Dr. Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, sits down with Dr. Jeffry Morrison to discuss his newest book, The Words that Made Us (Basic Books, 2021). Amar makes the argument that America can trace its beginnings to 1760, farther back than many scholars claim. He also discusses the Northwest Ordinance, the importance of a written constitution, and why George Washington should be considered the Father of the Constitution. This conversation was recorded for the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation on July 1, 2022 in Alexandria, Virginia.
0:00 Words that made us
8:09 Books about texts
19:07 Beginning of America
26:14 Rights of British Americans
31:57 Northwest Ordinance
44:43 George Washington
50:14 Chief Executive
1:00:15 Importance of deliberation