The founding of Pennsylvania and the legacy of the Pa. Constitution

Pop the champagne! Exactly 250 years ago today, the Pennsylvania Provincial Conference gathered at Carpenters’ Hall to imagine a world without tyranny. From that meeting of the minds came both a declaration of independence and a bold new vision of governance for the commonwealth. 

Rebuking both the monarchy and the local elite, the 1776 Pennsylvania constitution included radical ideas like a declaration of rights and popular sovereignty. 

If that sounds familiar, it might be because the Pennsylvania constitution was one of the earliest iterations of state constitutions and helped to shape not just the U.S. constitution, written more than a decade later, but democratic ideals around the world.

What local power struggles led to this foundational document? What kinds of social, economic and political pressures influenced the final product? And five overhauls and 113 amendments later, how does our current state constitution reflect those bold early visions of democracy? 

We the people at Studio 2 are broadcasting today’s episode live from Carpenters’ Hall, for a discussion on how Pennsylvania became a laboratory for democracy.

Guests:

— Christopher Pearl, professor of history at Lycoming College, and author of “Conceived in Crisis: The Revolutionary Creation of an American State.”

— Ben Geffen, senior attorney at the Public Interest Law Center

Can’t get enough of the constitution? Carpenters’ Hall is looking for input on proposed reforms to the Pennsylvania state constitution. You can weigh in here.