After the American Revolution, the United States faced an economic recession and an armed rebellion in Massachusetts. Many American elites saw the Articles of Confederation - America's first constitution - as insufficient to provide economic and political stability to the newly independent states.  After a spirited debate between Federalists and Antifederalists, the U.S. Constitution was ratified as a new plan of government.

Lessons and Assignments

Click a button to proceed directly to a lesson.

The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation formed the first plan of government for the United States.  While there were a few successes during this period, such as winning the war and passing the Northwest Ordinance, a lot was left to be desired in terms of a more stable Union of states.  Shays' Rebellion convinced many elites that a stronger central government was necessary. 

Primary Sources

Video Lectures on YouTube

Textbook Reading

AMSCO, 91-93

PowerPoint Presentation

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787 to propose amendments to the Articles of Confederation.  It ended up doing a great deal more than that!  While I have created a PowerPoint for this lecture, I have yet to put a lecture on YouTube.  In the meantime, this lecture by HipHughes should help students who are unable to attend class.

Video Lectures on YouTube

Textbook Reading

AMSCO, 103-105

PowerPoint Presentation

If Dr. Seuss were writing a book about the Constitutional Convention, it would likely be titled Small State, Large State, Slave State, Free State. These were the dynamics that shaped the compromises made at the Constitutional Convention.

Principles of the Constitution

Before moving to ratification, we will discuss the key principles of the United States Constitution and the mechanisms in the Constitution that limit and divide the power of the federal government, such as separation of powers, checks and balances, and the Bill of Rights.

Primary Source

PowerPoint Presentation

Ratification: Federalists vs Antifederalists

While nearly everyone in the United States today professes admiration for the Constitution and its core principles, this was not the case when the document produced by the Philadelphia Convention was released to the public in 1787. Antifederalists organized in many key states, such as New York and Virginia, to oppose the ratification of the Constitution, which they believed granted too much power to the federal government.

Video Lectures on YouTube

The Antifederalists believed that the Constitution was a recipe for a tyrannical government that would destroy the federal republic that blood had been spilled to establish during the American Revolution.  Take a look at this brief lecture to see who the Antifederalists were and why they opposed the Constitution.
A few years ago, I collaborated with HipHughes History in a video lesson explaining the Federalist Papers.  When the Constitution faced an uphill battle for ratification in New York, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay united in an effort convince the people of New York that the Constitution was not a threat to their liberties.  The Federalist Papers have since become the most authoritative explanation of the Constitution and its principles that exists today.

Textbook Reading

AMSCO, 106-109

Primary Sources

Secondary Source

Jefferson and the Constitution:  NOT Love at First Sight

While Americans debated the merits of the proposed Constitution, Thomas Jefferson was serving in Paris as an ambassador to France.  When James Madison sent him a copy of the Constitution, it was not exactly love at first sight.  Although Jefferson saw many things that he liked in the new Constitution, he also saw some red flags that alarmed him.  Learn more about Thomas Jefferson's first encounter with the Constitution in this video lecture - the first in my series on Jefferson and the Constitution.

Primary Source

Video Lecture on YouTube
While I abhor identifying historical periods with numbers, the content on this page is applicable to the so-called APUSH Period 3.

Thanks for Visiting TomRichey.Net! Connect with me on social media: