Grade 8 students in IMPACT California Social Studies explore the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, including the post-Revolutionary War economic depression, the collapse of trade, and Shays's Rebellion, as context for understanding why a new constitution was needed. The lesson examines the roles of key founders such as James Madison, Roger Sherman, and Gouverneur Morris in drafting and shaping the U.S. Constitution. Students also analyze the tension between American ideals of liberty and the institution of slavery during the founding era.
Section 1
Shays's Rebellion Exposes Government Weakness
After the Revolutionary War, a severe economic depression left many farmers deep in debt. When courts in Massachusetts began seizing their farms because they couldn't pay, the farmers decided to fight back.
In 1786, a former army captain named Daniel Shays led an armed uprising that became known as Shays's Rebellion. The rebels shut down courts and attempted to seize a federal arsenal for weapons.
Section 2
Setting the Stage for a New Constitution
In the summer of 1787, delegates from the states gathered in Philadelphia. To encourage honest debate and make it easier to find solutions, they agreed to keep their discussions secret from the public.
One delegate, James Madison, arrived with a detailed proposal called the Virginia Plan. His plan outlined a powerful new national government divided into three distinct branches.
Section 3
The Great Compromise: Balancing State Power
At the Constitutional Convention, a major argument broke out over how states should be represented in the new government. Large states supported the Virginia Plan, which based representation on population. Small states feared being overpowered and backed the New Jersey Plan, which gave every state an equal vote.
The debate grew so intense that the convention nearly failed. To save it, delegates agreed to the Great Compromise. This plan created a two-house Congress. The House of Representatives satisfied large states by basing representation on population. The Senate satisfied small states by giving every state two equal votes.
Section 4
Slavery Divides the New Nation
After the Revolution, a deep division over slavery grew in the United States. Many Northern states began the process of ending the institution, arguing it violated the nation's ideal of liberty.
In contrast, Southern states had economies that depended on the labor of enslaved people. Southern delegates fought to protect the practice. They also demanded that enslaved individuals be counted to increase their state's power in the new government. This fundamental conflict became a major obstacle at the Constitutional Convention.
Expand to review the lesson summary and core properties.
Section 1
Shays's Rebellion Exposes Government Weakness
After the Revolutionary War, a severe economic depression left many farmers deep in debt. When courts in Massachusetts began seizing their farms because they couldn't pay, the farmers decided to fight back.
In 1786, a former army captain named Daniel Shays led an armed uprising that became known as Shays's Rebellion. The rebels shut down courts and attempted to seize a federal arsenal for weapons.
Section 2
Setting the Stage for a New Constitution
In the summer of 1787, delegates from the states gathered in Philadelphia. To encourage honest debate and make it easier to find solutions, they agreed to keep their discussions secret from the public.
One delegate, James Madison, arrived with a detailed proposal called the Virginia Plan. His plan outlined a powerful new national government divided into three distinct branches.
Section 3
The Great Compromise: Balancing State Power
At the Constitutional Convention, a major argument broke out over how states should be represented in the new government. Large states supported the Virginia Plan, which based representation on population. Small states feared being overpowered and backed the New Jersey Plan, which gave every state an equal vote.
The debate grew so intense that the convention nearly failed. To save it, delegates agreed to the Great Compromise. This plan created a two-house Congress. The House of Representatives satisfied large states by basing representation on population. The Senate satisfied small states by giving every state two equal votes.
Section 4
Slavery Divides the New Nation
After the Revolution, a deep division over slavery grew in the United States. Many Northern states began the process of ending the institution, arguing it violated the nation's ideal of liberty.
In contrast, Southern states had economies that depended on the labor of enslaved people. Southern delegates fought to protect the practice. They also demanded that enslaved individuals be counted to increase their state's power in the new government. This fundamental conflict became a major obstacle at the Constitutional Convention.