Do Now:
Can perfection ever be reached? And should we strive for it?
America fights for it’s independence as a Confederate nation under the Articles of Confederation. There are, however, serious weaknesses in the AoC:
Inability to tax No standard currency Foreign Relations
Issues No real power to
enforce national laws
Articles of Confederation1781-1789
55 delegates from 12 of the 13 states (excluding Rhode Island) met to recommend revisions in the Articles of Confederation
These 55 delegates are known as the Framers of the Constitution because they realized that they needed an entirely new founding document.
Philadelphia (Constitutional) Convention
May-Sept 1787
It was an extremely hot and muggy summer in Philadelphia and the doors and windows had to be shut in order to protect the secrecy of the convention (and no A/C!).
It was a room full of men drinking alcohol who didn’t bathe too often…
Philadelphia (Constitutional) ConventionMay-Sept 1787
Former Revolutionary fighters
Members of CongressState Governors
Future Presidents, Vice Presidents, Senate and
House members
How might this country look different if all
people groups were included in this
process?
Who were these Framers?
At this time it could take weeks or months for delegates to receive the invitation and travel to Philadelphia. All communicating and travel was done by horseback or carriage.
James Madison and others in the Virginia delegation are the first to arrive. While they wait for weeks they decide to begin drafting a constitution rather than waiting around for their counterparts. It is Madison’s early draft that largely guides the creation of the Constitution.
Who were these Framers?
Three Branches (Executive, Legislative, Judicial)
Bicameral Legislature (two houses)
Representation based on population or contributions
The Virginia Plan
The New Jersey plan was the smaller states’ response to the Virginia Plan and included many differences in the structure of government.
Three Branches (Executive, Legislative, Judicial)
Unicameral Legislature (one house)
Representation equal for each state
The New Jersey Plan
Connecticut’s delegates became frustrated with the long debate and came up with a compromise which ultimately guided the creation of the constitution.
Three Branches (Executive, Legislative, Judicial)
Bicameral Legislature (Two houses)
Representation equal for each state in the Senate
Representation varies by population for House of Reps
Connecticut Compromise
The Convention Completes Its Work
Ben Franklin
“Sir I agree with this Constitution with all its faults…because I think general Government is necessary for us...I doubt... Whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better Constitution. For when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men, all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views… It therefore astonishes me, Sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does…”
Get into groups of 2-10 and elect a spokesperson for your group.
Make up a name for your state and write it on your sheet of paper in
marker.
Together we will be planning a party.
Each state will receive one vote.
Social Experiment
What kind of food do you want?Pizza
ChineseTex-Mex
What soda do you want?CokeFanta
Root Beer
Social Experiment(Only Spokespersons should raise their hands)
Where should the party be?Surfside
Discovery GreenHotel Ballroom
What should we do at the party?Sports
ConcertCarnival Rides
Social Experiment(Only Spokespersons should raise their hands)
Now we will vote again on the same issues, but each state will get multiple votes based on it’s
population. (one vote per two citizens)
Social Experiment
What kind of food do you want?Pizza
ChineseTex-Mex
What soda do you want?CokeFanta
Root Beer
Social Experiment(All citizens should raise their hand for the choice their state made)
Where should the party be?Surfside
Discovery GreenHotel Ballroom
What should we do at the party?DanceGames
Carnival Rides
Social Experiment(All citizens should raise their hand for the choice their state made)
In Scenario one which citizens were “more represented? In Scenario 2?
Which scenario better represented individuals? And which one better
represented states?
Which scenario is more “fair?”
Which scenario makes more sense?
Social Experiment
Pretend that you are a journalist with the Philadelphia Packet (a newspaper
covering the convention).
Write an article outlining the scene, what happens, and how the decisions might affect your readers. Include as much
detail as possible.
2.2 Assignment