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American Founder Jonathan Smith’s Inspiring Speech

When I was teaching constitutional history, I would ask a student to read it orally to the rest of the class. By the end, there was not a dry eye in the house.
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American Founder Jonathan Smith’s Inspiring Speech
American Gen. George Washington (1732–99) presides over the Constitutional Convention, in Philadelphia from May 25, 1787, to Sept. 17, 1787. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Rob Natelson
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Commentary

When the second and third teams are impressive, you know the first team must be really good.

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Rob Natelson
Rob Natelson
Author
Robert G. Natelson, a former constitutional law professor, is Senior Fellow in Constitutional Jurisprudence at the Mountain States Policy Center and the Independence Institute. He authored “The Original Constitution” (4th ed., 2025) and is a contributor to the Heritage Foundation’s “Heritage Guide to the Constitution.”