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