The American Constitution

Constitutional Convention

Martina and Terrence are about to witness one of the greatest moments in history: they are going to see how the founding fathers created the new government. The founding fathers realized that they needed to replace the Articles of Confederation and its weak central government with a new system of government that had a stronger central government. The replacement government was outlined in the Constitution of the United States. Martina and Terrence will witness the compromises that led to the creation of the legislative branch that still exists today, and the key leaders who helped to shape the Constitution of the United States. America’s founding fathers faced the daunting task of finding a way to satisfy each of the states, while also ensuring that the nation could run effectively.

Perhaps the largest issue between each of the states related to trade and taxes. In 1786, delegates James Madison and Alexander Hamilton called for a meeting of all state delegates to discuss the issues involving interstate trade. Unfortunately, only five states sent representatives to the meeting. As news of Shays’ Rebellion spread throughout the nation, the states became more concerned about the weak national government. At the follow-up meeting of delegates in Philadelphia in 1787, twelve of the thirteen states sent representatives.

In May of 1787, delegates from all of the states, with the exception of Rhode Island, gathered at Independence Hall in Pennsylvania. Among the fifty-five delegates were outstanding leaders such as Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington. Washington served as the president of the Convention, by way of a unanimous vote. The Convention lasted four months and produced the Constitution, one of the most important documents in the history of the United States.

Two Plans and Two Compromises

When the Continental Convention met, the delegates entered Independence Hall and shut all of the windows. They did not want anyone to overhear the important and sometimes controversial discussions. The delegates did not always agree on the best way to form a government. In some situations, delegates outlined specific plans as to how the government should operate. Other times, a compromise was needed to satisfy the delegates. In this interactivity, you will learn about two important plans and two crucial compromises of the Constitutional Convention. Click the player button to begin.

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New Government

After solving issues the issues dealing with representation and slavery, the delegates had to complete the task of figuring out how to balance the power between the central government and state governments. To do this, the delegates separated the central government into three branches. In this activity, explore the structure of the new government. Click the player button to begin.

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The Constitution

The final action of the delegates was to create a way to change the Constitution through an amendment process. Once this was created, the Constitution was submitted to the Congress. The Congress sent the document to the states for approval. The Constitution Convention met on and off for four months and created a document that established a strong foundation for the government of America. In this interactivity, view some of the excerpts from the Constitution of the United States. Click the player button to begin.

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Key Leadership

Many influential individuals helped shape this new nation with their forward thinking ideas. Two leaders in particular stood out from among the rest, George Washington and James Madison. Washington acted as the Constitutional Convention’s president. Virginia delegate James Madison also took a significant part in the Convention by taking the leadership role in many of the debates. Madison’s Virginia Plan was also instrumental in the creation of the three separate branches of the newly formed national government. The chart below displays the roles of Washington and Madison in establishing the new American government.

George Washington	James Madison
Led the Constitutional Convention Was elected as president of the Convention Did not often participate in debates Offered advice to break deadlocks and to help the delegates	Led many debates at the Constitutional Convention Kept thorough notes Referred to as the "Father of the Constitution" Wrote the Virginia Plan and most of the Bill of Rights

 

The American Constitution Review

Now that you have explored the Constitution, complete this activity to check your knowledge. In this non-graded activity, read each statement and select the correct response. Click the player button to get started.