1. Bellwork
I want you all to grab a Constitution Handbook from the bins and read the preamble (pg 1, first paragraph). Please answer the following questions:
Why do you think they say “more perfect union”?
Why do you think the preamble begins with “We the people..”?
The preamble notes that it will “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity”. What does that mean?

2. Unit 4, Section 2 The Constitution
American History
Unit 4, Section 2
The Constitution

3. Objectives
Discuss and evaluate the meetings of the Constitutional convention
Identify the issues and solutions regarding state and federal powers
Role-play as members of the Constitutional Convention and analyze what it was so difficult for them to agree to the Constitution.
Compare the federalists and anti-federalists
Identify struggles that were faced during ratification
Debate over the differing views between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists

4. The Preamble
Before we continue, we are going to watch a short video about the Preamble by School House Rock.
Question: What is the purpose of the Preamble? How are they trying to form a more perfect Union? What is “welfare”?

5. Quick Review
What was the effect of Shays’ Rebellion on the American ideal of national unity?
Why did the Articles of Confederation “suck”?

6. The Convention
The striking disunity among the Confederation became fully realized after two major issues:
A trade agreement failed between the states because only 5 states chose to send delegates, 4 fewer than the required amount to even pass legislation
Shays’ Rebellion made Congress realize that they could not handle a real issue plaguing a state.
Congressional leaders issued a call for a Constitutional Convention to strengthen the government and held it in Philadelphia, 1787.

7. The Convention

8. The Convention
By May 25 of 1787, enough delegates arrived in Philadelphia to proceed with the meetings.
The convention met in Pennsylvania State House (now called Independence Hall), in the same room where the American Revolutionaries had signed the Declaration of Independence.

9. The Convention
The delegates agreed to keep the proceedings secret, believing that it would be easier to debate and resolve their issues behind closed doors.
Despite the sweltering summer heat, the doors and windows were kept tightly shut.

10. The Convention
The delegates took their vow to secrecy very seriously. When someone dropped their notes on the floor, it was said that George Washington would respond:
“Gentlemen, I am sorry to find that some member of the body has been so neglectful to the secrets of the Convention as to drop in the State House a copy of their proceedings… I know not whose paper it is, but here it is, let him who owns it take it.”
Question: From this passage, what do you think George Washington’s attitude was towards incompetence?
From this alone, we can definitely tell that the delegates knew the secrecy was extremely important.

11. The Delegates
George Washington and the 54 other convention delegates were a remarkable collection of politicians. Most had helped to write their state constitutions and all had held public office of some sort and all were delegates of the Continental Congress.
How many delegates were there at the convention?

12. The Delegates
Many of the delegates were very young, averaging around their mid-to-late 30’s.
Benjamin Franklin was the eldest of the group at the time, being 81 years old.

13. The Delegates
A few prominent Americans– such as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams– were not in attendance at the Convention.
Others refused to attend fearing that the delegates were planning to undermine state rights and that the convention would be no different from the tyranny of George III.

14. The Delegates
Most of the delegates were generally wealthy and well educated. Many held some of the more privileged ranks of society.
Although the delegates were not your “average” citizens of the time, there was no outcry at their being representative of the states at the convention.
Few Americans at the time questioned the belief that the wealthy were best qualified to govern.
Question: Why do you think few complained about these men being the representatives, despite not being an “average” citizen?

15. Federal v. State Rights
The Articles of Confederation gave a lot of power to the states, which meant that the central government was too weak to be able to handle national affairs.
Some delegates believed it was time to replace the Articles with a new plan of government, but the issues grew about whether the states or the national government should have more power.

16. Federal v. State Rights
James Madison, a delegate of Virginia, and Virginia Governor Edmund Randolph sparked a heated debate when they presented the Virginia Plan.
The Virginia Plan shifted political power to a central government that would coordinate the states activities for the benefits of the whole nation.
Described by his contemporaries as “gloomy” Madison became known as the “father of the Constitution” due to his leadership at the convention.

17. Federal v. State Rights
The plan expressed Madison’s deeply held belief in federalism– the division of powers between a strong central government and the state governments.
Such a drastic plan made some delegates fear that the powerful federal government could simply do away with state governments.

18. Federal v. State Rights
The Virginia Plan also called for three branches of government:
Executive
Judicial
Legislative
The legislature also would be bicameral– made of up two houses in which voters would elect representatives for the lower house, who would then choose members of the upper house.
State populations would decide the number of representatives.
Question: What are the three branches of Government?

19. Federal v. State Rights
A dispute arose over the number of representatives each state could have. The larger states favored representation based on population, but the smaller wanted equal votes.
William Paterson of New Jersey offered an alternative. His New Jersey Plan called for a unicameral– one house– legislature where each state would have one vote.
Madison, among others, objected because they believed it did not solve the issues of the Articles.

20. Connecticut Compromise
Arguments raged over the Virginia and New Jersey Plan. By the end of June, the convention was in danger of collapsing.
To balance interests, Roger Sherman of Connecticut created a compromise– a two-house legislature that would allow for both equal representation and representation based on population.
His compromise has been referred to as the Connecticut Compromise.

21. Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise granted each state an equal voice and voting based on population.
The delegates narrowly approved of his proposal.

22. Three-Fifths Compromise
The delegates had to decide if slaves should be counted for representation.
Delegates from the South– ironically– insisted the slaves be included. The northern delegates strongly objected to this demand.
The final agreement was known as the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted only three-fifths of the slave population.

