When you come in…
• Do the following:
1) What are 2 things that you learned from
Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”. (2.3)
2) Explain 2 things that you learned from
the “Declaration of Independence”. (2.3)
Expectations:
- Make sure you are in your seat when the
bell rings
Creating your own Declaration
• Using the structure created by the Declaration of
Independence, write your own ideas about gaining
independence from something – school, home life, etc.
Make sure to have:
1) Preamble – opening sentence explaining what it’s
about
2) Declaration of Rights that you have (3 rights)
3) Grievances (have 3 problems) and who to blame
4) Resolution (1 sentence), what you would like to do
5) A Signature from you
Steps Leading to The
Constitution (2.4)
State Constitutions, Articles of
Confederation, The Creation of the
Constitution
State Constitutions
• Replaced old colonial
charters and governing
bodies
• States had bicameral (2
house) legislatures that
made laws
• States had a governor,
who enforced the laws
• States had judges and
courts, who interpreted the
laws
State Constitution Ideals
• Based on the
Declaration of
Independence by
providing life, liberty,
and pursuit of
happiness
• Most had a bill of
rights and guaranteed
certain freedoms
The First National Government
• Called the Articles of
Confederation
• Created because states
could not do some
things on their own,
such as maintaining an
army
• Approved in 1791 by
all 13 states
The Articles of Confederation
• Group of state
governments that
banded together
• Had a unicameral
(one house) legislature
where every state got a
vote
• States gave it no
power to enforce laws
and no power to tax
Articles Accomplishments
• Treaty of Paris in 1783
with Britain
• Ordinance of 1785
arranged land into
townships allowing
settling of the West
• Northwest Ordinance
(1787) organized the new
Northwest Territories and
set precedent for admitting
new states into the union
Land Ordinance of 1785
Northwest Ordinance
Articles Failures
• Lack of Power and
Money (can’t collect
taxes, regulate trade,
enforce laws)
• Lack of Centralization
(no single leader, no
national courts)
• Rules are too Rigid (all
states had to agree to pass
any laws, nothing got
done)
The Beginning of the End of the
Articles of Confederation
• Debt – Congress can’t
collect taxes and the
country ran up a huge
deficit, causing concerns
about the government
• Shays’s Rebellion – riots
broke out due to money
issues and one led by
farmer Shays attacked a
federal outpost, which sent
fear about the lack of
security given by the
government
The Philadelphia Convention
• After Shays’
Rebellion, many begin
calling for a new
government and a
convention is called
• The 55 delegates that
arrived were educated
men with lots of
experience
Decisions on Procedure
• George Washington
was elected to lead the
convention
• Each state would have
one vote at the
convention and a
majority would
decide any issue
• The convention was to
be kept secret
The Need for a New Constitution
• At first the delegates
were going to revise
the Articles, but
realized they had to
write a new
constitution
• Thus the meeting
became known as the
Constitutional
Convention
When you come in…
• Draw a chart that shows two positives of
the Articles of Confederation and two
negatives of the Articles of
Confederation. (2.4 sheet)
• Expectations:
- Get to your seats before the bell rings
Positives
Negatives
Suggestions for the Convention
• Delegates at the Convention have decided to
create a new Constitution. They have asked your
state how to solve the following problems caused
by the Articles of Confederation:
1) Lack of money (too much debt)
2) Lack of a leader
3) Lack of power for the national government
4) Lack of ability to change laws quickly
Expectations:
- Answer each in a sentence
- If you have a partner, only one of you needs to
write it down
Constitutional Compromises –
Structure of National Government
• Side 1 – Virginia Plan
- Two houses, both represented by population
• Side 2 – New Jersey Plan
- One house, each state is represented the
same
• Compromise – Great Compromise
- Two houses, one represented by population
and the other by state
Constitutional Compromises –
Should Slaves Count?
