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E Pluribus Unum (1783-1789)

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 Constitutional Convention
Principles of the Constitution
Ratification of the Constitution
 

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

The aRTICLES OF cONFEDERATION
fEDERALIST NO. 15 (Hamilton)
Shays' Rebellion Letters

Video Lectures on YouTube

Textbook Reading

AMSCO, 91-93

PowerPoint Presentation


Frontier Rebellions
Graphic Organizer
 

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


State by State Demographics
1790 Census
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.

Hofstadter Reading Guide
​Chapter One
 

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

fEDERALIST NO. 39
​(Madison)

PowerPoint Presentation

Principles of the Constitution
​Guided Notes
 

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

Antifederalist Essays
fEDERALIST NO. 84
(Hamilton)
Patrick Henry Speech

Secondary Source

Intro to the Antifederalists
dr. Gordon Lloyd

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

Jefferson to Madison
​December 20, 1787

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.

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  • Home
    • About
    • Calendar
    • Contact
    • Podcast
    • Live Hangouts with Tom Richey
    • Privacy Policy
    • Endorsements >
      • Romulus
      • Albert
  • Courses
    • AP US History >
      • APUSH Summer Assignments
      • to 1877 >
        • Colonial America
        • The American Revolution
        • The U.S. Constitution
        • Jefferson vs. Hamilton
        • The Jeffersonian Republic
        • The Age of Jackson
        • The Road to Civil War
        • Civil War & Reconstruction
      • Post 1877 >
        • The Gilded Age
        • Progressivism & Intervention >
          • World War I - AP US History
        • Twenties and Depression
        • WWII and the Cold War
        • Civil Rights & Vietnam
        • The Conservative Resurgence
      • The APUSH DBQ
      • The APUSH LEQ
      • APUSH SAQs
      • APUSH Multiple Choice
      • APUSH Review
      • Primary Source Collection
      • Calendar (US History)
      • Test Corrections
      • APUSH 8 Week Study Plan
    • AP European History >
      • AP Euro Ten Week Study Plan
      • Units of Instruction >
        • Renaissance & Exploration
        • Protestant Reformation & Religious Wars
        • Absolutism & Constitutionalism
        • Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment
        • The French Revolution
        • Industry and Isms (1815-1850)
        • Late 19th Century
        • WWI and Modernism
        • Dictatorships and WWII
        • Cold War & Contemporary Europe
      • The AP Euro DBQ
      • The AP Euro LEQ
      • AP Euro SAQs
      • Summer Assignments
      • Primary Source Collection
      • Calendar (AP Euro)
      • Test Corrections
      • AP Euro MIdterm Review
    • AP U.S. Government & Politics >
      • Foundational Documents
      • Supreme Court Cases
      • AP Government Argument Essay
      • AP Government Review Videos
    • World History >
      • Prehistory & Human Origins
      • Cradles of Civilization >
        • Ancient Mesopotamia
        • Ancient Egypt
      • Ancient Israel >
        • Origins of Israel
        • Nation of Israel
      • Ancient Greece >
        • Ancient Greece (Part I)
        • Ayn Rand's Anthem
        • Warfare in Ancient Greece
        • Greek Philosophy
      • The Romans >
        • The Roman Republic
        • Rise of the Romans
        • The Pax Romana
        • Decline of the Roman Empire
      • Empires of Monotheism >
        • The Byzantine Empire
        • The Rise of Islam
      • Review Materials
      • Calendar (World History)
    • AP World History >
      • AP World DBQ Rubric
      • AP World LEQ Rubric
    • Historical Writing
  • PowerPoints
    • PowerPoint Design Resources
    • PowerPoint Playbook
  • Online Store
    • Live Events
    • Online Courses and Webinars
    • AP Tutoring Services >
      • Tutoring Inquiry
    • Writing Clinic >
      • First Session Free
    • PowerPoint Store
  • EOC Review
    • Standard 1 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 2 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 3 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 4 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 5 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 6 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 7 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 8 - US History EOC Review
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