscribe for free to PragerUKids.com. In 1783, America won its war for independence, breaking free from England, the greatest empire on Earth. It was about as likely as Green Arrow beating Superman. No offense, Green Arrow, you're just a dude with a bow. Even though it was a great victory, it was just a step toward a greater goal. Think of it this way. If you want to become a doctor, graduating high school is a big accomplishment. But it's only the beginning. You still have years of college and med school. When America became independent, it wasn't automatically a strong and unified country. Every state had its own government, its own culture, and most of all, its own ideas. And every state valued its independence. Bringing everyone together under one national government would be very difficult. Some even thought impossible. Imagine trying to create a new board game and having to get every single student in your school to agree on what the rules should be. The stress, the arguing, the breakups. The founders were in a similar situation, only with millions of people and something as controversial as a new government. It would have been far easier to let every state go its own way. But then you wouldn't have one strong country, you'd have 13 weak countries. That'd make it easy for England to come right back and pick them off one by one. Founders like George Washington and James Madison knew that this would be a disaster. So they sent out a call to all 13 states. Send us your smartest guys to create a national government. In May 1787, 55 men showed up to Philadelphia, my hometown. They called this meeting the Constitutional Convention. Many thought it was pointless and would never succeed. Like trying to use a stick to kill Thanos. Everyone knows you use stones. But despite the skepticism, these men were determined. They locked themselves in a room for 113 days. Just imagine taking the hardest test of your life for almost four months straight in a hot room without air conditioning. And also you're wearing tights and a wig. Finally, on September 17th of 1787, they finished the Constitution. The blueprint for our government we still use today. They didn't just defeat the odds. The document they wrote turned out to be the most successful of all time. So how did they do it? Well, let's start with this. They knew the stakes. If they failed, there would be no country. Americans sacrificed too much in the war for independence to let it go to waste. Despite their differences, they all had a common goal. Create a unified nation where freedom would be protected for future generations. Second, these 55 men were really smart. They understood history, science, and philosophy. They were also students of the Bible. They knew scripture and how to apply its principles to government. Third, they were prepared to compromise. Well, maybe. Agreeing on everything would be impossible. Just like getting everyone in your school to agree on all the rules of a new game. They had to accept they wouldn't get everything they wanted. And on top of that, they had a living cheat code. George Washington. He led America to victory in the war for independence. And now he was leading the Constitutional Convention. He was the guy that no one would mess with and everyone respected. You know, like He-Man. He didn't say much. He didn't have to. They all knew what he was thinking. Let's get this done! And nobody wanted to let him down. But even with Washington's leadership, just when they thought they had a deal, everything fell apart. All that they achieved looked like it would come to nothing. Just what many had predicted. But then the oldest guy in the room, Benjamin Franklin, suggested that they ask God for help. Some say this was a turning point. With a new spirit of compromise, the 55 delegates decided to give it one more try. And this time, they succeeded. America had a new Constitution. Thank you so much for watching this episode of History in 5. You can watch the full series and more on our website. And parents, make sure you subscribe at PragerUKids.com to never miss an episode.