24. Commerce
The convention compromised over commerce, as the delegates agreed that the Congress could levy tariffs on imports, but not exports.
However, this lead to another issue– can the federal government use it’s power over foreign/interstate trade to abolish the slave trade.

25. Commerce
The convention, fearing that the South would withdraw from the union if their rights or property were threatened, allowed the slave trade to continue until 1807 and that slaveholders could pursue runaway slaves across state lines.
The northern states were not happy with the solution, but knew that for the time, it was the only choice.

26. Drafting the Constitution
On July 26, 1787, five delegates began to draft the Constitution, which they presented it in full on August 6th.
Between August 6th and September 10th, the delegates debated the draft and hammered out specifics such as terms of office for the President and who could be a member of both houses.
Another five delegate committee then prepared a finished document after the draft was edited.

27. The Constitution
On September 17, 1787 (11 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence), the committee presented the final version of the Constitution, written neatly by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania.
39 of the 55 delegates signed the document.

28. Ratification
After intense debate– often teetering on the edge of failure– the Constitution was passed by the Convention delegates.
However, the next step is having the states accept the document. As we will see, this was much easier said that done.

29. Quick Questions
What was the issue concerning state representation that appeared in the convention?
What is the issue concerning slave representation?
Why would the Northern states allow the slave trade to continue?

30. Break
You have 1 minute to get some water, stretch, and check your phones if you wish.

31. Ratification Requirements
To achieve ratification, the Constitution required the approval of 9 of the 13 states. Most convention delegates, however, hoped for a unanimous approval as a show of national unity.
To spur interest, newspapers printed full copies of the Constitution, which shocked citizens.
Citizens would soon become divided over the issue of ratification.

32. Federalists One group, called the Federalists, supported ratification.
Wealthy merchants, planters, and lawyers tended to be Federalists. They advocated a strong national government that would assure a sound currency and protect property rights.
Even average citizens believed the Constitution would provide stability to the country.

33. Anti-Federalists
The other group, called Anti-Federalists, feared a powerful national government.
They worried that states would not be happy about surrendering their power to the Federal government.

34. Objections
The Anti-federalists had four main objections to the Constitution:
The delegates of the constitutional convention met in secret, and, in doing so, went beyond what they were allowed to do.
A strong national government will destroy state rights.
The new system of government resembled a monarchy because of it’s concentration of power and thus violated the principle of liberty that had guided the revolution
There was no Bill of Rights in the Constitution.
It was undemocratic (as the president, vice president, and Senate were not elected by the people)

35. The Federalist Papers
To answer their critics, the Federalists- primarily James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay- wrote 85 essays referred to as the Federalist Papers.
Between 1787 and 1788, 77 essays appeared in newspapers and were later published in a book, The Federalist.

36. The Federalist Papers
The writers intended for the essays to sway public opinion in New York, but they also influenced opinions in the other states.
Today, the Federalist Papers are often used to help understand the purpose and ideals behind the Constitution.

37. Questions What is the Bill of Rights?
Why do you think the Anti-Federalists want a Bill of Rights so badly?

38. Bill of Rights Issue
Anti-Federalists wanted a Bill of Rights and many refused to sign the Constitution unless there was one.
They argued that without a Bill of Rights, it could be easy for the federal government to take away individual rights.

39. Ratification
By 1788, enough states agreed to support the Constitution to make it effective.
However, both Virginia and New York (among others) refused to sign it without a Bill of Rights attached to it and without these large states, the Constitution had little chance of succeeding.

40. Ratification
In Virginia, Patrick Henry argued against the Constitution, while James Madison and George Washington strongly urged the convention to support it.
In New York, Federalists in New York City threatened to withdraw the city from the state if the delegates did not ratify the Constitution.
In the end, Federalists won in both states, but only by very narrow margins.

41. Ratification
Rhode Island was the last state to ratify. Initially, the state legislature refused to even consider the Constitution. However, after being threatened by an economic boycott in Congress, Rhode Island agreed to call a Convention.
The vote for ratification was so close that the governor had to vote to break the tie.

42. Ratification
The struggle for ratification was long, and the final vote was close, but with ratification most Americans embraced the Constitution.
They had endured the Revolution and the turmoil of the Confederation years.
Now, with a new constitution, they hoped to launch themselves into a successful future.

43. Ratification
In 1788, the Constitution was put into place by the Continental Congress and various state legislatures.
They also began to form the 1st United States Congress in 1789 and began to put many of the plans of the Constitution into place.
With this, the United States would continue to grow and change as it entered the new century.

44. Closure/Bellwork
What is the purpose of the Constitution? Please write your answer in your notes.

45. Review Objectives
Discuss and evaluate the meetings of the Constitutional convention
Identify the issues and solutions regarding state and federal powers
Role-play as members of the Constitutional Convention and analyze what it was so difficult for them to agree to the Constitution.
Compare the federalists and anti-federalists
Identify struggles that were faced during ratification
Debate over the differing views between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists

46. Questions
If you have any questions, please ask now.

47. Next Lesson
In the next lesson, we are going to discuss the first Congress and the beginnings of the new United States.

48. Debate
We are going to do a debate in this class. I’m going to number off the class as either #1 or #2 (you’ll be assigned a side later)
All students will have to research both sides and you will not be assigned until after the research is complete.
When writing your arguments, you must:
Write an opening statement of your beliefs.
Three points that support your opening statement.
At least one argument that counters the opposing side.
A closure statement of your teams stance.
Alternative: Writing a full page response to the debate if you wish not to debate.