A TIMETABLE OF MAIN EVENTS IN THE MAKING OF THE
CONSTITUTION, 1781-1791
Using Facts in the Timetable
1. Arranging Events in Chronological Order – The items in List (A) are NOT in
chronological order. Rearrange these items in chronological order. Write your list
of items in chronological order in the spaces provided under heading (B): Ten
Events Listed in Chronological Order. Be sure to write the correct date before the
event
A. Scrambled List of Ten Events
George Washington Inaugurated as First President of the United States of America
Beginning of the Constitutional Convention
Ratification of the Federal Bill of Rights
Great Compromise Between Larger and Smaller States
Shays’ Rebellion Ended
Ratification of the Articles of Confederation
First Federalist paper Appeared in a Newspaper
Annapolis Convention
Ratification of the United States Constitution
Virginia Ratified the United States Constitution
B. Ten Events Listed in Chronological Order
DATE
EVENT
_____
_________________________________________________________________
_____
_________________________________________________________________
_____
_________________________________________________________________
_____
_________________________________________________________________
_____
_________________________________________________________________
_____
_________________________________________________________________
_____
_________________________________________________________________
_____
_________________________________________________________________
_____
_________________________________________________________________
_____
_________________________________________________________________
2. Matching Activity – Match the dates in List A with the appropriate events in List B.
Write the numeral corresponding to each date in List A in the correct space next
to an event in List B.
List A
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
XIII
XIV
XV
XVI
XVII
XVIII
XIX
XX
March 1, 1781
September 3, 1783
August 7, 1786
September 11, 1786
February 21, 1787
May 25, 1787
May 29, 1787
July 16, 1787
August 6, 1787
September 17, 1787
September 28, 1787
June 21, 1788
September 13, 1788
April 6, 1789
April 30, 1789
September 25, 1789
November 21, 1789
May 29, 1790
November 3, 1791
December 15, 1791
List B
_____ (1) Start of the Constitutional Convention
_____ (2) Federal Bill of Rights Ratified
_____ (3) Congress Sent the Constitution to the States
to Be Ratified or Rejected
_____ (4) Treaty of Paris Signed
_____ (5) Ratification of Articles of Confederation
_____ (6) U. S. Constitution Ratified by Nine States
_____ (7) Washington Inaugurated as First President
of the United States of America
_____ (8) Delegates at the Constitutional Convention
Signed the Final Draft of the Constitution
_____ (9) Rhode Island Ratified the Constitution
_____ (10) First Official Meeting of the U. S. Senate
3. Sentence Completion Activity. Write the correct word or words in each blank in
the sentences below.
A. The _________________________, signed by Great Britain and the United States,
officially ended the American War for Independence.
B. The first plan for government of the United States of America was called
______________________________________________________________________
C. No delegates from the state of _________________________ attended the
Constitutional Convention.
D. Delegates from five states participated in the _______________________, which issued
a call for a convention in Philadelphia for the purpose of revising the Articles of
Confederation.
E. _________________________ and _________________________ wrote most of the
_________________________, which defended the new Constitution.
F. The first ten amendments to the Constitution make up the ________________________.
G. The first state to ratify the Constitution was _________________________.
H. The last of the original thirteen states to ratify the Constitution was ________________.
I.
Debates about a new form of government at the Constitutional Convention started with
introduction of the _________________________ Plan.
J.
The _________________________ settled a dispute between the larger and smaller
states at the Constitutional Convention.
4. Interpreting Facts in a Timetable. Refer to facts in the “Timetable” to answer the
questions below.
A. Which of the events preceding the Constitutional Convention gave a legal foundation to the
Convention? Explain.
B. Which of the events following the Constitutional Convention indicate that the Constitution
stimulated a public controversy? Explain.
C. What examples in the “Timetable” show that Americans in the 1780s tried to settle public
controversies through lawful procedures?