Name_____________________________ Date__________ Hour_________
Declaration of Independence to Federal (Constitutional) Convention 1776-87
July 2, 1776
- Second Continental Congress votes to accept Richard Henry Lee’s
resolution declaring American Independence
July 4, 1776
- Second Continental Congress adopts edited form of Declaration of
Independence
Nov. 15, 1777
- Second Continental Congress votes to approve Articles of Confederation
written mostly by John Dickinson and send to the states to be ratified
March 1, 1781
-All 13 states ratified Articles of Confederation making it the first
Constitution of the United States of America
Oct. 19, 1781
- British surrender at Yorktown; Revolutionary War ends
Sept. 3, 1783
- Ben Franklin, John Adams, & John Jay accept terms of Treaty of ParisAmerican independence recognized
Jan. 14, 1784
- U.S. Congress of Confederation ratifies Treaty of Paris
March, 1785
- Mt. Vernon Conference in Virginia to discuss trade and fishing in the
waters in Chesapeake Bay area with delegates from Maryland and Virginia
Sept. 11-14, 1786 - Delegates from 5 states met at Annapolis Convention to discuss trade and
boundary problems
Jan. 25, 1787
- Rebellion of debt-ridden farmers led by Daniel Shays is put down by
Massachusetts militia
Feb., 1787
- Congress of Confederation asks states to select delegates for convention
to revise Articles of Confederation
May 25, 1787
- Federal (Constitutional) Convention begins in Philadelphia at State House
(Rhode Island absent); Quorum (majority) of members present chose George
Washington as President of Constitutional Convention
Sept. 15, 1787
- Delegates of Federal Convention approve Constitution
Sept. 17, 1787
- 39 delegates & secretary William Jackson sign Constitution; 9 of 13 states
needed to ratify
June 21, 1788
- New Hampshire becomes 9th state to ratify; Constitution goes into effect
1.
Articles of Confederation – The First American Constitution
Second Continental Congress served as acting government for states during Revolutionary War;
They were responsible for the following actions:
 Chose George Washington to command Continental Army (1775)
 Chose committee to create Declaration of Independence - June 11, 1776
 Voted for American Independence – July 2, 1776
 Edited and adopted Declaration of Independence – July 4, 1776
 Instructed states to create their own state constitutions
 Chose committee in 1777 to create constitution for the nation
The committee created a document called the Articles of Confederation which it approved on
November 15, 1777. It was then ratified by all 13 states by March 1, 1781, making it the first
Constitution of the United States. The Articles created a confederation, a league of
independent states loosely connected to each other. The states created a weak national
government primarily due to their colonial experience. They did not want another government
(like Great Britain) that would be too powerful and ignore their rights. The national government
consisted of one legislative branch, headed by the Congress of Confederation. It had one house
made up of delegates from all 13 states with each state getting one total vote. Since most of
the power rested with the states, the national government had difficulty managing the war and
providing order in the states.
The Congress of Confederation could NOT:
 Tax- it could only ask the states for money
 Regulate Trade- Each state had the power to tax imports and exports
 Enforce the Laws It Created- No executive branch was created
 Protect its citizens from unfair laws- No national judicial system of courts
 Pass national laws without consent of 9 of 13 states
 Revise Articles of Confederation without consent of ALL 13 states
Achievements by Congress under the Articles included:
 Created system for settlement of Northwest Territories: OH,IN,IL, MI,WI
 Negotiated peace with Britain to end Revolutionary War (Treaty of Paris)
 Set up government departments of Foreign Affairs, War, Treasury, Marine
Growing problems began to surface under Articles which Congress was powerless to solve:
 National government in debt: $12 million to other countries (war), $40 million domestic
 Not enough money to maintain standing army to protect country
 Economic depression in states, especially the farmers
 Boundary disputes among the states; all competed with Virginia- owned the most land
In January, 1787, Daniel Shays led a revolt of 1,000 farmers against the Massachusetts
state courthouse and even a federal arsenal. Although the revolt was unsuccessful, many people
feared more mob violence was imminent. Many realized that a weak central government was
just as dangerous as one that was too powerful.
