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Framing Our Government: A Letter to George Washington

In this classroom activity, students imagine themselves as colonists and write a letter to George Washington, expressing their desires for the new Constitution. The activity covers topics such as taxes, voting, regional concerns, and religion. This activity helps students understand the importance of the Constitutional Convention and the need to strengthen the national government.

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Framing Our Government: A Letter to George Washington

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  1. The American Revolution is over…but now the colonists have to decide how they want to frame their government. Take the first 5 minutes of class and imagine that you were a colonist that just fought against the British. Take out a sheet of paper and write a letter (using full sentences!) to George Washington telling him what you want him to remember when the delegates are making our Constitution. Hints: taxes, voting, your region, religion, etc. (I will be choosing people to share their answers!)

  2. The Road to the Constitution

  3. Quick Review • Declaration of Independence • Second Continental Congress • Approved July 4, 1776 • The Articles of Confederation • 1777, our first constitution • Weak federal government • Shay’s Rebellion, 1786-1787

  4. ’ 1786MassachusettsImpoverished backcountry farmers were losing their farms due to mortgage foreclosures and debts.Captain Daniel Shays (veteran of Revolution) led these desperate debtors in revolt: demanded cheap paper money, lighter taxes, and no more property takeovers. Som eof them tried to use violence to enforce these demands.Massachussetts authorities raised a small army and crushed the rebelllion. Daniel Shays was sentenced to death, but later pardoned.This rebellion struck fear into the propertied class, and raised a spector of anarchy. Had the American Revolution induced a never-ending spirit of revolt among the masses? Shays' Rebellion made it clear that republicanism could turn into the want for too much liberty, and civic virtue was being replaced with greed. A stronger central government was necessary!The current Articles of Confederation needed to be strengthened! => Constitutional Convention.

  5. Strengthening the National Government • 1787 • Problems with the Articles of Confederation • States sent delegates to Philadelphia to fix the A.O.C. • Rhode Island did not go…they did not want a stronger central government

  6. The Constitutional Convention • May 25, 1787 • Independence Hall, Philadelphia • An extraordinary group of men • 55 men • Well-educated • Lawyers, merchants, college presidents, doctors, generals, governors, and planters with considerable political experience

  7. Who was there? Who missed it? • Benjamin Franklin • 81, oldest delegate • George Washington & James Madison • Both would become president • Thomas Jefferson & John • Both were in Europe • Patrick Henry • Prominent Virginian • He was invited but did not attend; he was against the convention

  8. The Boss • Who was chosen to preside over the convention? • George Washington • Respected for his leadership during the Rev. War http://richmondthenandnow.com/Images/Famous-Visitors/George-Washington-big.jpg

  9. Procedures of the Convention • Each state was only allowed one vote • Majority votes from all states made decisions • All discussions were a secret! Why…? • This way, delegates could speak freely, without worry about how the public would react

  10. Importance of the Constitutional Convention • “I would bury my bones in this city rather than leave the Convention without anything being done.” -George Mason at the Constitutional Convention *Everyone knew that failure could mean disaster*

  11. What happened to the… • Articles of Confederation??? • The throw it away, decided to write a new constitution http://www.uberreview.com/wp-content/uploads/grocery-bag-trash-can.jpg

  12. Two Opposing Plans VS. Virginia vs. New Jersey http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/map/vamap.jpg http://www.pestmanagement.rutgers.edu/nj-counties-new.gif

  13. Two Opposing Plans • The Virginia Plan • James Madison • 3 branches of government • Bicameral legislature (2 houses), determined by population • Favored big states

  14. Two Opposing Plans • The New Jersey Plan • William Patterson • 3 branches of government • Unicameral legislature (1 house) with equal representation • Favored smaller states

  15. Two Opposing Plans • What was the big issue? • How representation in Congress would be decided • Larger states wanted more power, smaller states wanted equal power

  16. The Great Compromise • Roger Sherman of Connecticut comes up with the answer…a compromise • Lower House • House of Representatives • Determined by population • 2 year terms • Favored larger states • Upper House • Senate • Equal representation • 6 year terms • Favored smaller states • Also known as… The Connecticut Compromise • What is a compromise??? • A way of resolving disagreements in which each side gives up something but gains something else

  17. More arguing? What now? • Controversy over counting slaves as a part of the population… • At this time, there were 550,000 enslaved African Americans, mostly in the South

  18. More arguing? What now? • Southern states said… part of the population = more representatives for southern states • Northern states said… slaves cannot vote or participate in government, they should not give the south more representatives

  19. The Three-Fifths Compromise • The conflict was finally resolved… • Three-Fifths Compromise • Every 5 enslaved persons would count as 3 free people • Used for representation in Congress & figuring taxes

  20. Another compromise • How to elect a president? • Some say… “Let Congress pick!” • Others say… “Let the people choose!” • The compromise…

  21. Electoral College • A group of people would be chosen by each state to choose the President • Each state given a certain number of votes, determined by their representation in Congress

  22. One last compromise • Conflicts over commerce & the slave trade • Congress could regulate (control) trade between states & other countries • However, they could NOT tax exports or interfere with the slave trade for 20 years

  23. Finished…finally! • September 17, 1787, finished up the Constitution • Delegates signed it, said the Constitution would become the law of the land when… • 9 out of 13 states ratified (approved) it

  24. So everyone in the entire United States of America loved the Constitution and every state ratified it immediately and we all had a big party and we all lived happily ever after, right…?

  25. Wrong!

  26. A Divided Public • Some people liked the Constitution, others did not • Federalists = supporters of the new constitution & a strong federal government • Federalism = A form of government in which power is divided between the federal (national) government and the states

  27. A Divided Public • Some Federalists wrote papers to rally support for the Constitution • They were called the Federalist Papers (duh) • Who wrote ‘em? • Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, & John Jay

  28. A Divided Public • What about those who didn’t like the Constitution? • Anti-Federalists = People opposed to the constitution & a strong federal government • “Don’t forget individual rights!”

  29. Reaching an Agreement • Anti-Federalists wanted to add… • The Bill of Rights • The Federalists promised to do so, and did • New Hampshire, 9th state to ratify • June 21, 1788 • The Constitution went into effect • The last state to ratify…? • Rhode Island, 1790

  30. The Federalist Papers

  31. The importance of the media…

  32. Federalist Number 51 “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” -James Madison

  33. Federalist Number 51 continued “In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” -James Madison

  34. Issue Federalist Antifederalist

  35. Lesson questions • What does interpretation mean? • What does strict interpretation of the constitution mean? • What does loose interpretation of the constitution mean?

  36. Founding Fathers • The Framers of the Constitution wrote a very generalized document. • Purpose? • To allow future Americans flexibility. • Look at Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the U.S. Constitution on page 99 on the textbook. Read it carefully. • The nick name of this passage is the Elastic Clause. • Can you tell why?

  37. Competing interpretations • Who interprets? • The Supreme Court! • How? • Strict or literalist • Which Means? • The Constitution means exactly what it says! • Framers had an exact plan

  38. Competing interpretations • The counterpart of strict interpretation is? • Loose interpretation • Which means? • Meaning of certain portions of the Constitution can stretched to the user’s needs

  39. Ticket out the door

  40. 1. What is a form of government in which power is divided between the federal (national) government and the states?

  41. 2. What did the Anti-Federalists want to add to the Constitution?

  42. 3. Who was the father of the Constitution?

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