Constitutional Convention Simulation
In the scorching summer of 1787, some of the most prominent men in the newly independent United States
gathered to ‘revise’ the Articles of Confederation. Of course they ended up doing much more than a simple
revision; they composed arguably the most important political document in US History, the Constitution.
Over the course of four months, these delegates endured ceaseless debates over the future of our nation’s
government that resulted in both personal triumph and embarrassment. The most important part of those
arguments, other than the creation of the Constitution, was that not everyone agreed on it. Your task is to recreate some of those debates in the form of a two-three day simulation in class where you will ‘be’ one of
the delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
Task: research how your individual felt about the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Consider where they come from! Specifically, find out how they felt or addressed the following concerns:
No federal taxation
Lack of a national army/defense network
Lack of a national executive and judiciary
Slavery – should slaves count in the population? Should it be abolished? Should we leave it alone?
Representation in Congress/votes per state
Lack of a universal currency
Lack of regulations regarding interstate commerce
The general notion that the states had more power than the national government (some will be OK with this)
Where can I find info on this?
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/ratification/overview/ - this is a good starting point in that it not only
refers to how individual states felt about the Constitution, but also some good biographical sketches
regarding individual delegates to the Convention. Also has some good info on the debates during the
Convention and ratification process.
The National Constitution Center: www.constitutioncenter.org – the homepage of the National Constitution
Center in Philadelphia. Offers basic information regarding the delegates and the procedure/debates
surrounding the Constitution.
American Memory at the Library of Congress: www.memory.loc.gov – an outstanding collection of
primary source writings from the period of the Constitution/Critical Period. Offers the papers of
Washington and Madison (which includes correspondence between delegates at the Convention)
James Madison’s notes from the Convention:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/madison_papers/mjmconst.html - a record of what individuals
actually said during the Constitutional Convention
Watchung Hills Media Center databases: some really good stuff that you can use like JSTOR- a database of
academic journals or Facts on File
Do not use Wikipedia, ushistory.org, the History Channel because they only offer a very cursory
(simplistic) view of these people and probably are geared to a less educated audience.
Delegates:
New Jersey:
- Jonathan Dayton – Kiera, Lori, Chris S.
- William Paterson – Teresa, Ian, Adam
- William Livingston – Kayla, Alicia
New York:
- Alexander Hamilton – Ryan, Max F., Evan R.
- Robert Yates – Matt B., Plesko, Anmol
Pennsylvania:
- Benjamin Franklin – Michelle G., Jason G.
- James Wilson – Lucas, John P., Jordan
- Gouvernor Morris – Holly, Erin, Ben S.
Delaware:
-
John Dickinson – Tyler H., Tyler B., Natasha
Gunning Bedford, Jr.
Maryland:
-
James McHenry – Alix, Michelle D., Melissa
Luther Martin – Tim C., Jake, Pat M.
Virginia:
-
James Madison – Henry, Chris A., Lori
Edmund Randolph – Siena, Diana, Antonio
George Mason – Rohit, Guo, Stacie
George Wythe
North Carolina:
- William Davie: Dana, Puloma, Grace
- William Blount – Evani, Tyler L., Nikki
South Carolina:
- Pierce Butler – Hans, Torrisi
- Charles Cotesworth Pinckney – Alicia, Bri M., Matt D.
- John Rutledge – David Y., Christie, Mark B.
Georgia:
-
William Few – Vivian, Joy, Spiller
Abraham Baldwin - Purva
New Hampshire:
- Nicholas Gillman – Sara C., Justin, Lindsey C.
- John Langdon – AJ, Indira
Massachusetts:
- Elbridge Gerry – Devon, Alex Y., Nicole W.
- Rufus King – Abby, Evan M., Kristina
- Nathaniel Gorham
Connecticut:
- Roger Sherman – Max S., Aman, Jason H.
- Oliver Ellsworth – Rachel, Julia K., Brandon