Constitutional Foundations Project
Introduction:
During the American Revolution, colonists were faced with developing self rule since they broke away from England’s rule. Colonists were challenged with writing a new Constitution at both the state and the National level. There were many problems with the first form of national government, the Articles of Confederation. In 1787, representatives from the newly formed states called for a new constitutional convention.
Your Challenge:
Analyze the GA Constitution of 1777 and the Articles of Confederation. Discuss the reasons for the national constitutional convention of 1787 and Georgia’s contribution.
Instructions:
Follow the links for each question to obtain the correct answer for the worksheet below.
During the American Revolution, colonists were faced with developing self rule since they broke away from England’s rule. Colonists were challenged with writing a new Constitution at both the state and the National level. There were many problems with the first form of national government, the Articles of Confederation. In 1787, representatives from the newly formed states called for a new constitutional convention.
Your Challenge:
Analyze the GA Constitution of 1777 and the Articles of Confederation. Discuss the reasons for the national constitutional convention of 1787 and Georgia’s contribution.
Instructions:
Follow the links for each question to obtain the correct answer for the worksheet below.
constitutional_foundations_webquest.doc | |
File Size: | 41 kb |
File Type: | doc |
You may download a copy of these questions on above worksheet to complete this WebQuest-
1. How long did Georgia’s constitution of 1777 last?
Link for #1 http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-588
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2. Who did the majority of the power and authority lie with?
Link for #2 http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-588
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3. What principles were within the Constitution of 1777?
Link for #3 http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-588
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4. How long were the Articles of Confederation in effect in the National government?
Link for #4 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/articles-of-confederation-summary.html
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5. Describe the state powers allowed or not allowed under the articles in the chart below.
States Allowed to do
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Under_the_articles_of_confederation_what_powers_were_granted_to_the_states
State not allowed to do
Link for #5 http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/articles/section4.rhtml
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Eventually, the states realized that the Articles of confederation were not working. In 1787, they called for another Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. This convention threw out the Articles of confederation and wrote a whole new Constitution.
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6. What was the role of Georgia in the national Constitutional convention of 1787?
Georgians who attended the convention:
Why Georgia wanted a stronger national government:
How did the new US Constitution address concerns about the national Government becoming too powerful?
Link for #6 GA and the Constitutional Convention
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While many understood the need to change the Articles of Confederation as well as development of a new Constitution for the United States, there were those who felt the national government’s powers should be kept weak. They felt the national government and interests of the larger states would threaten the existence of the smaller states as well as state sovereignty (the right of individual states to govern themselves independently). Two major proposals related to this issue arose at the Constitutional Convention. The Virginia Plan would base representation in the legislative branch on population, while the New Jersey Plan sought to maintain the interests of smaller states by guaranteeing a set number of representatives from each state in Congress The Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 reported by James Madison
Links for #7-9 http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_529.asp and http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_613.asp
Directions - Read through James Madison’s notes of the convention debate of these two days, then answer the following questions.
7. The Virginia Plan was introduced during the May 29th, 1787 session of the Constitutional Convention. Who was the delegate who introduced the plan to the convention?
8. For what reason(s) was the plan introduced?
9. List at least four of the problems or defects of the Articles of Confederation that Randolph claimed were unsolvable.
Links for #10-11 http://www.usconstitution.net/plan_va.html
10. According to Randolph, how many branches would the new government include?
11. What powers (controls) would the national government have over actions of state legislatures?
Links for #12 http://research.history.org/pf/documents/newJerseyPlan.cfm
12. What date was The New Jersey Plan introduced to Congress?
13. Look at the seventh article proposed in the New Jersey Plan. How would this article accord the “rights of suffrage”?
Links for #14. http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/creatingtheus/Constitution/Ratification/ExhibitObjects/PatersonDefendsNewJerseyPlan.aspx
14. How many houses would the New Jersey plan include in the national legislature?
15. How would the “rights of suffrage” be determined in the other house?
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Link for 16-23
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_806.asp
to find Madison’s notes from the Convention session of August 6th, 1787. Read through Madison’s account, then answer the following questions
16. According to Madison’s notes, how many houses would the national legislature include?
17. How many delegates made up the first House of Representatives?
18. How were the delegates divided per state? How would House members be selected? How would delegates to the U.S. Senate be selected?
