Between 1774 and 1789, 13 colonies became a nation - the United States of America. In 1774, Great Britain's North American colonies first came together to defend themselves against wrongs committed by their "mother country." By 1789, these colonies had become independent states, joined by a new federal constitution into a single nation. Show Assembling representatives from every colony, the Continental Congress (1774-1789) began as a coordinated effort to resist the British. With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, the Congress became the central institution for managing the struggle for American independence. Independence raised new issues. How could thirteen separate self-governed states unite? What form would that union take? The Articles of Confederation (1781-1789) were America's first attempt to govern itself as an independent nation. They united the states as a confederation - a loose league of states represented in a Congress. In 1783, with the war formally drawing to a close, the Congress faced a wider range of issues: the disbanding of the Continental Army, the large debts owed by each state, foreign debts owed by the Confederation, the governing of territories won from the British, and the establishment of formal relationships with foreign countries. Despite the Congress's continued efforts to improve its effectiveness, many Americans saw the need for a more powerful central authority; the Congress as defined by the Articles of Confederation was too weak to make the states obey congressional mandates. Anxious for change, in 1786, leading statesmen called for a special convention to revise the Articles -- the Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 proposed a new constitution establishing a much stronger national government. Although this controversial new Constitution provoked a great deal of resistance, it was eventually ratified by the necessary number of states, replacing the Articles of Confederation as the framework of the United States government. Debate and compromise, controversy and tedious detail, foreign affairs and domestic problems, are all included in the 267 documents of the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention Broadside Collections. Including public announcements of congressional actions, drafts of legislation, committee reports, and final versions of legislation or treaties, these broadsides illustrate the evolution of a government, from a legislative body called together in the crisis of war, to an intricate system of checks and balances. These documents show the birth of the American nation. The Preamble to the Constitution is an introductory, succinct statement of the principles at work in the full text. It is referred to in countless speeches, judicial opinions, and in a song from Schoolhouse Rock. Courts will not interpret the Preamble to confer any rights or powers not granted specifically in the Constitution. Primary tabsWe the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Content Standards NCSS.D2.Civ.1.3-5. Distinguish the responsibilities and powers of government officials at various levels and branches of government and in different times and places. NCSS.D2.Civ.2.3-5. Explain how a democracy relies on people’s responsible participation, and draw implications for how individuals should participate. NCSS.D2.Civ.3.3-5. Examine the origins and purposes of rules, laws, and key U.S. constitutional provisions. NCSS.D2.Civ.5.3-5. Explain the origins, functions, and structure of different systems of government, including those created by the U.S. and state constitutions. NCSS.D2.Civ.8.3-5. Identify core civic virtues and democratic principles that guide government, society, and communities. Preparation Review the Preamble to the Constitution.
Obtain background information about the origins and interpretation of the Constitution from the following EDSITEment-reviewed resources:
Familiarize yourself with the Articles of Confederation. The text of the Articles as well as related documents and information are available at Articles of Confederation via The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School. See also "Articles of Confederation: 1777-1789" from Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government. Familiarize yourself with each lesson plan. The first three lessons are intended to provide context. The heart of the unit is Activity 4. Download copies of the documents used in Activity 4 and duplicate them as necessary. This unit is one of a series of complementary EDSITEment lesson plans for intermediate-level students about the foundations of our government. Consider adapting them for your class in the following order:
The Educator Resources section of the National Archives website offers a series of worksheets for analyzing primary source documents, including written documents and photographs, that you may wish to use or adapt to help students in reviewing the materials presented in this unit. Lesson Activities Activity 1. Revolutionary NeedsWhen the American Revolution succeeded, what did the colonists need to do? As stated on America's Story, a link from the EDSITEment resource American Memory, "When the Colonies declared their independence from Britain, they had a flag and an army. What they lacked was a government." What are the responsibilities of independence? Pose a hypothetical situation to the class. Imagine that, on a field trip to Tahiti, the students became stranded—without any adults and with little hope of being rescued in the foreseeable future—on a very hospitable tropical island. Start with a brief, general discussion about such matters as: How will you work together? How will you create rules? How will you deal with people who group members think are not following the rules? Then, either brainstorming as a class or working in small groups (if desired, groups can be assigned the questions below), make lists of the things the group would have to consider in developing its own government. Help the students by asking these guiding questions, which relate to phrases from the Preamble (indicated here for the teacher and to be discussed with the students in Lesson 4):
If the students worked in groups, allow time for sharing. Now share with the class the political cartoon The Horse America, Throwing His Master and its title, available through a link from the EDSITEment resource American Memory.
