Did the Constitution Establish a Just Government?
Download Entire Inquiry Here
Download Entire Inquiry Here
Supporting Question 1- Why did the framers of the United States Constitution feel a new document was necessary?
- Alexander Hamilton, letter to James Duane describing the imbalance of power between state and federal governments (excerpt), September 3, 1780 Public domain. Available from Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, eds. The Founders' Constitution, Volume 1, Chapter 5, Document 2. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch5s2.html
- George Washington, letter to James Warren describing the need for a unifying central government (excerpt), October 7, 1785 Public domain. Available from Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, eds. The Founders' Constitution, Volume 1, Chapter 5, Document 9. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch5s9.html.
- John Jay, letter to Thomas Jefferson detailing problems with the government established under the Articles of Confederation, October 27, 1786 Public domain. Available from Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, eds. The Founders' Constitution, Volume 1, Chapter 5, Document 13. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch5s13.html.
Supporting Question 2- How did the Constitution structure the government?
- Constitutional Convention, descriptions of the roles of the three branches of the federal government, Article I, Sections 7–9; Article II, Sections 2–3; Article III, Section 2, United States Constitution, 1787 Public domain. Available from the National Archives: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html
- James Madison under the pseudonym Publius, argument for the importance of balance of powers, Federalist No. 51 (excerpt), 1789 Public domain. Available from the Library of Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fed_51.html.
- Constitutional Convention, selections related to the issue of enslaved persons, Article I Section 2, Clause 3: Article I, Section 9, Clause 1; Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3, United States Constitution, 1787 Public domain. Available from the National Archives: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html
- James Madison, journal notes describing the debate during the Constitutional Convention on taxes for importing slaves (excerpt), August 21, 1787 TeachingAmericanHistory.org. Used with permission. http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/debates/0821-2/
- Benjamin Franklin, speech promoting the strengths of the Constitution (excerpts), September 17, 1787 TeachingAmericanHistory.org. Used with permission. http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/debates/0917-2/.
- Constitutional Convention, sections discussing issues of representation, Article I, Section 2; Article II, Sections 1–2; Article IV, Section 4; Article V; Article VII, United States Constitution, 1787 Public domain. Available from the National Archives: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html.
- James Madison, journal notes describing the debate during the Constitutional Convention over election to the legislative and executive branches (excerpts), May 31 and July 17, 1787 TeachingAmericanHistory.org. Used with permission. http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/debates/0531-2/.
- James Madison, journal notes describing the debate during the Constitutional Convention over election to the legislative and executive branches (excerpts), May 31 and July 17, 1787 TeachingAmericanHistory.org. Used with permission. http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/debates/0717-2/
- James Madison or Alexander Hamilton under the pseudonym Publius, description of amending the Constitution Federalist No. 43 (excerpt), 1788 Public domain. Available from the Library of Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fed_43.html.