Hansen voyages enrolled history, and we know from that book that theyre all kinds of big patterns and that its the job of students and professional historians to figure out what the big pattern is because in our lives so much of what happens is so complex and chaotic and quick that we can figure out. Whats the overall trajectory. So some of the patterns weve been looking at are things like the effect of the environment upon us. Whether its all the things that nature hurls at us whether its a hurricane or you know a flood or a famine or even tiny microbes that drastically affect people like ebola. Weve also looked at things that are like mechanical things or technological inventions, and those are also big patterns. So for example the ways in which farming the i know department doesnt seem like a technology but the ways in which farming and the plow and things like that replaced hunting and gathering and that replacement of hunting and gathering by farming led from the neolithic into the paleolithic. Wow, what bigger pattern could there be than that . And other technologies too that have really affected our lives such as the invention of the Spinning Wheel faster Spinning Wheels or steam engines. And what did they do . They led to the replacement of manual labor with machine labor and as we know as you already know that gave us the industrial revolution. So those are giant patterns. And those were patterns i think are easier to see partly because theyre outsiderves. Theyre like actual objects. We can see and feel and touch but sometimes the most important patterns are the ones that are in here. The ones that we dont see, but they profoundly affect our understanding of our lives. Our basic assumptions and what i want to talk about today is the way in which a certain very old set of assumptions about how the world works. About violence and power and order and government how those changed radically and how we today we go about you know, assuming that certain things are the way they are and of course theyve always been that way, but we know they havent so what is that big pattern and what are the assumptions that have been changed then have been replaced by Something Else and how does that relate to the man on the 10 Bill Alexander hamilton who by the way . Is the most interesting man of the American Revolution i know this. Im actually publishing a novel about Alexander Hamilton. So im just telling you this its hes a really fun and interesting guy. So one of the big changes in the last two to three centuries in our assumptions has been the replacement of certain ideas by others. Now, what are those assumptions the first of those assumptions . Is that power . Is something that once you get you hold on to it tightly. You dont share it. Why would you share your power . Thats the old assumption . The old assumption is that whenever they can other people will try to seize your power from you . And now takes takes me to my first picture. I mean, this is an old idea that the people who will steal your stuff first are of course your neighbors. And this goes way way back very deep in human history. This isnt an actual cave painting but you know, i think its pretty funny in any case so thats thats a very ancient idea and its tied in with another idea. Which is that nations . Groups of people have no right to exist as a separate group of people with their own government and own borders. Thats something you win. And you defend it yourself . No ones ever going to defend it for you. And the first people who are going to try and rob you of it are of course who . Thank you your neighbors, of course. So whether thats the mongol invasion of poland or the aztecs conquering the talox collins. Actually, they never did beat the clocks columns, but thats a different story or Napoleon Bonaparte conquering almost all of europe. With the exception of mighty england or the Japanese Invasion and defeat of china in the 1930s. So thats a pattern. Its been there forever. Now its been replaced by something really weird. I say weird because its been replaced with something. Thats so unusual and World History that we take for granted today that we have to really say. How that get . How did why dont we operate that way anymore and what has replaced that set of ideas. And theres several things and i think you guys are going to recognize these ones. But because well actually all sets of these assumptions are kind of deep in our bones, but the other newer set of assumptions, is that actually every nation. Every group of people has has dignity and has the right to selfrule has the right to their own borders. And and in fact who are the first people are going to those for you . Your neighbors those for the most part . Okay, ukraine, we wont talk about that right now in rush, but for the most part, its the people around you who in solidarity with you will help to defend your borders who will protect you. And also the assumption that if you have a problem. That the best way to deal with it. Is not by getting up and slugging the person next to you. Dont do that that the best way to deal with a problem is by talking it through by arbitrating by mediating by in some way working it out. Right now thats very different from the caveman drawing or from the others. Youve just seen. Now thats a world. Thats the world we live in. The world for example of the United Nations right with the idea is not its not perfect doesnt work all the time, but people come. People come people beg to come countries want to be represented in the United Nations because they know that thats the place