2.
Federal (Constitutional) Convention
WHO – 55 out of 74 delegates chosen from all 13 states- Rhode Island refused to attend
 Among the wealthiest and most educated people in the country
 Became known as the “Founding Fathers” or “Framers” of the Constitution because of
their service before, during, or after the Constitutional Convention
 No women, blacks, Native Americans, or poor whites were chosen to attend
 Other absentees: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry
WHAT – Meeting called by the Congress of Confederation
WHERE – The Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia
WHEN – May 25th to September 17th, 1787
WHY – To revise the Articles of Confederation
KEY DELEGATES:
George Washington-Chosen as the President of the Constitutional Convention due to his
popularity and reputation to attract more people
James Madison- Earned the nickname “Father of the Constitution” because he:
 Was an expert on political theory and history; chosen as floor leader of debate
 Took detailed notes of the proceedings at the Convention
 Created the Virginia Plan that became the basis for our new government
 Along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, wrote a series of over 80 essays called the
Federalist Papers to help get the Constitution ratified
 Wrote the resolutions that became known as the Bill of Rights – 1st 10 amendments
Ben Franklin- In his 80s, often ill and absent, still served as a peacemaker at the Convention
Gouverneur Morris- Head of the Committee on Style that put the resolutions passed by the
delegates into the final language found in the Constitution
Alexander Hamilton- Supported strong central government; admired British-style government
with an executive chosen for life (like a king)
Edmund Randolph-Presented the resolutions of James Madison that became known as the
Virginia Plan of government favored by larger states since the legislature had its membership
determined by the population of the state. More people meant more representatives
William Paterson- Presented the New Jersey Plan of government favored by the small states
because it created a legislature having membership based on equality
Roger Sherman- Proposed the Great (Connecticut) Compromise that resolved the most serious
problem at the Convention – Representation of people in legislative branch- It combined some of
the Virginia Plan with the New Jersey Plan to satisfy the large states and small states
3.
Decisions and Compromises at the Constitutional Convention
1) Representation in Congress - TWO PROPOSALS for the Basic Plan of New Government:
A) Virginia Plan- On May 29th, Edmund Randolph presented resolutions drafted by James
Madison that became the Virginia Plan. It proposed a government made up of three branches:
o Legislative Branch- Strong Legislature with 2 chambers (houses): the lower house would
be chosen by the people and the upper house chosen by the lower house; Legislature had
power to void any state laws it found to be unconstitutional
o Executive Branch- Strong national executive officer chosen by the legislature
o Judicial Branch- A national judiciary to be appointed by legislature
B) New Jersey Plan-On June 15th, William Paterson presented counterproposal that called for:
 Legislative Branch- Unicameral (one-house) Legislature with one vote for each state; It
would have the power to impose taxes and regulate trade
 Executive Branch- Weak executive with more than one person chosen by legislature
 Judicial Branch- National judiciary with limited power chosen by executive
SOLUTION- GREAT (CONNECTICUT) COMPROMISE- Just as the debate between small and
large states over representation threatened to end the Convention, Roger Sherman proposed a
compromise that became basis for our new plan of government & solved issue of representation:
 Legislative Branch- Headed by Congress with 2 houses:
 House of Representatives- chosen by for 2-year term and number of members
for each state based on population of state (pleased large states)
 Senate- chosen by legislature of the state for a 6-year term and number of
members based on equality-each state gets 2 Senators (pleased small states)
 Executive Branch-President elected by an Electoral College who votes after the eligible
voters in the states do. President serves a 4-year term
 Judicial Branch- Supreme Court appointed by President approved by Senate for life
OTHER RESOLUTIONS:
2) 3/5 Compromise solved issue of representation for African-Americans-The Southern
states wanted to count all slaves as part of their population in order to gain more
representatives in the House, but did not want them to count for taxation of their state. The
Northern states took opposite position: count slaves for taxation, not representation;
Compromise- Southern states counted 3 out of 5 slaves for taxation and representation
3) Commerce- North wanted government to completely control international trade, South
feared North (more votes in House) could pass laws to hurt their economy - resolutionCongress may not pass tax on exported goods
4) Slave Trade- South feared North would interfere with slave trade- resolution- Congress
was only given authority to ban slave trade until 20 years after Constitution passed (1808)
5) President- Delegates did not trust American people to elect the most qualified person for
President- resolution- President is officially elected by Electoral College. Also a compromise
between those who wanted short term versus longer term for President; resolution- President
serves a 4-year term
4.
