SOCIAL STUDIES OUTLINE: GRADE 8
CHAPTER 7 CREATING THE CONSTITUTION: 1776-1790
Section 1: Governing a New Nation
I. Government by the States
-Leaders of the new _____________ remembered what they ___________ about British ___________. They had seen how the __________ and Parliament in faraway _____________ had exerted power over _______________ colonial _______________________. Americans sought instead to create a _______________ in which the states had more ______________ than the central ______________.
-As the Continental ___________________ began moving toward ______________ in 1776, leaders in _____________________ states began creating ________________. Eleven of the _______________ states wrote new ______________ to support their _____________.
-The other two states—____________ and ________________—kept using their colonial _________________. However, they removed all _________________ to the British _________________.
-Colonists had been unhappy with _________________ appointed by the ___________________. Thus, new _____________________ minimized the power of state _________________, and instead they gave most ______________ to state ___________________ elected by the ____________________.
-The governor _____________ as the state’s chief ______________. They appointed _____________________________, but usually the ____________________________ had to approve the appointments.
-The new __________________ allowed more people to _________ than in ____________ times. Nonetheless, all but a few states ________________ African Americans from ____________. New Jersey allowed some _________ to vote until ________, but women could not __________ in any other _______________.
-In order to __________, white males had to be _______ or older, and, in most _____________, they also had to own a ___________ amount of __________________.
-________________ was the first state to include a __________ of _______________ in its constitution. ______________’s list included freedom of the ____________ and the right to ___________ by ___________, and it also barred “_________________ and unusual ______________.” The final clause guaranteed freedom of _______.
-Many other states followed ______________’s lead. The New York and ___________________’ constitutions also included freedom of _______________ in their __________________________.
II. The Articles of Confederation
-While the states were _______________ their own _____________, the Continental Congress ________________________ for the nation as a whole. It was called the ________________________________. Congress adopted the _____________________ in _____________.
-Instead of having three ______________ of government like those of most _______________, the government under the ___________ had just one ____________-a one- house _____________________ called _______________________.
-Within ___________________, all _________________ would be equal and each had a _________________. Moreover, for the most important matters, _______________ states had to agree before a _____________ could go into ___________________.
-The ________________ provided for a __________________ central government.
-Most _____________ remained in the hands of the _____________. Congress could not regulate ______________ or collect __________. Instead, it had to ask the _______________ for the _____________ it needed.
-Congress could deal with _____________________ and with Native Americans ______________________ states. It could make ______, declare _____________, coin or borrow ________________, and run a _________________________________.
-However, the _________________ government had no __________ to _________________ the laws it made. For that, it depended on the __________________.
III. Settling the Western Lands
-The Articles had to be approved by ______________________. But some ______________ would not give their _______________ until other states __________________ their ________________ to vast areas of land west of the ____________________________. It took years to get all the _______________ to give up their ___________ to __________________ lands. In 1781, ______________________ was the final state to agree. Only then did ____________________ approve the _____________________________________________, the final state to do so.
-The __________________ lands that the states had given up were turned over to the ______________________. It was sold off, piece by piece, to ____________________________________ seeking to develop ______________________________________.
-Under the ________________________ of 1785, surveyors were to divide public lands into ___________________, ____ miles on each side. Land would be sold for no less than ______________________.
-Within each _______________, one section was ______________ to support _______________. This reflected the _______________ of the nation’s leaders that democracy ________________________.
-Thomas Jefferson later wrote: “If a nation _____________________ ________________________, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and _________________________.”
-Investors were eager to ______________ in the ________________ ________________, north of the Ohio River. In response, Congress passed the ____________________________ of 1787. It guaranteed basic ___________ for _____________ and banned _____________ there.
-The _______________________ set a ____________-step process for admitting new ____________. In time, five states-____________ _____________________________________-were carved out of the _____________________________________________.
IV. Growing Problems
-Under the ___________________________, the United States had many successes. It waged a successful _______________________, negotiated a _____________________ with Great Britain, and set up rules for _________________________________________.
-But the United States faced __________________ during the 1780s. Many Americans ________________ that the __________________ did not give the __________________ enough _________________ to solve these _____________________.
-Under the Articles, each state set its own _____________________. Each state _____________ to help its own _________________ and manufacturers by setting ______________ on goods brought in from ____________________. This practice discouraged ______________ among the _______________________.
-In addition, each state ________________ its own _____________, making trade between states __________________.
-Another _____________ grew from the fact that the ____________ government did not have the _____________________. As a result, there was ___________________ to run the government. The situation grew ___________________________________________.
-Because the United States seemed to be ________________, powerful nations viewed it with _______________. British troops continued to occupy _____________ in the ___________________, although the __________________ required that the ____________ be turned over to the ______________________________.
-The _________________, who controlled ____________________, refused to let Americans ship products down ___________________. Therefore, ____________________ had to send products along the ________________________ over the ________________________, which was far more __________________.
