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What I Learned Section 1 -- Answer
the Following Questions: At this time, the American colonies were made up of thirteen colonies. They were Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. In 1781, the British Army surrendered to the Continental Army at Yorktown, Virginia. Two years later, in 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed which officially ended the American Revolution. 2. What year did the
Constitutional Convention convene? Did you know a convention is a big meeting, and delegates are people appointed to represent a group? Some of the famous delegates to the Constitutional Convention were James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. It took several days for the delegates to arrive in Philadelphia. They came by horse, by carriage, and by boat. By May 25, 1787, enough delegates had arrived to begin the convention. There were fifty-five delegates at the Constitutional Convention, and they became known as the Founding Fathers of the United States. Did you know their average age was forty-three? George Washington had been the General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and he was elected president of the convention. The delegates worked hard for sixteen weeks during the sweltering heat of a Philadelphia summer. There were many ideas for the best way to form a central government, and they had to compromise to settle their differences. Did you know a compromise is an agreement? For example, the delegates had to choose between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan as the basis of the Constitution, and they had to decide how many members each state would elect to the U.S. Congress. The delegates also decided how long terms of office would be, how new states could join the Union, and how the Constitution could be amended. 3. Was James Madison's
plan for the Constitution known as the Virginia Plan or the New
Jersey Plan? The Virginia Plan: During the Constitutional Convention, James Madison came up with a plan for the Constitution, and Virginia Governor Edmund Randolph presented it to the convention. It was known as the Virginia Plan. This plan separated the government into three branches (or sections). These branches were the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch:
The New Jersey Plan: The small states were concerned the Virginia Plan would favor the large states so William Paterson of New Jersey proposed the New Jersey Plan. Under this plan, each state had an equal vote, Congress could control trade and have the right to tax, and the states would have more control than the president. The delegates decided to choose one of the plans, and they chose the Virginia Plan. 4. True or False: The
Great Compromise was a compromise between large and small states
regarding the number of representatives each state would have
in the Congress. The delegates from the large states and small states reached a compromise by combining parts of the New Jersey Plan with the Virginia Plan. This compromise became known as the Great Compromise. According to the Great Compromise, the House of Representatives is elected according to population. This pleased the large states because the large states would have more representatives. The Senate is made up of two Senators from each state. This pleased the small states because each state would have the same number of Senators. Did you know a legislature made up of two chambers is known as a bicameral system? The United States Congress is a bicameral system because it is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Did you know the House of Representatives and the Senate meet separately in the United States Capitol? Today, the House of Representatives has 438 members. Each member serves a two-year term. The Senate has 100 members, two from each of the 50 states. Each Senator serves a six-year term. Did you know a term is the length of time in office? 5. True or False: The
president is the Chief Executive. 6. The Constitution
of the United States was signed by the delegates on September
17, 1787. What year was the Constitution ratified by the states? In order for the Constitution to become law, nine out of the thirteen (or three-fourths) of the states had to ratify (or accept) it. On December 7, 1787, Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify it, and the Constitution became the supreme law of the land. By May, 1790, all thirteen states ratified the Constitution. Did you know Rhode Island was the last state to ratify it? During the ratification process from 1787 to 1788, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers were a collection of 85 political essays in favor of the Constitution. The essays stated federalism (a strong central government) was the best safeguard of individual rights and state sovereignty. The Constitution of the United States provides a framework for the U.S. government. Every law must be constitutional which means if the law goes against the constitution, it cannot be passed or it will be struck down. To "strike down" a law means to declare a law unconstitutional. Did you know the United States celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Constitution in 1987? 7. What does Article
I, Article II, and Article III establish in the Constitution of
the United States? The Constitution of the United States is made up of seven Articles. The first three Articles describe the three branches of government. Article I describes the legislative branch. It consists of the U.S. Congress which contains both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Article II describes the executive branch. It consists of the President and Vice President. Article III describes the judicial branch. It consists of the U.S. Supreme Court. 8. What is the Bill
of Rights?
Today, there are 27 amendments. The Thirteenth Amendment abolishes slavery in the United States, the Fifteenth Amendment guarantees the right to vote to all men regardless of race, and the Nineteenth Amendment guarantees the right to vote to all women. What I Learned Section 2 -- Define the
following words: Colonies: Groups of people ruled by an outside power Executive: Concerning the president Judicial: Concerning courts and judges Legislative: Law-making Ratify: Accept Bonus Questions (Answer 1 of the
Following Questions for Your FREE
Bookmark): The Articles of Confederation provided for a weak and ineffective central government. There was no executive power (like the president), and there was no judicial power (like the courts). The Articles of Confederation provided for a Congress, but the Congress had no power. The Congress could not tax, raise armies, or pay debts. The Congress also had no power to regulate commerce between states. This led to states passing tariff laws against the other states. Each state acted like a separate country. Under the Articles of Confederation the United States was heading for disunity. b. List ONE of the problems
facing the United States which helped lead to the ratification
of the U.S. Constitution and the establishment of a strong central
government. c. Describe ONE of the
following people:
d. What are the words
to the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States? e. Explain "separation
of branches" and "checks and balances." Each of the three branches of government performs "checks and balances" on the other branches so one branch does not become too powerful. For example, all three branches play a role in a bill becoming a law. Here is how it works:
f. Use five of the words
in Section 2 in a sentence. g. Have a parent or friend give you a spelling test with EACH of the words in Section 2. More Valuable Information about the
U.S. Constitution:
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The Constitution (True Books, Government)
The executive branch would be led by a president
in charge of the government. The president would be elected
for a certain number of years, called a term.