United States Constitution Facts and Figures
 The Pennsylvania State House was the site of: the creation of the Constitution, the
adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the selection of George Washington as the
Commander of the Continental Army, and the adoption of the Articles of Confederation.
 Written in 1787, the Constitution was signed on September 17th. But it wasn’t until 1788
that it was ratified by the necessary 9 states (New Hampshire, June 21st)
 The U.S. Constitution was prepared in secret, behind locked doors guarded by sentries
 12 states participated in the Constitutional Convention; Rhode Island resisted the idea of
a central government that might interfere in a state’s internal affairs
 A total of 74 delegates were chosen by the states for the Convention, but only 55
attended at one time or another. The average attendance was about 30 delegates and 39
signed the document. Eight of the delegates had also signed the Declaration of
Independence. Three delegates, Elbridge Gerry (Massachusetts), George Mason and
Edmund Randolph (Virginia), refused to sign the final document.
 The average age of the delegates was 44 years. All were white and all were men. About
half were lawyers and about half were college graduates. Benjamin Franklin was the
oldest at 81; Jonathan Dayton was the youngest at 26.
 Two delegates, George Washington and James Madison, went on to become U.S.
Presidents; Elbridge Gerry later became a U.S. Vice-President
 Ben Franklin was called the “Sage of the Constitution”; James Madison was called the
”Father of the Constitution”; and Governor Morris had the job of organizing all the
decisions and resolutions of the delegates into the final form for the Constitution and
penned by Jacob Shallus for $30 (about $280 today)
 George Washington was unanimously chosen as the President of the Constitutional
Convention
 The Constitution was drafted in 100 working days
 Of the written national constitutions in the world, it is the oldest and the shortest
(4,400) and it has influenced the governments of an estimated 165 other countries
 Amendments are not removed from the Constitution, they are repealed (removed) by
adding another amendment which nullifies the first
 More than 11,000 amendments have been introduced in Congress; 33 have gone to the
states to be ratified; 27 have received the necessary ¾ approval of the states to become
amendments to the Constitution
 The original Constitution has had several homes: In 1814, it was moved to Leesburg,
Virginia; During World War II, it was kept at Fort Knox, Kentucky; In 1952, it was moved
to the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.
 Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation,
and the Constitution: Roger Sherman and Robert Morris
5.
Name_______________________________________ Date__________________ Hour_______
Declaration of Independence to the Constitutional Convention
Directions: Read pp. 1-3 of the packet and answer the following questions.
