1. Bellwork: What is the meaning of the “full faith and credit” clause?
States have to honor laws and legal documents from other states.

2. Ratification of the Constitution

3. The Philadelphia Convention

4. Historical Context
Even after the Constitution was written, 9 of 13 state legislatures still had to ratify (approve) the new law of the land.
Ratification was closely contested nationally during 1787 and 1788.
Rejection by any of the four most prominent states - MA, NY, PA, or VA would have doomed the Constitution

5. Face-Off: Federalists v. Anti-Federalists
Federalists: supported a stronger federal (national/central) government
Anti-Federalists: opposed a strong federal government.

6. Issue Federalists Antifederalists
A strong central government
Favored a strong nat’l gov’t – they were for the Constitution.
Opposed a strong nat’l gov’t – they were against the Constitution.
Power of thirteen states
Wanted to limit state power. They thought a Senate (with two representatives per state) was enough.
Strong support for local control.
Bill of Rights
Not needed at a national level.
Bill of Rights was necessary to protect individual liberties.
Articles of Confederation
Opposed the AofC as an ineffective system of gov’t. Congress didn’t have enough power.
AofC needed to be amended, not abandoned (they liked how strong it made the states)
Size of the nation
A large republic = best protection for individual freedoms
Only a small republic could protect rights - No experiment in democracy on a scale of America had ever been attempted.
Supporters
Large farmers, merchants, artisans
Small farmers, often from rural areas
*Based on The American Journey: A History of the United States by Goldfield, et al.

8. The Federalist Papers
by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay

9. The Federalist Papers
A set of essays, written by Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, and published in New York newspapers under the pseudonym Publius.
During the ratification controversy, these essays were circulated nationally and discussed:
Blessings of national government
Criticism of the Articles of Confederation
Defense of the Constitution
Analysis on the costs and benefits of freedom.

10. George Washington on Georgia
“If a weak state with Indians on its back and the Spaniards on its flank does not see the necessity of a General Government, there must I think be weakness or insanity in the way.”

11. Conflict and Compromise: Stations
You will circulate between 4 stations in order to get a closer look at the ratification of the Constitution.
You will answer questions on your own individual paper, being very careful to number questions exactly as you see them on the assignment.
You will be given approximately 15 minutes at each station.

12. America’s Early Years – 15min Video

13. Ratification of the Constitution
Yes No 1
December 7, 1787
Delaware 30 2
December 11, 1787
Pennsylvania 46 23 3
December 18, 1787
New Jersey 38 4
January 2, 1788
Georgia 26 5
January 9, 1788
Connecticut
128 40 6
February 6, 1788
Massachusetts
187
168 7
April 26, 1788
Maryland 63 11 8
May 23, 1788
South Carolina
149 73 9
June 21, 1788
New Hampshire 57 47 10
June 25, 1788
Virginia 89 79
July 26, 1788
New York 27 12
November 21, 1789
North Carolina
194 77 13
May 29, 1790
Rhode Island 34 32

14. Exit Slip: What was one argument used by the Federalists?
What was one argument used by the Anti-Federalists?

15. Occupations of State Representatives in 1780s

16. Officials Were Less Wealthy After Independence

17. Federalists were Wealthier

18. Occupations of Federalists/Anti-Federalists