Confounding Father:  A Contrarian View of the U.S. Constitution is a classroom friendly documentary that tells the story of the constitutional convention from the contrarian viewpoint of anti-federalists. It serves as a timely reexamination of the U.S. political system and features Luther Martin, a Maryland delegate to the 1787 constitutional convention who:

• Opposed the continuation of the slave trade and the three-fifths clause
• Feared the unlimited taxing power of the national government
• Thought many framers of the constitution were seeking an American empire
• Drank too much, talked too much, and annoyed the famous founding fathers

Featuring:

• Gloria Browne-Marshall -  Constitutional Law Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Murray Dry - The Complete Antifederalist (Co-Editor)
• Paul Finkelman - Slavery & the Founders
• Woody Holton - Unruly Americans & the Origins of the Constitution
• Bill Kauffman - Forgotten Founder Drunken Prophet: The Life of Luther Martin
• Pauline Maier - Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788
• Gordon Wood - The Radicalism of the American Revolution (Pulitzer Prize)

Chapters:

• Articles of Confederation
• The Convention Begins
• The Virginia Plan
• The New Jersey Plan
• Luther Martin’s Objections
• What is an Antifederalist?
• Compromises and “Other Persons”
• Article I - Congress & Taxes
• Domestic Tranquility & Standing Armies
• Article II - The Executive
• The Convention Ends
• Ratification
• Bill of Rights
• The Constitution in the 21st Century

Confounding Father is available for individual streaming via OVID.tv.

The Confounding Father series includes the following titles:

Confounding Father - Episode 1

Episode one introduces the series, then covers the Articles of Confederation, the beginning of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the introduction of the Virginia Plan, & the New Jersey Plan counterproposal.

Nerds Make Media | 2020 | 27 minutes

Confounding Father - Episode 2

Episode two examines Maryland delegate and gadfly Luther Martin's objections, the ideas of opponents of the constitution, and concludes with an in-depth look at slavery and the founders.

Nerds Make Media | 2020 | 33 minutes

Confounding Father - Episode 3

This episode examines congress and taxing power, then demystifies “domestic tranquility.” The episode concludes with a look at the Presidency, “standing armies”, and the end of the Convention.

Nerds Make Media | 2020 | 30 minutes

Confounding Father - Episode 4

The final episode details the 1787-1788 ratification battle, reasons for the Bill of Rights, and the constitution in the 21st Century. An epilogue tells the story of Luther Martin's post-convention career.

Nerds Make Media | 2020 | 28 minutes

Visit the title page to preview any of the titles above.