1. Where did 5 states meet in 1786 to discuss trade and boundary problems?
2. Who led a rebellion of farmers in Massachusetts in 1786?
3. Who asked the states to send delegates to a convention in 1787?
4. On what date did the Constitutional Convention begin?
5. Who was the President of the Constitutional Convention?
6. On what date was the Constitution signed?
7. How many delegates signed the Constitution?
8. On what date did the Constitution replace the Articles of Confederation?
9. On what date did the Articles become the first constitution of the U.S.?
10. Under the Confederation, the power of government rested with the
11. The Articles created a national government that was too
12. In order to pass a law in the Confederation, it had to be approved by
13. The Articles could only be changed with the approval of
14. How much total debt did government under the Articles face?
15. After the war, the economic depression was especially difficult for the
16. How many delegates attended the Constitutional Convention?
17. Which delegate became known as the “Father of the Constitution”?
18. Who created the New Jersey Plan?
19. Who created the Virginia Plan?
20. Who presented the Virginia Plan?
21. Who created most of the actual language of the Constitution?
22. Who served as the peacemaker at the Convention?
23. Which building provided the scene for creation of the Constitution?
24. Who proposed the Great Compromise?
25. Which state did not sent any delegates to the Convention?
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NAME_____________________________________ DATE_______________ HOUR________
FRAMERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
In February of 1787, the Congress of Confederation authorized the states to send delegates to Philadelphia in May for the
purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation. Out of 74 delegates chosen, 55 eventually attended between May and
September at the Pennsylvania State House (Rhode Island refused to send delegates). The Federal (now known as the
Constitutional) Convention was a meeting of many well-educated and wealthy men who all had some experience in government.
These men quickly decided that the Articles of Confederation set up a government that was too weak to run the country
efficiently and keep it together. Therefore, they decided to establish a stronger national government through the document
known as the Constitution. The Constitution created the form of government called a republic in which citizens elect
representatives to govern and make decisions for them.
The “Framers” included some of the most famous men in American history. George Washington was chosen as the President
of the Convention. James Madison earned the nickname “Father of the Constitution” because he served as the floor leader, he
kept detailed notes of the proceedings, developed the basic structure for our government, helped write the Federalist Papers in
order to help the Constitution pass, and wrote 12 proposals which became the Bill of Rights or the first 10 Amendments to the
Constitution (2 did not pass). Ben Franklin, now 81 and the oldest delegate, served as a peacemaker during the often-heated
debates. Gouverneur Morris was responsible for the language of the Constitution.
Other important delegates included Edmund Randolph, William Paterson, and Roger Sherman. The most serious issue the
delegates faced was the how to achieve a balance between liberty and authority. There was a long debate over how to
represent American citizens in a law-making body (Congress). Randolph presented resolutions drafted by Madison that became
known as the Virginia Plan. It was supported by the large states because it had a bicameral (two-house) legislature whose
membership was based on the population of the state. Paterson proposed the New Jersey Plan that created a one-house
legislature in which each state received the same number of representatives regardless of population (supported by small
states). This debate over representation was resolved by Sherman’s Great (Connecticut) Compromise. It created a bicameral
legislature with a House of Representatives (number of members based on population) and a Senate (number of members based
on equality- each state gets 2).
6.
Once the representation issue was resolved for citizens, the issue challenging the delegates now was how to count the
African-American slaves. The Southern states wanted to count all the slaves for representation because it would give them
more votes in the House of Representatives. However, they did not want to count the slaves for the purpose of paying taxes.
The Northern states believed that the slaves should not count for representation since they did not participate in government.
They believed the slaves should count for taxation. The 3/5 Compromise allowed 3 out of every 5 slaves to be counted for
representation and taxation.
The delegates also resolved issues involving the election and term length of the President, the slave trade, and commerce.
The Southern states feared that the North, because of its advantage in population, would be able to pass laws that would injure
their economy including slavery. It was decided that Congress would not be able to place a tax on exports and could not pass
any laws limiting the slave trade until 20 years after the passage of the Constitution (1808). The delegates also decided they
could not always trust the American people to always elect qualified representatives. Therefore, they allowed the people to
elect only members to the House of Representatives and not the Senate (elected by the legislature of the state). Also, the
President was officially elected by the Electoral College, not directly by the people. They also compromised on the length of
term for the President by making it four years.
The “Founding Fathers” or “Framers” created a document that contained a preamble and 7 Articles. The Preamble, Articles,
and the Amendments (later revisions) are the basis for the supreme law of our country. On September 17, 1787, 39 delegates
signed the Constitution and it was sent to the states for approval. The Constitution needed a ¾ majority of states to ratify it
before it went into effect. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the 9th state to adopt the Constitution. The Framers
had created a document based on the principles of popular sovereignty (people have authority in government), limited
(constitutional) government, separation of powers (national power divided among 3 branches), a system of checks and balances
(guarantees that all branches retain some authority because they have checks on the power of the other two), and federalism
(dividing powers of government among different levels- national and state). It also guaranteed our government was democratic
(rule by the people) republic (meaning we have a government run by natural-born or naturalized citizens who vote). Our
Constitution gave us the form of government known as a federal republic. In addition to giving more power to the national
government, the Constitution differs from the Articles by creating a powerful executive, a Congress with two equal houses, and
a federal court system.
