Road to the U.S. Constitution
Civics
Roadmap
• Review of Articles of Confederation
– Why did they fail?
• Constitutional Convention
– What was the original purpose?
– What were the proposed plans?
• How did the differ from each other?
Pop Quiz!
• On a spare sheet of paper, write down at least
4 points made in the Articles of Confederation
• 5 minutes… starting NOW!
• Good Luck!
Recap: Articles of Confederation
• 1st document that governed U.S.
• Main points:
– Weak federal, strong state governments
• “States hereby severally enter into a firm league of
friendship with each other…”
– Congress
• Power to declare war, maintained army and navy
• NO power to collect taxes, regulate commerce, or enforce
laws
– No President or Supreme Court
– No firm national currency
Change on the Horizon
• James Madison
recommends amending
the Articles of
Confederation
– Annapolis Convention
(1786)
• Only 5 states attend
• Recommendation to all
states to meet in
Philadelphia in May of 1787
Blast to the Past Activity
• Imagine you are an American citizen in the
early 1780s and are asked by state officials
what you like and don’t like about the Articles
of Confederation. On a piece of paper, do the
following:
– Write down 2 things you think should be changed
– Write down 1 thing you think should stay the
same
– Explain each decision you make!
Constitutional Convention
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•
•
•
May 14, 1787- September 17, 1787
55 delegates
12 states sent delegates, Rhode Island did not
Original intent was NOT to write a whole new
document; however, some delegates aimed to
do just that
• Delegates realized very quickly that the
Articles of Confederation would have to be
replaced with a new document
Three Competing Plans
• Virginia Plan
• New Jersey Plan
• Hamilton’s Plan
Virginia Plan
• 3 branches of Government
– Legislative
• Extremely powerful
• Bicameral
• States would have representation based upon their population
– Executive
• Elected by legislative branch
• Fairly weak
– Judicial
• Elected by legislative branch
• Council of Revision
– Made up of Executive and select Judicial members
– They held power to veto legislative acts
• Who does this plan benefit? Why?
New Jersey Plan
• 3 branches of government:
– Legislative
• Unicameral
• Representation was equal among all states
• Could levy taxes
– Executive
• Appointed by the Legislative
• Can be made up of multiple people
– Judicial
• Appointed by Executive
• Who does this benefit? Why?
Hamilton’s Plan
• Also known as the British Plan
• Legislature
– Bicameral
– Lower House elected by the people, serve for 3 years
– Upper House elected by the Lower House, serve for life
• Executive
– Known as the Governor
– Appointed by the legislature and would serve for life
• Judicial
– Appointed by the legislature
• Who does this benefit? Why?
Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States
• What do you think is the artists’ intent?
• How is the delegation represented?
• Which plan, if any, do you think they adopted
based on this painting?
• What questions does this painting raise?
Homework
• You must write a one-page, double-spaced
paper in which you decide which plan you
think would have been the best replacement
for the Articles of Confederation and explain
your position
– MUST use evidence
– 12 point font, 1 inch margins
– DUE FRIDAY
Exit Tickets
• Write down 3 things you learned today AND
explain their significance in creating the
Constitution