-In the mid-1780s, a severe _____________________ hit the United States. As the _____________________ deepened, there was widespread _____________________ and ____________________.
-The ______________________ hit farmers in __________________ especially hard. As crop prices _______________, many were unable to pay their _____________. The state ___________________ then began _________________ some ____________ and ___________ them in order to get the back ___________________.
-In August _________, a former Revolutionary War ____________ named ____________________ led an uprising of about __________ ____________________’ farmers. When the farmers tried to seize arms from a state warehouse, the state called out the militia. Shays and other leaders were arrested.
-Although _____________________ fizzled, it had frightened some leading _________________. They believed that a ______________ _______________ government would protect against popular unrest.
-In response, ______________ asked the states to send __________ to a convention in ________________ in __________. Their task was to revise the ____________________________________.
Section 2: The Constitutional Convention
I. The Constitutional Convention Begins
-Members of the ______________ did not have the _____________ to “form ____________________________________.” Congress had called the meeting “for the __________ and _____________ purpose of _______________________________________.” However, many delegates argued that __________________________ would not be enough.
-Early on, the delegates voted to keep their ____________________.
-In all, ______ delegates from ___________________ took part in the convention. Only ________________ did not send any representation.
-____________________________ was _______________ voted president of the _________________________________.
-_______________________ took careful _______________ on the meetings. Published after his death, _________________________ became a rich source of _______________________________.
II. The Virginia Plan
-On the _______________ day of the convention, _______________ of Virginia proposed a plan for a new, _________________________ government. ____________________ was the principal __________ of this _________________ Plan.
-The ________________ called for the central government to have ________________________ branches. Congress would continue to be the __________________________. But two additional ________ would be created.
-The __________________ branch would _____________________. The ________________ branch would consist of a _______________ _______________________to interpret the law.
-__________________ proposed that Congress appoint _____ people to serve ___________ as chief ________________. Others objected. A _________________________, they said, could act more quickly when ________________________ was required.
-Eventually, the ______________ voted to have _______________, called the ___________________, serve as ___________________.
-The ___________________________ called for a change in the composition of __________________. Rather than a single ______________________ body, it would consist of ____________ parts- a ___________________ and an _____________________.
-Delegates ______________ long and hard about methods of choosing members of the ________________. _________________ of Connecticut said the people “_________________________” with the _____________________ process as possible because they can be _______________.
-On the other hand, _______________________ of Pennsylvania warned against shutting the ________________________________.
III. The Great Compromise
-One part of the ____________________ nearly ____________ the convention apart. The plan called for representation _____________ _____________________________________.
-The more _________________ a state had, the more ___________ it would have in each house. Naturally, this idea drew ____________ from ________ states like _________________, ________________, and ________________________.
-The _________________ states strongly _______________ this idea. They wanted ____________ state to have the same _________ of ___________ in Congress, as was the case under the __________ ______________________.
-On June 15, ____________________ of New Jersey introduced a _______________ plan on behalf of the ________________. This _______________________ Plan stood in sharp _____________ to the _______________ Plan.
-It called for a ___________________ of Congress, with __________ representation for each __________. The plan also ______________ the powers of Congress to __________________ and ____________ ________________________.
-Finally, ________________________ of Connecticut worked out a ________________________ that he hoped would satisfy both the ________________________________.
-On July 16, ________, delegates narrowly _________ to accept __________________’s proposals, which became known as the __________________________________.
-The key to ________________’s plan was a ___________________. To please the ______________ states, the lower house, called the __________________________, was to be based on ____________. ______________ states would thus have _____________ votes. Representative would be chosen by a __________ of the _________ to serve _______________________________.
-To please the ___________ states, each state would have ________ in the upper house or ___________. ____________________ would choose senators, who would serve _____________________ terms.
-The _____________________ was a vital step in _____________ a new _____________________. Now, _________________ delegates were willing to support a _________________________ government.
IV. Debates Over Slavery
-Other issues also ______________ the delegates-none more so than the question of _________________. The issue touched off _______________ debates between _________________ and ______________________.
-Southern delegates said that _______________________ should be counted in __________________ how many ___________________ a state should have in ____________________. Northern delegates said that because ____________________________, they should not be counted toward a ____________________________________.
-Finally, Congress _______________ a plan called the ___________ _______________________. Each ________________ person would be counted as ______________________ of a __________ person.
-The _________________________________ was a gain for the _______________________, which got more _______________ in the ______________. Northern ___________________ reluctantly _________________ in order to keep ________________________.
-The _________________________________ was a blow to African Americans. It helped ______________________ in the new Constitution by making a distinction between “_________________” and “______________________________.”
-The ___________________________ was finally overturned when __________________________ was banned in _____________.
-Some ___________________ delegates wanted to ban the buying and _______________________ anywhere in the country. ___________________ delegates protested that a ____________ would ruin ____________________________________________.