7.
Major Principles of the United States Constitution
1. Popular Sovereignty – People are the source of the government’s power. In the
Declaration of Independence, the second paragraph states that governments derive
(get) their powers from the “consent of the governed.” The opening words of the
Constitution “We the people” reinforce this idea of “authority of the people.”
2. Republicanism – People elect their political representatives. Voters hold the
sovereign power as they elect their representatives and give them the responsibility to
make laws and conduct government.
3. Limited Government – The Constitution limits the actions of government by
specifically listing powers it does and does not have. The Framers knew they needed
to create a more powerful national government than the confederation under the
Articles. However, there was still a risk of government using its power to give one group
special advantages. By creating a limited government, they made certain the government
would have only had those powers granted to it by the people.
4. Federalism – In this government system, power is divided between national and
state governments. The Constitution defines three types of government powers.
Enumerated powers belong only to the national government. Reserved powers are those
kept by the states. Concurrent powers are shared by the state and national
governments.
5. Separation of Powers – To prevent any single group from gaining too much
authority, the Framers divided the federal government into three branches: 1)
Legislative (to make laws), 2) Executive (to enforce laws), and 3) Judicial (to define
laws). The Framers intended to give each branch some authority regarding the law.
6. Checks and Balances – Each branch of government holds some control over the
other two branches. Each branch can check, or limit the power of the other branches.
This principle was added to ensure that no one person or small group would gain too much
power and become abusive toward the freedoms and rights of the people.
7. Individual Rights – Basic liberties and rights of all citizens are guaranteed by the
addition of the Bill of Rights, or first ten amendments, to the Constitution in 1791.
These include freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and right to trial by jury.
8. Judicial Review - This is the power of the courts to declare law and actions of
local, state, and national governments invalid if they violate the Constitution. All
federal courts have this power, but the Supreme Court is the final authority on what the
Constitution means. Actually, the Constitution does not say that the judicial branch has
this power. However, the Supreme Court established this precedent for federal courts
in the case of Marbury v. Madison in 1803.
8.
NAME____________________________ DATE_____________ HOUR_____
FRAMERS OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION – QUESTIONS
Fill in the blank- Answer the following using the Framers Handout.
1. In what city did the delegates meet?
___________________________
2. How many total delegates attended the Convention? __________
3. Who authorized the Convention?
___________________________
4. Which state did not send delegates?
___________________________
5. What was the purpose of calling this Convention?
________________________
6. Who presented the New Jersey Plan?
___________________________
7. Who was the President of the Convention?
___________________________
8. Who is known as the “Father of the Constitution”?
___________________________
9. Who presented the Virginia Plan?
__________________________
10. Who created the Great Compromise?
__________________________
11. Which compromise dealt with counting of slaves?
______________________
12. On what date was the Constitution signed?
_____________________
13. How many states were needed to make the Constitution official? _______
14. On what date was the Constitution ratified?
______________________
15. Which form of government did the Constitution establish? ______________________
Matching- Match the phrase in the left column with the item from the right column that best
completes it and write the letter in the blank at the left.
___16. Proposal for bicameral legislature based
on population in both houses
___17. Government by the people
___18. Government limited by written document
___19. Division of governmental authority among branches
___20. Proposal for bicameral legislature giving equal
Representation in one house and population based
Representation in the other house
___21. A two-house form of government
___22. Plan for one-house legislature based on equality
___23. Government in which citizens elect representatives
___24. Government in which power is divided among levels
___25. Each branch has some control over others’ power
A. Separation of
Powers
B. Republic
C. New Jersey Plan
D. Constitutional
Government
E. Checks and
Balances
F. Federalism
G. Bicameralism
H. Virginia Plan
I. Democracy
J. Great Compromise