Opening the Constitutional ConventionThis Convention was a meeting designed to solve issues…(Revise Articles of Confederation!)

And to…Oooo! Write the

Constitution!

On May 25th, 1787, the Constitutional Convention met for the first time in PA! (Same room

where they met for D. of I.)

❖ George Washington was elected the president

of the convention…He was very well respected.

Who were the delegates?

❖ 55 delegates from 12 of the 13 states were present.

Rhode Island refused to send a delegate. It was afraid

of losing its states' rights. The delegates worked for 4

months behind closed doors of the State House to draft

a new document known later as the "Constitution."

(Delegates are like representatives)

IMPORTANT PEOPLE!

• 4. Key Delegates

◦ James Madison (Virginia)

▪ Known as the “Father of the Constitution”

◦ George Washington (Virginia)

▪ His presence gave the convention legitimacy.

◦ Alexander Hamilton (New York)

◦ George Mason (Virginia)

◦ John Dickinson (Delaware)

◦ Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania)

5. Notable Absences

◦ Patrick Henry

▪ Refused to attend, saying

he “smelt a rat”

◦ Thomas Jefferson

▪ Was serving as a Foreign

Diplomat in Paris

◦ John Adams

▪ Was serving as a Foreign

Diplomat in London

More about the Delegates…

Delegates were selected by their states. They were educated, patriotic, and experienced men, ranging from the ages of 40 to 81. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate (81 years old!). Some men were landowners and some were lawyers or judges. All delegates held at least one public office. This group is sometimes called the "Founding Fathers." There were no women or minorities.

What would it have been like in this room?

James Madison…”THE MAN”

A.K.A. The Father of the Constitution

❖ Known as most prepared delegate

❖ From Virginia

❖ He spoke at convention several times

❖ He took 600 pages worth of notes!

(This is how we know what happened

each day at the convention…)

What does James Madison reveal about

government here?

❖ “ If men were angels, no government would be necessary.

If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal

controls on government would be necessary. In framing a

government which is to be administered by men over men,

the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the

government to control the governed; and in the next place

oblige it (the government) to control itself.”

——James Madison

Check your work….Possible answer.

Because men are not perfect, they need to be

governed. But, they also need to have a voice in HOW

they are governed. Government must be organized, but

it needs to be controlled by many people who can hold

each other accountable.

❖ http://goo.gl/75gUX4

TASK: As you watch, list three interesting facts

you learned about this remarkable man!

Please visit the following website to watch

the video about James Madison.

The Rule of Secrecy

❖ NO ONE knew what happened outside

the convention

❖ “What happened during the meetings,

stayed within the meetings…”

Delegates seemed to agree on the fact that

it is the government’s responsibility to

protect “life, liberty, and pursuit of

happiness..”

The best way to protect these rights

was:*To create some kind of republic (or country

governed by elected representatives! )

*Although the delegates wanted a government

“For the people, by the people,” they did not agree on

how states should be represented in the new government.

❖SS.8.A.3.10: Examine

the course and

consequences of the

Constitutional

ConventionDid you do this? Check yourself…