Understanding the Constitutional Convention
The Constitution created by the fifty-five members of the
Constitutional Convention in 1787 is the oldest written constitution
that is still in effect in the world today. Our Constitution has
shaped the development of the United States
over the past two centuries, and it will
inevitability continue to shape the
development of our country in the future.
Nonetheless, the writing of the
Constitution did not happen overnight and
it certainly did not happen without its share of major arguments. In
this assignment we will take a closer look at the individuals
responsible for writing the Constitution
and the various debates that ensued.
As you are completing this assignment
it is important to remember that the
framers of the Constitution did not share a
collective brain. These men came from a
variety of backgrounds, and they did not
always agree with each other. If you are looking to find the original
intent of the framers of the Constitution, it is important to consider
the various beliefs that each of these men held individually. It is
also important to remember that the strength of the Constitution was
largely a byproduct of the intense debate between these men.
Directions:
Each student will be assigned an article detailing
a member of the Constitutional Convention from the book Shapers
of the Great Debate at the
Constitutional Convention of 1787:
A Biographical Dictionary, by
Joseph C. Morton. Each student
should use the information in
their respective article to research and analyze the opinions and
accomplishments of their assigned person. Suggested information
that could be included in your response includes: Was your person
a federalist or anti-federalist? Did your person favor small or
large states? What were the major accomplishments of your person
at the constitutional convention? Did your person initially favor
the New Jersey or Virginia Plan? Remember these are only
suggestions and you are free to explore additional questions in
your response. Your response will be published as a blog so that
everyone has an opportunity to read and respond to your original
writing. The blog page can be found on Mr. Blum’s Academic
Website.
In addition to answering your blog question you will also be
required to respond to at least five blogs posted by your
classmates. Make sure that your responses to your classmates’
blogs either clarify something or add to the depth of our
understanding in some way. In other words, make sure that your
entire blog response to your classmate does not simply tell them
how great their blog response was. While it is nice to be
complimentary toward your classmates’ blogs, we can all learn
more by your thoughtful analysis of what your classmates have
written.
Your response to your assigned reading must be at least 400 words
long and your responses to your classmates must be at least 50
words long.
Members of the Constitutional Convention:
1) Abraham Baldwin
2) Richard Basset
3) Gunnning Bedford. Jr.
4) John Blair
5) William Blount
6) David Brearley
7) Jacob Broom
8) Pierce Butler
9) Daniel Carroll
10) George Clymer
11) William Richardson Davie
12) Jonathan Dayton
13) John Dickinson
14) Oliver Ellsworth
15) William Few
16) Thomas Fitzsimons
17) Benjamin Franklin
18) Elbridge Gerry
19) Nicholas Gilman
20) Nathaniel Gorham
21) Alexander Hamilton
22) William Churchill Houston
23) William Houston
24) Jared Ingersoll
25) Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer
26) William Samuel Johnson
27) Rufus King
28) John Landgdon
29) John Lansing, Jr.
30) William Livingston
31) James Madison, Jr.
32) Alexander Martin
33) Luther Martin
34) George Mason
35) James McClurg
36) James McHenry
37) John Francis Mercer
38) Thomas Mufflin
39) Gouverneur Morris
40) Robert Morris
41) William Patterson
42) William Leigh Pierce
43) Charles Pinckney
44) Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
45) Edmund Randolph
46) George Read
47) John Rutledge
48) Roger Sherman
49) Richard Dobbs Spaigt
50) Caleb Strong
51) George Washington
52) Hugh Williamson
53) James Wilson
54) George Wythe
55) Robert Yates