Constitution
Did the Constitution Establish a Just Government?
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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?
Supporting Question 3- How did the framers protect slavery in the Constitution? Supporting Question 4- How democratic was the 1787 Constitution?