A More or Less Perfect Union Season 1 Episode 2 A Constitution for All

A More or Less Perfect Union is a six-part documentary series that explores the creation and evolution of the United States Constitution. The second episode of the series, A Constitution for All, looks at how America's founding document was made a reality for all of its citizens.

The episode begins by examining the promise of the Declaration of Independence, which boldly states that "all men are created equal." However, as the Constitution was drafted and debated, it became clear that this promise did not extend to everyone. African Americans were considered property, women were denied the right to vote, and even poor white men were often excluded from political life.

Many fought to extend the Constitution's protections to all Americans. One such person was Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave who became a powerful voice for abolition and equal rights. Douglass argued that the Constitution was meant to be a living document that evolved with the times, and that it should be reinterpreted to give voice to those who had been excluded.

Another key figure was Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who helped organize the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 and publish the Declaration of Sentiments, which called for equal rights for women. Despite facing opposition from many quarters, Stanton and her fellow suffragists continued to press for women's rights, culminating in the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920.

The episode also explores the struggle for voting rights, from the African American men who first gained the franchise during Reconstruction, to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, which fought to remove barriers like poll taxes and literacy tests. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a major achievement, but opponents continued to chip away at it in subsequent years, prompting a new generation of activists to pick up the mantle today.

Throughout the episode, A More or Less Perfect Union reminds us that the Constitution is not set in stone, but rather a living, breathing document that must adapt to the needs of a changing society. As the Equal Rights Amendment, which would guarantee equal rights regardless of sex, nears ratification in 2020, it's clear that the work is far from over. But as the show's title suggests, the goal is not necessarily perfection, but progress.