Temple College
GOVT 2301
Fall 2004
ESSAY ASSIGNMENT #1 – THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
The date is September 1787. You are an editorial columnist for the Inquirer, a daily newspaper
published in Philadelphia, but widely read in various parts of the United States. You are assigned
by the editor-in-chief to cover the meetings of the delegates at the constitutional convention in
Philadelphia. Although the meetings are being held in secret, over the course of the deliberations
you have managed to cultivate contacts with some of the delegates. Indeed, one delegate has
anonymously provided you with a draft of the proposed constitution.
Write an editorial in which you evaluate the work of the convention delegates. In your essay
(editorial), you should identify and explain the features of the document. You may want to assess
the new constitution based on broad philosophical principles of government (i.e., the ideal of
limited government, popular sovereignty, individual rights, equality, etc.). If you choose this
approach, you should provide examples of specific provisions of the new constitution that
promote or undermine this (these) principle(s). Here are some broad philosophical questions to
consider:
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What form of government does the Constitution establish? Is this the best or ideal form?
Is one branch of government given primacy over the others? Is there a proper balance of
power among the branches? Should balancing power among the branches be a major
concern?
What are the specific powers of each branch of government? Does the new constitution give
too much or too little power to each branch?
What should be the proper relationship between the national and state governments? Does
the document give too much or too little power to the national government? Does the
document give too much or too little power to the state governments?
How far does this constitution go in protecting the property and civil rights of individuals?
How far does it go in promoting civil liberties? ….equality? Does it go too far in protecting
these values?
Does the constitution provide “workable” republican processes? Even if they are workable,
are they desirable?
What mechanisms does the constitution employ to limit governmental authority? Will they
be effective?
On the other hand, you may want to concentrate on specific issues that may or may not be
confronted by the constitution. If you choose this approach, you should attempt to place the
issue(s) in the context of the broader philosophical principles underlying the constitution. How
does the constitution deal with these issues (if at all)? Does it deal with these issues effectively?
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Should slavery be legal or illegal in the nation?
Will states that do not recognize slavery be required to return escaped slaves to their owners
in slave-holding states? (fugitive slave law)
What will be the basis for representation in the legislature: proportional (based on population)
or will each state have an equal vote? If representation is based on population, how will
slaves be counted? Why is the issue or representation important?
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How will the national government raise revenue? Will national taxes be based on each state’s
population or will each state pay an equal amount? If taxes are based on population how
should slaves be counted?
Should the chief executive be elected directly by the people or by some other means? If by
some other means, how?
Does the national government have strong powers to tax and regulate trade or are its powers
carefully limited powers? Does the constitution get the balance right?
You should not limit yourself ONLY to these questions; nor should you feel obligated to answer
ALL of these questions. Ask (and, of course, answer) your own questions. In any event, your
editorial essay should be THESIS-CONTROLLED. Do not simply list answers to these questions
in a disjointed fashion. You should make an argument and develop a logical defense. Provide
examples to illustrate your points, but do NOT just repeat what you have read or string together
quotes. Your argument may be one FOR or AGAINST ratification of the new constitution.
Whichever position you choose, your essay should reflect a good understanding of the
constitutional principle(s) on which you are focusing. You want to try to persuade your readers
why the work of the convention delegates should be accepted or rejected.
Your essay should be well-written, cogent, and thorough yet concise. Remember, your fellow
Americans have not yet seen this new document and they are anxious to learn as much about it as
possible. You have the opportunity to be an important opinion-shaper.
Remember also that you are writing in 1787 and do not know what the next 200 years will bring.
However, you can speculate!
At a minimum, you will need to read Chapter 2 in the Patterson text and the Constitution itself
(see the appendix of the Patterson text) before you attempt to write your essay.
Beyond these, you MAY use any source you like to expand and support your arguments. You
should cite any sources that you use. Use any citation style you prefer, but be consistent
throughout. If you are uncertain when citations are appropriate, consult the instructor!! [See
plagiarism section below.] The instructor will NOT be looking for evidence that you have
consulted outside sources - that is, he will not be counting footnotes. Again, YOU ARE NOT
REQUIRED TO CONSULT SOURCES BEYOND YOUR TEXT AND THE CONSTITUTION. However, if
you choose to do so, you might examine the FEDERALIST PAPERS or secondary sources on James
Madison and Alexander Hamilton to familiarize yourself with arguments made in favor of the
1787 Constitution. To familiarize yourself with arguments against the 1787 Constitution, you
might seek out sources on Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, or George Clinton.