-Once again a ___________________ was reached. _____________ would be allowed to bring ___________________________ into the United States for a period of _____________. After _____________, Congress could ___________________________ of enslaved people. But the _______________ within the United States was __________.
V. A New Constitution
-After many more weeks of _______________, the delegates agreed on ________________.
-_______________________________, a gifted writer, was largely responsible for writing the _____________________, or introduction.
-The ________________ highlights a major __________________ between the Constitution and the __________________________.
-The Articles were just a pact between ______________________. By ________________, the Constitution opens with the words, “We _______________________________________________________ ______________________________,…________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________.”
-The Constitution thus ______________ to take its authority from the __________________ rather than from the ____________________.
-Once the Constitution had been signed, ______________________. Public ______________ began. These _____________ would stretch over _____________. And, as the Constitution’s supporters soon learned, the _____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________.
Section 3: Debating the Constitution
- I. Federalists Versus Antifederalists
-The original purpose of the ______________________ had been to __________ the Articles of Confederation. Instead, the delegates produced an _____________________________________________.
-The convention had a set process for _______________________, or approve, the Constitution. Each state was to hold a ___________. The Constitution would go into effect once it was _______________ _____________________________________________________.
-Supporters of the new _____________________ called themselves ________________________ because they favored a strong _____________________, or national ________________________.
-James _____________, __________________________, and John ___________________ published the Federalist Papers, a series of _____________________________ in support of the Constitution.
-At the heart of the _________________________ was the need for a _______________ central government. For the __________ to last, they argued, the national government had to have _______________ to it under the ________________________________, including the power to ____________________________.
-Opponents of ratification were called _________________. Leading ______________________ such as George ________________ and Patrick __________________ of Virginia, agreed that the Articles of Confederation were ___________________. However, they felt the Constitutional Convention _________________________________.
-Antifederalists were ______________________ in their reasons for _________________ the Constitution. Some of their most frequent ________________________________ included:
- Antifederalists _______________________ that the Constitution ________________________________ the state governments. They feared that a ________________________ government, like that of England, would wipe out ______________________________ and _____________________.
-Some _____________ pointed out that the proposed Constitution offered ______________________________________. Unlike the constitutions of many states, it had no ______________________.
Another ________________ was that the Constitution provided for a president who could be ___________________ again and again. Said Henry, “Your ____________________________________________.”
- II. The Ratification Debate
-The debate between _______________________________ and ______________________ heated up as states held their _______________ conventions. Without the approval of ________ states, the Constitution would _____________________________.
-_________________ acted first. Its convention ________________ approved the Constitution on December __, ________. Pennsylvania, _______________, __________________, and Connecticut quickly followed.
-Antifederalists hoped to _____ in __________________. Opposition to the Constitution was __________________________ from which _________________________ had drawn its strength. Only a major campaign by Constitution ___________________ ratification by the state.
-All eyes moved to __________________. By then, Maryland and South Carolina __________________, which made a total of ______ state ratifications. But if ____________ and ____________________ rejected the pact, ___________________ and other remaining states might do so, too.
-______________________ led the __________________ on the Constitution in Virginia. James ______________________ supported the Constitution and warned of the possible breakup of the ______________.
-In the end, the Federalist’s view _________________________ out. Virginia’s convention _______________ the Constitution by a vote of _____ to ____.
-Meanwhile, in June 1788-while ______________ was still debating-____________________ became the ninth state to ____________. The Constitution could now _________________________________.
-In time, ___________________ and North Carolina followed. Finally, in May __________, _______________________ became the last of the original _________ states to ratify the _____________________.
-On July 4, ______, Philadelphia celebrated the _________________ of the Constitution with a huge _______________.
-Benjamin Rush, a strong ___________ of the Constitution, wrote to a friend, “_______________________________________________.”
- III. The Bill of Rights
-Once the _________ state had _______________ the Constitution, Congress took steps to _____________ for a new _______________. __________________________ was elected the first President, with _________________________ as Vice President.
-During the _______________ on the Constitution, many states had insisted that a ______________________ be added. This became one of the first tasks of the _______________________ that met in ______________________.
-The Framers had _______________ a way to ____________ the Constitution. They wanted to make the Constitution ____________ enough to ________________. But they did not want ____________ made _______________. So, they made the process _____________ __________________________.
-In ___________, the first Congress passed a series of _________________________. By December 1791, ___________ of the states had ratified _____________________. These amendments are known as the _________________________________.
-The ________________________ aims to protect people against abuses by the ________________ government. Many of them came out of the ____________________________________ with Britain.
-The First Amendment guarantees freedom of ________________, _________________, and the __________________. The Second Amendment deals with the right to _____________________. The ____________ Amendment bars Congress from forcing _______ to keep _______________ in their homes, as ______________ had done.
-The __________________________________ protects citizens from _____________________________ of their homes or ____________ of their property. Amendments ____________ through ___________ protect citizens who are __________________________ and brought to _________________.
-The last two Amendments ___________________________ of the _______________________ government to those that are _______________ in the ______________________________.