Consider the Constitution

This episode launches a special five-part miniseries examining James Madison's role in the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. Part of Montpelier's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, this series is funded by a grant from the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission in partnership with Virginia Humanities.

Dr. Katie Crawford Lackey talks with Dr. Lynn Uzzell about Madison's formative years—from his education at the College of New Jersey (Princeton) under John Witherspoon to his early political activism in 1770s Virginia. The conversation explores how Madison's exposure to Scottish Enlightenment philosophy and religious diversity shaped his lifelong commitment to freedom of conscience. At just 25 years old, Madison contributed critical language to Virginia's 1776 Declaration of Rights, replacing "toleration" with "free exercise of religion"—phrasing that would later appear in the First Amendment. The episode traces Madison's service during the Revolutionary War through the Continental Congress and his growing recognition of the weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation, setting the stage for his pivotal role at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

In this special year-end episode, Dr. Katie Crawford Lackey looks back at 19 conversations from 2025 with historians, lawyers, constitutional experts, and public servants.

In this special episode commemorating the 25th anniversary of the co-stewardship partnership between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and The Montpelier Foundation, host Dr. Katie Crawford Lackey welcomes Tom Mayes, Chief Legal Officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Together, they explore how historic places like James Madison's Montpelier connect us to the origins of the Constitution and why preserving these spaces matters for democracy.

In this special episode of Consider The Constitution, Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey is joined by Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz, Montpelier's Chief Advancement Officer, to explore how James Madison's Montpelier reveals history's most essential truth: no story stands alone. Deetz reveals why Madison's constitutional genius, Dolley's political mastery, and the enslaved community's foundational role must be understood as interconnected tiles in one complex picture. From diplomatic dinners served by enslaved hands to architectural choices that masked uncomfortable truths, every detail illuminates the contradictions of liberty being born on a landscape built by bondage.

Host Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey welcomes back Dr. Lauren Bell to explore how the Constitutional Convention's historic compromises shaped Congress into America's most powerful branch of government. From Madison's Virginia Plan to the Great Compromise that created our bicameral legislature, Bell reveals how enumerated and implied powers actually work in practice. Discover why congressional representation has become increasingly unequal over time, how air conditioning changed Congress forever, and why members strategically deflect responsibility to other branches as "single-minded seekers of reelection." Bell offers eye-opening insights into modern challenges and practical solutions for restoring public trust through better constituency connections, genuine oversight, and civic engagement.