• Side 1 – North
- Slaves should not count as population
• Side 2 – South
- Slaves should count as population
• Compromise – 3/5 Compromise
- 3 out of every 5 slaves count as population
Constitutional Compromises –
Foreign Trade and Slave Trade
• Side 1 – North
- Government should regulate trade
• Side 2 – South
- Government should not regulate trade
because it would interfere with slave trade
• Compromise – Slave Trade Compromise
- Government can regulate trade except for
the slave trade
Constitutional Compromises –
Electing the President
• Side 1 – “Trust the People”
- People should elect the President
• Side 2 – “Don’t Trust the People”
- Electors from States should elect the
President, not people
• Compromise – Electoral College
- People elect the electors, who vote for the
President
Constitutional Compromises –
Power of the Government
• Side 1 – Federalists
- Strong National Government is needed, Constitution
is good
• Side 2 – Anti-Federalists
- Strong State Governments are needed, Constitution
is not good
• Compromise – The Constitution with Bill of
Rights
- Constitution passes, Bill of Rights is promised
What side are you on?
• Using information that you know about your state, create a
pamphlet with the following (individually):
1) Front Page – Name of State and a drawing of what your
state looks like (you may look this up)
2) Page 2 – List the total population of your state and in 3-4
sentences answer…Are you a large or small state? Do you
prefer the Virginia or New Jersey Plan? Why?
3) Page 3 – List the slave population of your state and in 34 sentences answer…Compared to other states, do you have
a lot of slaves? Do you think slaves should count as
population or not? Why?
4) Back Page – List whether your state is in the South or
North and in 2-3 sentences answer…Should the government
regulate foreign trade? The slave trade? Why?
Federalists v. Antifederalists
•
•
-
Limited Government
Federalists: Fewer limits on government
Antifederalists: More limits on government
WINNER: FEDERALISTS
Federalism (sharing of power)
Federalists: States and National government
share power
- Antifederalists: States should have more
power
- WINNER: FEDERALISTS
Federalists v. Antifederalists
• Popular Sovereignty
- Federalists: People shouldn’t elect everyone
- Antifederalists: People should elect all
representatives
- WINNER: FEDERALISTS
• Bill of Rights
- Federalists: Bill of Rights is unnecessary
- Antifederalists: Bill of Rights is needed
- WINNER: ANTI-FEDERALISTS
When you come in…
• Explain the two sides and eventual
compromise for 3 different compromises
on the chart (2.5)
• Expectations:
- Be in your seat when the bell rings
- Turn in any work that you have completed
Constitutional Compromises
• With the state you have divide up the following:
1) Person 1 - Using the information provided
to your group answer the questions on the sheet from
your state’s point of view
2) Person 2 – Write a 3 paragraph letter back to
James Madison explaining what your state believes
about each of the first 3 compromises. For each you
must have 1 sentence explaining what side you are
on and at least 2 sentences explaining why you take
that side. Take into account your size and slave
population.
Constitutional Compromises
• As each group presents their preference,
mark what they believe on the tally chart
• The reflection part on the other side of the
sheet is HOMEWORK tonight
The Constitutional Compromises
(2.5)
Topic
Side 1
Side 2
Gov’t
Structure
Slavery
and Pop.
Foreign
Trade
Electing
President
Virginia
Plan
North
New Jersey Great
Plan
Compromise
South
3/5
Compromise
South
Slave Trade
Compromise
Don’t Trust Electoral
People
College
Compromise
North
Trust
People
Compromise
Federalists v. Antifederalists
• Using the information from the chart and
worksheet, answer questions 1-15 on the
other side of the sheet by putting an F for
Federalist or an AF for Antifederalist
• Expectations:
- Work on this individually with NO
talking
- You have 10 minutes
Outline of the Constitution
• Complete the outline on the sheet by using
the Constitution in the Civics Today book
• Expectations:
- Complete the sheet independently
- You have 15 minutes
Before you leave…
• Look at the chart on p.81 and list 2
similarities and 2 differences between the
Articles of Confederation and the
Constitution.
• Expectations:
- Remain in seats until the bell rings
Which side are you on?
• With the people in your state:
1) Explain which region (South, New
England, Middle) your state is in and if they
are a large or small state
2) Would your state support the Virginia
Plan or the New Jersey Plan? Why?
3) Would your state support slaves being
part of the counted population or not?
4) Would your state support the
regulation of foreign trade or not? Why?