Why is it critically important for Americans to ratify the Constitution? If Americans fail to choose well in the ratification process, what will they have proven to the world and their posterity? Why does Hamilton expect strong opposition to the Constitution from some Americans?
Do Brutus and Publius adequately summarize the choice facing the American people? What do each need to expand on or express more fully in the coming months of debate? Do you agree that the Antifederalists are in favor of disunion? Brutus I ; Federalist 9 ; Federalist 10 Publius Alexander Hamilton , Federalist 9 November 21, Which parts of the improved science of politics were wholly unknown to the ancients and which were inadequately understood? Is Montesquieu part of the ancient world as far as Publius is concerned?
Is Publius saying that the interpretation of Montesquieu by the Antifederalists is : a wrong or b irrelevant? Publius James Madison , Federalist 10 November 22, What are the causes of faction? What is wrong with eliminating the causes of faction? Why is so little time spent on minority faction in Federalist 10? How does Publius define a republic? Publius James Madison , Federalist 51 February 6, According to Publius, what is the best way, in practice, to keep the powers of government properly separated among the branches?
Why is framing a good government made difficult by human nature? What are the two possible sources of oppression and what remedies does Madison propose to prevent them? Compare the argument in Federalist 51 about the great difficulty of founding a government with the argument of Brutus I and the arguments of Publius in Federalist 9 and Federalist 10 Brutus XV March 20, Why does Brutus think that the Supreme Court is the most dangerous branch?
Compare and contrast the case made by Brutus that the Supreme Court is the most dangerous branch with the case made by Publius in Federalist 78 that the Supreme Court is the least dangerous branch. Publius Alexander Hamilton , Federalist 78 May 28, Why does Publius think that the judiciary is the least dangerous branch? Does he make the case for what we today would call judicial review?
According to Publius, why is it safe to grant life tenure to federal judges? Did either Madison or Jefferson change his mind about a bill of rights as a result of this exchange? Do they approach the question with the same or with different priorities in mind? In the end, do they agree or disagree on the centrality of a bill of rights to securing republican liberty?
Jefferson-Madison Exchange Beyond expressing his personal feelings at this moment, does this portion of the speech serve any public purpose? Does this language serve a public purpose?
Why does he prefer to insert these rights into the text of the new Constitution? Are there any surprises in his list of 39 rights? How does his list of rights compare to those enumerated in the Virginia Declaration of Rights ? To what extent do the 39 amendments he proposes answer the objections of Gerry, Mason, and Randolph, the three delegates to the convention who refused to sign the Constitution ? Selected and introduced by Gordon Lloyd. This volume presents some of the documents necessary to understand the essential ideas and debates that shaped the founding of the American civic order.
See also Document 6, June Free and Slave Populations by State All Documents in this Volume. Filter by Thread.
Virginia Declaration of Rights and Constitution. Draft of the Declaration of Independence. Articles of Confederation. Vices of the Political System of the United States. The Virginia Plan. The Hamilton Plan. Partly National, Partly Federal. The Gerry Committee Report. The Three-Fifths Clause Revisited. The Committee of Detail Report.
The Slave Trade Clause. The Fugitive Slave Clause. Centinel I. Brutus I. Federalist No. Brutus XV. The Jefferson-Madison Exchange. First Inaugural Address Arguments for Constitutional Amendments.
The Articles of Confederation A. The Virginia Plan May 29, A. In , Washington was overwhelmingly elected the first president of the United States. Rising to prominence as an aide-de-camp to Washington during the Revolutionary War, he became an impassioned supporter of a strong central government.
Washington then tapped him to serve as the first U. In the beginning stages of the American Revolution, Franklin was appointed to the five-member committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence.
He then traveled to France, where he secured French assistance for the war effort and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris , the official end to the conflict. Just prior to his death, Franklin served as a sort of elder statesman at the Constitutional Convention. A distinguished Massachusetts lawyer, John Adams became a relatively early proponent of the revolutionary cause. Just like Franklin, he served on the committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence, journeyed overseas to secure French military aid and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris.
He chaired other key committees as well and even found time to draft the Massachusetts Constitution which is still in use.
After about 10 years of diplomatic service abroad, Adams returned home in and subsequently became vice president under Washington. In a striking coincidence, Adams and his friend-turned-rival-turned-friend Thomas Jefferson both died on the same day , July 4, , the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The second cousin of John Adams, Samuel Adams was a political firebrand who drummed up immense opposition to British policies in Boston, a hotbed of the resistance. Adams likely planned the Boston Tea Party , and in his attempted arrest helped spark the Battles of Lexington and Concord , the first skirmish of the Revolutionary War.
Unlike many of the Founders, Adams was staunchly anti-slavery. He signed the Declaration of Independence and went on to serve as governor of Massachusetts. Well educated and prosperous, Thomas Jefferson was a Virginia lawyer and politician who came to believe the British Parliament held no authority over the 13 colonies. As secretary of state under Washington, Jefferson clashed constantly with Hamilton over foreign policy and the role of government. He later served as vice president to John Adams prior to becoming president, himself, in At the Constitutional Convention, he proved to be perhaps the most influential delegate, developing a plan to divide the federal government into three branches—legislative, executive and judicial—each with checks on its power.
Madison next co-authored the Federalist Papers and, as a U. Not nearly as recognized as his major Founder cohorts, John Jay nonetheless played a pivotal role in the creation of the United States. A lawyer, he originally preferred reconciling with Britain rather than fighting for independence. In the end, the legacy of the Founding Fathers is the promise of liberty and justice , not only for Americans, but for any people willing to invest in democratic self-government.
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Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. The American Revolutionary War took place from , although the revolt against British Colonial rule began years before war was formally declared.
The English Enlightenment influenced the thoughts of many of the colonial Founding Fathers as they pursued liberty, fought for their rights, and for freedom from King George III. These ideals are reflected in the United States Constitution, which was written shortly after the Revolutionary War came to an end, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
Select from these resources to teach your students about what sparked the Revolution, and the key events of the war. The Continental Congress provided leadership during the American Revolution and drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. The right to petition the government is provided in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Image Washington at the Constitutional Convention Before becoming the the United States' first president, George Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention, which established the nation's Constitution.
Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Article Vocabulary. Friday, January 24, In the s and s, growing discontent with British rule caused its American colonists to begin to discuss their options.
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