Following the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, our Founding Fathers continued in session to draft a new form of government. They developed the Articles of Confederation and elected Samuel Huntington as the first President of the United States. For 12 years, our fledgling country was governed by these Articles. This class focuses on the drafting and governing under this flawed compact. Rarely does history chat much about this hiccup but we will in this two-hour course. The lessons learned by Washington, Madison and Hamilton helped them frame the U.S. Constitution which was adopted in 1788. (Term 1 Class)