THE CRITICAL PERIOD & THE CREATION OF THE

CONSTITUTIONDefining Our Government Through Growing Pains

OBJECTIVES

Students describe the structure of the government under the Articles of Confederation.

Students summarize the major compromises that the delegates agreed to make and the effects of those compromises.

VOCABULARY IArticles of Confederation: plan of government adopted by the Continental Congress after the Revolution; established a ‘firm league of friendship’ among the states, but allowed few important powers to the central government

ratification: formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment or treaty

The Framers: group of delegates who drafted the United States Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787

Virginia Plan: Plan presented by delegates from Virginia at the Constitutional Convention; called for a three branch government with a bicameral legislature in which each State’s membership would be determined by its population or its financial support for the central government

VOCABULARY IINew Jersey Plan: presented as an alternative to the Virginia Plan at the Constitutional Convention; called for a unicameral in which each State would be equally represented

Connecticut Compromise: agreement during the Constitutional Convention that Congress should be composed of a Senate, in which States would be represented equally, and a House, in which representation would be based on a State’s population

Three-Fifths Compromise: an agreement at the Constitutional Convention to count a slave as three-fifths of a person when determining the population of a state.

Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise: an agreement during the Constitutional Convention protecting slave holders; denied Congress the power to tax the export of goods from any State, and, for 20 years, the power to act on the slave trade

OF

1st & 2nd Continental ___________ - no ___________ authority

November 15, 1777 - Draft ___________ of ___________ (AoC).

Establish ‘a firm ___________ of ___________’ among the ___________

Each State kept “its ___________, freedom and ___________, and every Power, ___________, and right... not... expressly ___________ to the United States, in ___________ Assembled”

Required formal ___________ of each of the 13 ___________ - would take ___ years and much of the ___________ War to get that

AUTHORITY

___________ - made up of ___________ chosen by each State yearly as they saw fit; each ___________ had ___________ vote

No ___________ or ___________ branch; handled by ___________ of Congress - each year Congress would choose one of their ___________ to act as the ___________ of the government as the ___________ officer

Congress had ___________ power

States agreed to ___________ dictates of Congress and supply ___________ and ___________; treat ___________ of other states ___________; return ___________, etc.

___________ - not Congress, were tasked with ___________ life and ___________

OF

No ___________ to raise ___________ through ___________

Had to borrow ___________ from the State - poor ___________ to fund ___________ of government

Could not regulate ___________ ___________ States

Could not ___________ decisions in ___________

Had to have ___________ of 9 of 13 of the ___________ to ___________ the AoC - never ___________

PEACE

Revolutionary War finally ended on October 19, 1781 and official ___________ signed in 1783

Economic ___________ and ___________ with AoC brought into ___________

States ___________ with each other; ___________ and ___________ grows

___________ to support ___________ government - ___________ and otherwise

THE

1785-87: ___________ of new government called for a new ___________ to be called to decide how best to ___________

Meet in 1787 in ___________ to ___________ AoC

___________ from nearly all states arrived during ___________ months

The ___________ background and ___________ of these 55 ___________ exist as a ___________ of some of the best and ___________ the United States had to offer

OPERATIONAL

Met in ___________ Hall, in ___________ to protect the delegates from outside ___________

Elected G. ___________ as ___________ of the convention

Each state had ___________ vote

Stated ___________ of ___________ was to ___________ - quickly decided that AoC needed to be ___________

THE VIRGINIA PLAN

Virginia - largely ___________ for ___________ convention; ___________ first plan for the new ___________

___________ branches of ___________; ___________ legislature

___________ house elected on ___________ or states ___________ contribution

___________ house chosen from the House from ___________ of persons ___________ by the ___________

Congress elects “National ___________” and “National ___________”

Form a ‘Council of ___________’ with ___________ power

Could be over ridden by ___________

___________ has ‘general ___________’

All ___________ had to swear ___________ to support ___________ government

___________ had ___________ power to ___________ new States

THE

THE ___________ states, who didn’t have as large a ___________ had issue with the ___________ Plan

_______ ___________ proposed it’s own plan

___________ Congress with each ___________ having equal ___________

Would give ___________ government ___________ to ___________ and ___________ trade - ___________

Question of ___________ between the two plans served as point of bitter ___________ between the two plans

______________________ Compromise agreed that ___________ should be composed of ___________ houses - ___________: ___________ representation; ___________: ___________ based

___________ compromise that satisfied ___________ states

Once question of ___________ based on ___________ had been established - had to find ways to agree on how to ___________ population: ___________

_________-________ Compromise - all “___________ persons” should be ___________; “___________-___________ of other persons”

___________ concerned about ___________ power to regulate ___________ trade

___________ and ___________ Trade Compromise ___________ Congress’ ___________ to act on ___________ trade ___________ 20 years

___________

___________, ___________; ___________ “The ___________ of the Laws”, others influenced ___________; ___________ with AoC and ___________ to that date

September 17, 1787: ___________ and ___________ by ______ members

Some not ___________ satisfied with this ‘bundle of ___________’; most acknowledged need for ___________, ___________ government