The original text of a plan presented by Charles Pinckney to The Second Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.
The original text of the resolution of Congress submitting the newly drafted constitution to the states for ratification.
Essay covers from the Articles of Confederation and the problems of disunity of the new states after the Revolutionary War, internally as well as externally, to the Constitutional Convention, an attempt to address the Articles' problems. The site includes discussion on the acts and the thoughts of many of the delegates present during the drafting of the Constitution, including the compromises and plans adopted. Listed also are personages who refused to attend the convention based on their objections to centralized Federal authority and finalizing of the document with Franklin's last words. Link to specific events, men, and documents for a complete analysis of the U.S. Constitution from beginning to end.
This is a full unit of study from iCivics, featuring multiple lesson plans with presentations, downloadable documents, and more. How did we go from thirteen British colonies to the United States of America? Explore the major hardships of life under British rule, how the colonists decided to break away, and how they set a path for a new and independent government.
Lesson focuses on the debate over slavery at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.Senior Contributing AuthorsP. Scott Corbett, Ventura CollegeVolker Janssen, California State University, FullertonJohn M. Lund, Keene State CollegeTodd Pfannestiel, Clarion UniversityPaul Vickery, Oral Roberts UniversitySylvie Waskiewicz
Common Sense: From Monarchy to an American Republic
How Much Revolutionary Change?
Debating Democracy
The Constitutional Convention and Federal Constitution
This site from the United States Senate provides information about the evolution of the Senate as the Constitution was being written by the Constitutional Congress.
Read the complete text of the Virginia Plan that proposed a strong central government consisting of three branches. You can also view images of the original drafts.