where your sovereignty will be defended by a community of people. Its exemplified by things like the european union, which has the flag. It reminds me a little bit of the old American Flag the original American Flag with the stars in a circle because they dont have 50 yet. All right, wait till they get 50. Its going to be hard. Theyre gonna youre gonna get something other than a circle i predict. And its a situation today. Were even people who really really dont like each other. In fact might be building bombs might not like iran will come to the United Nations on american soil and will have a conversation. Okay, the conversation not go like if we like but theres not that immediate resort to the first weapon because you know thats something that your neighbor will try to steal. Well try to overrun your borders instead, but you know. Is that youre basically safe as a nation . Okay, you have problems, but youre basically safe now you might say, okay. All right, so professor cobbs, how did we get there . Now in history often, especially in our textbooks. We rely a lot on what i would call proximate causes. Meaning the thing that happened like right next to it. And and in fact, we want to pick a date if we want to say, okay, when does this start a reasonable one is 1945 which was the founding of the United Nations. And the United Nations and on the left, by the way, you see here a poster that was actually kind of a World War Two era at the end. It was the it was talking about the preamble of the charter of the United Nations and on the right ive made in bigger print for people like me, but also people like you as i said, we the peoples of the United Nations determined to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good. Neighbors have resolved that the parties to any dispute shall first of all seek a solution by negotiation and so on so you might say, okay. Well i deal done. Thats when it started. But actually World History is not like a light switch in a classroom theyre no on off switches. In World History, we know you all know youve been in this class now. That the patterns really big patterns start somewhere farther back. Theres a moment at which it kind of new template. Gets laid and that trend picks up. Now there are things that war against the trend, but if a trend is really powerful like farming or the industrial revolution, even though some people hunt and hunt and gather etc sir that trend will ultimately prevail or at least it will become the dominant reality. So if we want to know where that starts in World History oddly enough we have to go back to the American Revolution. And this is not because the United States was the first postcolonial nation, which it was or the first modern democracy, which it was or the first federalist republic and modern history, which it was those are remarkable things, but they had precedents we didnt invent any of this stuff. Its important to always remember that but one of the things and i think probably the most remarkable thing that the United States did. The most remarkable thing. I personally think and ive studied all American History. Ive taught classes from jamestown to yesterday, but if i look and World History obviously, but if i look upon the most remarkable thing, i think the United States did in terms of World History was that it established a precedent for creating a durable piece . Between neighbors the idea that neighboring states could not go to war with each other could take down the barriers between them could even have a common citizenship and lo and behold a common currency and that they could do all of those things. So what id like to talk about today, and theyre really the focus of this whole talk. I know youre wondering what is the focus is on the constitution the story of the american constitution. How it created this precedent of sovereign states getting together not going to war cooperating and building immense prosperity as a result. And how thats the story of the american constitution is also the story. Of how it took the life of its staunchest defender. Alexander hamilton so to start with this whole question about the United States. We always say the United States, but actually thats a very modern thing in the 18th and 19th century if youre going to talk about the us you would say these United States these United States. That sounds so weird to our ears, doesnt it . So when did these United States which she was used . Well into the late 19th century. When did that become the United States . How did you get one country out of these various countries that were, you know various states . Now its important to remember apropos of this that and as we talk about the Us Constitution. That when the car that the United States has had two lives. I realize its very easy to forget about the first life because it was pretty short. The first life of the United States was from roughly 1776 to roughly 1788 89. Period of a decade and more thats when we were a confederation. Then the United States change this government had a second life and it became a federation a federal republic and thats a really key distinction because when the Country First started the we say the country but actually the states. All felt very different from one another. Yes, they spoke the same language sorta kinda depending whether youre a vermont or someone from the deep south. But they felt very different and they were very different and i have to Say Something about words here now because we use words now in ways that people didnt use them before for example the idea of a country what you would