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The American Revolution has ended and America is a free country. As a young country, America has many decisions to make about how it will be run, such as who will have power and lead the country. The Founding Fathers wanted to be careful that no one person would become too powerful, like the king they left behind, so the system of checks and balances was created. Listen to hear the story of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the safeguards they contained to keep the new government in check.

After the American Revolution, America was free from Great Britain and finally existed as its own country. However, America now lacked a set of laws to govern it. At the time, the states were not united, and each state had its own set of laws and ways of doing things. If America was going to survive it would need a set of laws to govern all of America. Listen to hear how the U.S. Constitution, and a strong central government, came to be.

The American Revolution is America’s founding story, told and retold for generations. The founding generation of Americans, led by such famous names as Washington, Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson, are credited with leading the American colonies to their improbable victory over Great Britain, the world’s greatest maritime power at the time. However, with victory would come the monumental challenge of building a new nation. Listen to learn about the story of what led to the Revolution and the important military milestones of the war that contributed to the colonies’ eventual victory over the British.

The Founding Fathers are known for uniting the thirteen original colonies, leading the American Revolution, and establishing the new democratic government of the United States of America. The women who contributed to those efforts are less well known. A children’s book called “Founding Mothers” tells their remarkable stories. Listen to learn why one Founding Mother believed American women were actually “better patriots” than their husbands.

When people think about America’s founding generation, names like Washington and Franklin typically come to mind. But one lesser known, yet important, person was Dr. Benjamin Rush. Rush was one of the leading doctors in early America. He was also involved in some of early America’s defining events, including the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the crossing of the Delaware, as well as being active in the abolition movement and advocacy for the mentally ill. This NPR story examines the life of Dr. Rush and discusses his significance, both in his own time and in American history.

In the original Constitution, the founders laid out a process through which a president could be removed from power, known as impeachment. In this audio story, a history professor explains how impeachment works. She also gives a brief history of presidential impeachments, explaining some of the issues in each case. Finally, she sounds a warning about impeachment, namely that it is should not be used for political purposes but rather as a mechanism for holding a president accountable for job performance.

Throughout American history, voting has been a contested right. Thought of as a right of citizenship, voting has, in fact, been restricted to varying degrees since the foundation of the country. Even today, barriers exist that make it difficult even for citizens to vote. In this Civics101 story, an author discusses the contested history of voting in America, how voting has changed over time, and some of the 21st century obstacles that impact the right to vote today.