The first 10 amendments to the Constitution were added during the 1st Congress. They addressed fears of a too powerful central government which could lead to the rise of a king. The Declaration of Independence broke the tie between the American colonies and King George III, the US Constitution set up a government dividing power between a President, Congress, the Supreme Court, and the states. The Bill of Rights further limits the power of the national government. As Thomas Jefferson said: “A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference.”

On the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the country, the actions of the Federal government, states and individuals are in conflict. Dr. Jorgensen will review the Bill of Rights, where they came from, and how they have been challenged in the past and now, in the present.

Dr. Alex Jorgensen is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Valley City State University and serves on the Barnes County Historical Museum board. He has been with the Social Science Department at VCSU since 2020. Dr. Jorgensen has previously presented in this series on the topics of Russia’s War in Ukraine and the War in Israel and Gaza. He lives in Valley City with his wife, Megan, and their five children.

All Lectures are at the Barnes County Historical Society Museum and held in conjunction with Valley City State University. For more information contact Wes Anderson at 701-845-0966.

This talk is sponsored by the Barnes County Historical Society and What in the World is Going On? which is a VCSU Community group in its 25th year of addressing local, state, national and global issues. The talk is free and open to the public.