Encourage class discussion. Having just released themselves from Britain's monarchy, what would the colonists fear? Judging from some of the complaints the colonists had against Britain, what might some of their concerns be for any future government? As in the hypothetical situation on the desert island, what decisions would the colonists have to make about forming a new government out of 13 colonies, which, until 1776, had basically been running themselves independently? Activity 2. What the Preamble MeansMake sure every student has in hand a copy of the Preamble to the Constitution. The text of the Preamble is available through the EDSITEment-reviewed resource The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School.
Now review the ideas the students had for protections in Lesson 1. Relate each point to the appropriate phrase in the Preamble, as shown:
Continue by sharing with students the lyrics for "The Preamble," from the television series "Schoolhouse Rock," created by American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. You can find the lyrics on the Internet; just do a search for "Schoolhouse Rock" on a search engine such as google.com or yahoo.com. Discuss what the students think the words of the Preamble mean. Then divide the class into six small groups. Assign each group a phrase from the Preamble to interpret and provide each group with documentary evidence of what the phrase means (sources listed below). It's the job of group members to share the document they were given and to offer their own interpretation of what their assigned phrase means. Group 1: Establishing Justice—Print out the abstract for Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections from the EDSITEment-reviewed website Oyez. Students should read the facts of the case and the question presented and respond to the following:
After the exercise is completed, share with students the actual outcome (conclusion) of the case. Group 2: Ensuring Domestic Tranquility—Print out the abstract for Burson v. Freeman from the EDSITEment-reviewed website Oyez. Students should read the facts of the case and respond to the following:
After the exercise is completed, share with students the actual outcome (conclusion) of the case. Group 3: Providing for the Common Defense—Print the last page of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's request to Congress that the United States declare war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor (available from the Educator Resources section of the National Archives website), as well as the Uncle Sam Recruiting Poster (available via the EDSITEment resource American Memory). Students should review the documents and respond to the following questions:
Group 4: Promoting the General Welfare—In 1906, no one was required to inspect meat that was sold to the American public. Public reaction to Upton Sinclair's book The Jungle was a major factor in the passage of the 1907 Meat Inspection Act, which established a system of meat inspection that lasted until July 1996, when the federal government announced new rules requiring more scientifically advanced methods of meat inspection. Print out the letter that Upton Sinclair wrote to President Theodore Roosevelt (on March 10, 1906) concerning conditions in the meat packing industry, available from the National Archives. Students should read the letter and respond to the following:
Group 5: Securing the Blessing of Liberty to Ourselves—Print out the summary of Wisconsin v. Yoderfrom the EDSITEment-reviewed website Oyez and the poster celebrating the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment (picture), available via the Library of Congress. Students should review the documents and respond to the following:
Share the actual outcome (conclusion) of the case. Group 6: Securing the Blessing of Liberty to Our Posterity—Print out the photograph of coal breaker boys (picture) from the EDSITEment resource American Memory. Students should review the image and respond to the following:
Activity 3. An Imperfect Union
Activity 4. The Illustrated Preamble
Lesson Extensions
How does the Constitution form a more perfect union?First, the delegates wanted to "form a more perfect Union." This meant building a country that could take advantage of the strengths the states gained from working together. The Constitution also aims to "establish Justice." Americans wanted to be ruled by laws, not by the might of soldiers or the decisions of kings.
What does it mean to form a more perfect union quizlet?"...in Order to form a more perfect Union" means to have states staying together, so they can operate as a single nation.
|