Mock Debate Assignments
Ratification of the Constitution in Virginia, 1787-1788
Setting: June 1788
On Tuesday, October 9th we'll re-enact the debate over ratification of the
Constitution in Virginia. Here's what I want you to do:
1.
Please review pages 263-272 in the Foner text. For a bit more information see:
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-day/ratification.html
2. Note your additional assignment (below). You might want to do a bit of
background reading (online) about your assigned personality.
3. Please come to class with some prepared notes highlighting the arguments you
have read either in support of or against ratification of the Constitution.
A. Antifederalists
1.
A Virginia Antifederalist on the Issue of Taxation from The Freeman's Journal; or, The NorthAmerican Intelligencer, October 31, 1787
Devoe Arnold: http://www.thisnation.com/library/antifederalist/30-31.html
2. "Philanthropos" from The Virginia Journal and Alexandria Advertiser, December 6, 1787
Nico Boyajian: http://www.constitution.org/afp/borden07.htm
3. Antifederalist #4, speech by Patrick Henry, 1788 (no need to read all of this, but get an idea of Henry's
point)
Adam Bradley: http://www.utulsa.edu/law/classes/rice/constitutional/AntiFederalist/04.htm
4. excerpt of letter from Richard Henry Lee to George Mason, October 1787
Matthew Clare: http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1848
5.
George Mason, "Objections to the Proposed Federal Constitution," June 1788
Gabe Gardner: http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1817
6. Special guest appearance by Philadelphiensis (!)
Aidan Gray: http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=2141
(see next page for Federalists assignments)
B. Federalists
1.
James Madison, excerpts from Federalist #10, 1788
Alex Keyes: (see under "Documents" on WordPress site)
2. Guest appearance by New Yorker, Alexander Hamilton (!) in Federalist #12, November 1787 (you
don't have to read the whole excerpt)
Sammy Rueckert: http://www.utulsa.edu/law/classes/rice/Constitutional/FedPapers/Fed12.htm
3. James Madison, Federalist #45 (read at least a few paragraphs), Jan. 1788
Mike Schmandt: http://www.utulsa.edu/law/classes/rice/Constitutional/FedPapers/Fed45.htm
4. Edmund Randolph on "Rights," June 1788
Alex Soltany: http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch14s40.html
5. (Another) Guest appearance….by Benjamin Franklin (!)
John Wells: (see under "Documents" on WordPress site)