19. How were the delegates divided per state?
20. According to Madison’s notes, what requirements were there for members of the House of Representatives?
21. What requirements were there for members of the Senate?
22. Why do you think there was a different method for selecting senators than there was for selecting house members?
23. In your view, do Madison’s notes of August 6th favor those who desired a strong federal government or those who desired states’ rights? Explain your view
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Link for "Putting It All Together" http://home.earthlink.net/~gfeldmeth/chart.art.html
When you're done:
Click on the link and learn more about the colonial time period and items they used: http://americanhistory.si.edu/kids/springer/
1. How long did Georgia’s constitution of 1777 last?
Link for #1 http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-588
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Who did the majority of the power and authority lie with?
Link for #2 http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-588
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. What principles were within the Constitution of 1777?
Link for #3 http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-588
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. How long were the Articles of Confederation in effect in the National government?
Link for #4 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/articles-of-confederation-summary.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Describe the state powers allowed or not allowed under the articles in the chart below.
States Allowed to do
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Under_the_articles_of_confederation_what_powers_were_granted_to_the_states
State not allowed to do
Link for #5 http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/articles/section4.rhtml
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eventually, the states realized that the Articles of confederation were not working. In 1787, they called for another Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. This convention threw out the Articles of confederation and wrote a whole new Constitution.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. What was the role of Georgia in the national Constitutional convention of 1787?
Georgians who attended the convention:
Why Georgia wanted a stronger national government:
How did the new US Constitution address concerns about the national Government becoming too powerful?
Link for #6 GA and the Constitutional Convention
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While many understood the need to change the Articles of Confederation as well as development of a new Constitution for the United States, there were those who felt the national government’s powers should be kept weak. They felt the national government and interests of the larger states would threaten the existence of the smaller states as well as state sovereignty (the right of individual states to govern themselves independently). Two major proposals related to this issue arose at the Constitutional Convention. The Virginia Plan would base representation in the legislative branch on population, while the New Jersey Plan sought to maintain the interests of smaller states by guaranteeing a set number of representatives from each state in Congress The Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 reported by James Madison
Links for #7-9 http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_529.asp and http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_613.asp
Directions - Read through James Madison’s notes of the convention debate of these two days, then answer the following questions.
7. The Virginia Plan was introduced during the May 29th, 1787 session of the Constitutional Convention. Who was the delegate who introduced the plan to the convention?
8. For what reason(s) was the plan introduced?
9. List at least four of the problems or defects of the Articles of Confederation that Randolph claimed were unsolvable.
Links for #10-11 http://www.usconstitution.net/plan_va.html
10. According to Randolph, how many branches would the new government include?
11. What powers (controls) would the national government have over actions of state legislatures?
Links for #12 http://research.history.org/pf/documents/newJerseyPlan.cfm
12. What date was The New Jersey Plan introduced to Congress?
13. Look at the seventh article proposed in the New Jersey Plan. How would this article accord the “rights of suffrage”?
Links for #14. http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/creatingtheus/Constitution/Ratification/ExhibitObjects/PatersonDefendsNewJerseyPlan.aspx
14. How many houses would the New Jersey plan include in the national legislature?
15. How would the “rights of suffrage” be determined in the other house?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Link for 16-23
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_806.asp
to find Madison’s notes from the Convention session of August 6th, 1787. Read through Madison’s account, then answer the following questions
16. According to Madison’s notes, how many houses would the national legislature include?
17. How many delegates made up the first House of Representatives?
18. How were the delegates divided per state? How would House members be selected? How would delegates to the U.S. Senate be selected?
19. How were the delegates divided per state?
20. According to Madison’s notes, what requirements were there for members of the House of Representatives?
21. What requirements were there for members of the Senate?
22. Why do you think there was a different method for selecting senators than there was for selecting house members?
23. In your view, do Madison’s notes of August 6th favor those who desired a strong federal government or those who desired states’ rights? Explain your view
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Link for "Putting It All Together" http://home.earthlink.net/~gfeldmeth/chart.art.html
When you're done:
Click on the link and learn more about the colonial time period and items they used: http://americanhistory.si.edu/kids/springer/