when you talked about your country you were talking about your state. If you were talking about the larger apparatus of the United States, you might use a very different word fact. Sometimes they would use the word empire. Ill explain why they use that word partly because they didnt have any other word for it. They couldnt figure out a way to describe a coalition of countries. And in fact one time one word that they sometimes use when they would say. Well, lets all get together have a conversation. They would use a word. They would use the Word Congress now. We think of congress right as like, you know these people from one country they get together and they have kind of like a parliament. No, no, no, no. That wasnt the original meaning of congress. So congress was a meeting of separate states separate nations separate countries. So like the congress of west failure which ended the wars of the reformation was a of independent nation states. So that for example when George Washington great here of the American Revolution. When he retired well retire the first time this guy retired a lot of times they cant pulling him back poor fella. When he retired the first time he went to it was richmond, virginia and they gave him a big banquet and they said we want to thank you. For your great sacrifices in heroism on behalf of your country. Meaning, virginia and on behalf of the empire meaning this United States thing conglomeration thing. And even Thomas Jefferson when he wrote about virginia, he always said my country was virginia. So the us and the 13th states were initially they were part of a big British Empire. In fact only half of the british colonies got together and went into revolution there wasnt there were a bunch of others you and you think well, why didnt canada or quebec or newfoundland or the west indies . Why didnt they join . Well, they said big story, but they didnt join. So what happened is when these countries states got together and there were 13 of actually there were 14 because vermont broke off from new york. Nobody acknowledged it when that happened. Poor vermont but what happened is that they were they felt very different from each other. So, for example, i always like to point out. Minnesota and jamaica both british colonies not one nation under reggae that they they didnt feel like they were part of one country. There was no automatic one countryness about these 13 colonies now countries any more than we today would say that jamaica and minnesotaans are part of one natural country or that californians and canadians are part of one natural country. So what happened is essentially after the country is formed. They began to operate as different countries. I mean i say the country but really the states operated as separate entities. They had their own money. You see a dollar bill from george up here, or maybe its four dollars. Sorry. Its a four dollar bill from georgia. They had their own militias. They had their own treasuries. They had their own tariffs. They had their own citizens. They were separate countries, but there was a problem with this. There was a loose confederation. It was this but it was so loose this Continental Congress. They could not get people to show up for the meetings. I tell you this was worth than a section on friday morning. Really. I know some of you are in sections on friday morning. Youll know what im talking about here. Its very hard. It was very hard to get people even show up. In fact when the british we got the peace treaty from great britain. Congress could not get a quorum to approve it. I couldnt get a quorum. Why because congress meant nothing, it was a security guarantee during the revolution and once its function was gone. There was no real reason to hold together as a country. But there were reasons this Continental Congress there that it needed to have more power than it did. Because you see the moment at which this empire broke apart into 13 states this postcolonial moment, right . Now that would have been perfectly fine. These little ittybitty states getting along their own if that had happened and lets say 1950 after the un was formed because then these little ittybitty states no matter how rickety were they were no matter whether they had a great army. It wouldnt matter. Thered be neighbors. There might be even the United States to pull out its army and navy and to defend their sovereignty when kuwait was invaded. In 1990 the un unanimously said oh my gosh, we all have to rush to the defense of kuwait because that was a moment that that they could be protected, but that wasnt 1787. That wasnt 1776 and there are a lot of problems. Most of them having to do with the way the colonies treated each other now, we know that usually what happens in a kind of postcolonial moment. Lets say theres a big empire, you know, the earth shakes it all falls apart into pieces, right . So the United States and looking at this map here, we see the 13 colonies that were looking at this little space in here vermont and new york. It doesnt exist doesnt have a name now vermonters. No, it has a name but nobody else acknowledges it and look what happens over here. This is all the land that the british gave the United States after the revolution because they were bighearted they said oh, okay. Just take the whole kit and caboodle the whole enchilada shorts. Well what happens . Ooh neighbors start to fight over it because thats what neighbors do. So i dont want to take too much time with this but you know, massachusetts, connecticut, new york, north carolina. Georgias into the boot into the mix s