Here are some good sources that you may want to consult:
http://www.iahushua.com/hist/AntiFED.html – This site will be useful in identifying the
arguments made by opponents of the Constitution.
http://www.nara.gov/exhall/charters/constitution/conmain.html – This site provides information
about the Constitution, the ratification process, and the Bill of Rights.
http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_arti.html -- This site provides information about the
Articles of Confederation.
http://www.usconstitution.net/otherdocs.html – This is an excellent source for relevant
documents. Some of the topics covered include:
The Albany Plan (1754), Declaration of Rights (1765), Declaration of Rights and Grievances (1774),
Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776), Declaration of Independence (1776), Articles of Confederation
(1778), Report of the Annapolis Conference (1786), Speech of Benjamin Franklin (1787), The United
States Constitution (1787), The Letter of Transmittal (1787), Washington's Letter to Congress (1787),
Madison Introduces the Bill of Rights (1789), Twelve Articles of Amendment (1789), The Federalist
Papers, Madison's Notes on the Convention, The Papers of George Washington, The Papers of James
Madison, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, and the ratification documents of each of the original 13
states:
 Delaware, December 7, 1787
 Pennsylvania, December 12, 1787
 New Jersey, December 18, 1787
 Georgia, January 2, 1788
 Connecticut, January 9, 1788
 Massachusetts, February 6, 1788
 Maryland, April 28, 1788
 South Carolina, May 23, 1788
 New Hampshire, June 21, 1788
 Virginia, June 26, 1788
 New York, July 26, 1788
 North Carolina, November 21, 1789
 Rhode Island, May 29, 1790
 Vermont, January 10, 1791
SUBMITTING WORK: You will turn your essay in electronically (via e-mail). To do this, type
your essay on a PC and save as an MS-Word file. [The file must be saved in this format. If your
home or office PC uses Word Perfect or some other word processing program, be sure to convert
the file to MS-Word.] Send the file to wfeagin@templejc.edu as an attachment to an e-mail
message.
DUE DATE/TIME: The essay is due no later than Saturday, October 30 at 12:00pm (noon).
Late papers will be penalized one letter grade (5 points) for each 24-hour period, or portion
thereof, elapsed after the due date/time.
WARNING: Avoid plagiarism! In the Internet Age, it is very easy and tempting for students to
submit work that they have not authored themselves. It is also easier than ever for professors to
detect plagiarists. Plagiarism is the act of taking words, sentences, paragraphs or ideas from
another person’s work and passing it off as one’s own. This is a severe violation of academic
integrity and is subject to disciplinary action under the College’s policy. Common forms of
plagiarism include: (1) taking passages from another person’s writings, unchanged, and passing it
off as one’s own work [whether the original author has knowledge of this or not]; (2) taking a
passage from another person’s writings, changing a word here or there, and passing it off as one’s
own work; (3) turning in a paper that consists, partially or wholly, of paraphrases of another
person’s writings or ideas without proper citations. [With citations, you avoid plagiarism, but the
paper would still lack any originality and would, therefore, merit a low score. So generally, avoid
writing a paper that consists mainly of quotes or paraphrases of someone else’s work.] This list is
not exhaustive of the various forms of plagiarism. If you are unsure whether you have written
constitutes plagiarism, please consult me. The main point to remember is this: the purpose of this
essay is to get YOU to thoughtfully consider and discuss the assigned topic. The instructor is
interested in what you think about these issues - NOT whether you can report what others think!
BASIS FOR SCORING ESSAY #1
Scoring
Evaluation of material/substance…………….60%
Organization/overall effectiveness…………..30%
Composition, style, usage……………………10%
(Keep in mind that these three criteria are NOT entirely separate or unrelated. In other
words, composition and usage errors affect the overall organization and effectiveness of
your essay. Poor organization coupled with composition errors affects your ability to
articulate your arguments and how well you can communicate your understanding of
important themes, concepts, and ideas.)
Points Awarded
45 – 50
40 – 44
35 – 39
30 – 34
0 – 29
Comments Applying to Most Essays
Excellent in most respects. Essay shows extensive preparation, analysis,
and study of themes, concepts, and ideas. Presents thoughtful, relevant
conclusions. Essay is more analytical than descriptive. Demonstrates
mastery of basic concepts. Essay is written in an interesting, readable style
– a minimal number of grammar, spelling, usage, composition, or
typographical errors may be overlooked. The instructor would appreciate
your permission to use your essay as an example of “How to Write an
Essay” for other students.
Overall, the essay is good, but perhaps flawed by a failure to convey major
thrusts adequately. Usually, this happens when students assume “the
instructor will know what I mean.” Needs further elaboration or
explanation. May reach thoughtful conclusions but offer little support; or
conclusions may lack sharp focus. May be tainted by grammar,
composition, or typographical errors, organization problems, or poor
choice of words.
Adequately done for a essay of this type, but there are significant
shortcomings in style, organization, or emphasis. Conclusions may be
illogical based on supporting arguments. Essay may be too descriptive or
fail to draw conclusions entirely. Too little analysis provided. Assertions
may be made without providing support.
Essays reflects too little preparation, too little organization, or failure to
fulfill basic purposes of the assignment. Too many signs of struggle with
spelling, grammar, and general usage. Instructor may have to reconstruct
sentences simply to determine the idea the student is attempting to convey.
Very difficult to understand. Sentences or paragraphs make little sense.
You should consult with the instructor.
Your essay suffers from a great many problems with only minimal saving
graces. Appears to reflect a complete lack of preparation. Student appears
to have very limited understanding of concepts and themes. Essays written
“at the last minute” frequently score in this range.