1. Lesson 8.3: Ratifying the Constitution

2. Essential Question
What debates occurred during the development of the Constitution, and what were the ultimate results?

3. Vocabulary
Federalism – a system of government in which power is shared between the Federal and the state governments
Federalists – supporters of the Constitution and a strong federal government
Anti-Federalists – people who opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and who wanted a weak federal government

4. Vocabulary
The Federalist Papers – a series of essays explaining and defending the Constitution
George Mason – Antifederalist who opposed the Constitution
The Bill of Rights – the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution containing a list of citizens’ rights and freedoms

5. T-Chart (pg. 235)
Federalists Anti-Federalists

6. Focus Questions
What are the major differences and similarities between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists? (see chart)
How did the Federalists respond to the Anti-Federalists’ attacks?
Which statesmen contributed to the Federalist Papers?
Which two Virginians refused to support the Constitution unless a bill of rights was added?

7. 5. What was the significance of the Bill of Rights?
Focus Questions
5. What was the significance of the Bill of Rights?
6. For which reasons did New York and Virginia approve the Constitution?
7. What were the five freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights (page 266)
8. Describe Thomas Jefferson’s Statute for Religious Freedom? What did it become the basis for?

8. What We Already Know
In 1787, many Americans still remembered how hard they had to fight to regain their rights from a
government that was denying them their basic rights.

9. What We Already Know
When the Articles of Confederation failed to provide a government strong enough to meet the needs of the country, state delegates met to
create a new constitution and a more effective national government.

10. What We Already Know
Although compromises were reached on major issues to create a new constitution, the various debates showed that the
delegates themselves had strong differences of opinion about how the government should work.

11. Federalists vs Anti-Federalists
From the very beginning, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention knew that the most difficult task ahead was to create a system of government that was strong enough to protect the rights of the
citizens, but not too strong that it could not be controlled by the citizens.

12. Federalists vs Anti-Federalists
The framers of the Constitution suspected that the people might be afraid the Constitution would take too much power away from the states.

13. Federalists vs Anti-Federalists
Framers of the Constitution explained that it was based on federalism, meaning that the powers of government are
shared between the national government and the state governments.

14. Federalists vs Anti-Federalists (Chart)
As expected, a divide developed between the Federalists, those who supported the new constitution and a stronger federal
government and the Anti- Federalists, those who opposed a stronger federal government

15. Federalists vs Anti-Federalists
Both Federalists and the Anti-Federalists believed that the government was too weak under the Articles of Confederation.
They disagreed over just how much power should be taken from
the states and transferred to
the national government.

16. Federalists vs Anti-Federalists
The leading Federalists were..
James
Madison
Alexander
Hamilton
John
Jay

17. Federalists vs Anti-Federalists
The leading Anti-Federalists were..
George
Mason
Patrick
Henry

18. What the Federalists Wanted (Chart)
Taking some power from the states and giving it to the national government.
Divide power among different government branches.
A single person to lead the Executive Branch.

19. The Anti-Federalists (Chart)
The Anti-Federalists were fearful of any big government.
They feared a strong executive might become king.
They feared a strong
legislative branch
would lead to an
aristocracy.

20. The Federalists (Chart)
The Federalists wanted a strong central government with the powers of government to be divided between three branches. They also wanted the Executive
Branch to be strong enough to enforce federal laws in all the states, especially the collection of taxes and tariffs.

21. The Federalist Papers
The Federalists wrote essays to answer the Anti-Federalists’ attacks. These essays, known as the Federalist Papers, were written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay

22. The Federalist Papers
In The Federalist papers, the authors appealed to reason and emotion, explaining why people should support ratification. These
essays were published in newspapers, so all the people could read them.

23. Federalists vs Anti-Federalists
Most of the newspapers of the time supported the Constitution.
Even so, there was strong opposition to ratification of the Constitution in New York, Virginia. Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

24. The Battle for Ratification
of ratification.
The Delegates to the Constitutional Convention agreed that to ratify the Constitution, nine of the thirteen states would have to vote in favor

25. The Battle for Ratification
There was strong opposition to ratification in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island, New York, and Virginia.
If some of these states failed to ratify the Constitution, the United States might not survive.

26. The Battle for Ratification
By June 1788, nine of the thirteen states had voted in favor, and the Constitution was ratified. However, four states had not yet ratified; Virginia, New York, Rhode and North Carolina.

27. The Battle for Ratification
Without the two most populated states, Virginia and New York, to vote for the
Constitution, there was no way for the new country to survive.

28. The Battle for Ratification
Patrick Henry and George Mason, both delegates from Virginia, refused to support the Constitution until a bill of rights was added.
George Mason
Patrick
Henry

29. The Battle for Ratification
James Madison convinced his fellow Virginians to ratify the Constitution by promising that a bill of rights would be added later.
With Madison’s promise, both New York and Virginia would ratify the Constitution.

30. The Battle for Ratification
By the time the Constitution was ratified most of the states showed an interest in having a bill of rights.
Many believed a bill of rights was needed to protect people against the power of the national government.

31. The Bill of Rights
James Madison opposed a bill of rights, but feared that another Constitutional Convention would undo much of the work he had done on the Constitution up to that
point.

32. The Bill of Rights
Madison came prepared to the first session of the United States Congress. He prepared his amendments to the Constitution.
The first he introduced was religious freedom.

33. The Bill of Rights
Madison’s First Amendment says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

34. The Bill of Rights
Both Jefferson and Madison were strong supporters of freedom of religion.
Jefferson’s Statute for Religious Freedom had made religious freedom a right for all Virginians since 1786

35. The Bill of Rights
The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom assured that “no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place or ministry whatsoever,” and that “all men shall be free to profess, and by
argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion.”

36. The Bill of Rights
While Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom assured all Virginians religious freedom, it also banned any type of tax support for any religious group.

37. The Bill of Rights
Although Patrick Henry was strongly committed to religious freedom, Henry opposed Jefferson’s plan of total separation of church and state,
and instead favored tax support of all recognized religious groups.

38. The Bill of Rights
James Madison went on to introduce nine other amendments which were debated, and edited in Congress.
These ten amendments to the Constitution became our Bill of Rights.

39. List the 5 freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights
(see page 266) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

40. Father of the Constitution
No one man did more to bring the Constitution to life than James Madison. He worked behind the scenes on the Virginia plan, promoted
ratification by writing
for the Federalist Papers, got the state of Virginia to finally support the Constitution …and later wrote the Bill of Rights.