Unit 2: DESIGNING

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Unit 2 DESIGNING DRAFTING THE CONSTITUTION
MADISONS ROLE

• Context
• Madisons research
• Madisons goal
• Madisons design
• Attacks on design
• Madison as drafter

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STATES AFTER REVOLUTION

• Constitutions, including bills of right (except
  New York)
• Criteria for citizenship, voting, etc.
• Bi-cameral legislatures (except
  Pennsylvania/Georgia)
• Weak executives (except Massachusetts)
• Short terms of office for elected representatives
• Trade and foreign policies

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   (Georgia). Although
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National Government After Revolution

• Articles of Confederation (1781)
• Federation of independent sovereign states

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Madison during Articles. . .

• 1779 Continental Congressadvocates strong
  national government (age 28)
• 1784 Helps form Patowmack Co.
• 1786 Attends Annapolis Convention supports
  call for convention

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Vices of the Political
SystemApril 1787
 

• States . . .
• Long list of vices
• Congress. . .
• Major problems

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Convention called for May 14, 1787

• Assignment Amend Articles of Confederation
• New Hampshiredelegates July 23
• Rhode Island NO!

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teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/intro.
html
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MADISON PREPARES

• GOAL Americans must think of nation first,
  states second
• THEREFORE Representation is main issue
  (Articles must be scrapped)

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Letter to RandolphApril 8, 1787

• See Volume I, Primary Documents

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Letter to Washington, April 16, 1787

• Having "formed in my mind some outlines of a new
  system, I take the liberty of submitting them
  without apology, to your eye."

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VIRGINIA PLAN The Design

• 15 articles
• Introduced by Edmund Randolph

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ACTIVITY I

• Prepare a schematic of the Virginia Plan

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Design under fire

• Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, New York and
  Marylands Martin attack Virginia Plan
• Convention thrown into crisisJune 29-30

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COMPROMISE

• Oliver Ellsworth (CT) We are partly national
  and partly federal
• Gerry Committee proposes change to national
  legislature
• Gerry proposal wins 5-4

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Effects of Compromises

• Congress reflects people and states
• Congress will not be body Madison envisioned
• What can Madison do?

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Madison as drafter

• Could have quit
• Works with Wilson on executive
• Serves on Gerry Committee (ramifications of
  Connecticut Compromise)
• Serves on Committee of Eleven (electoral college)
• Serves on Committee on Style

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ACTIVITY II

• Prepare a schematic of the Constitution
• Compare and assess

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MADISONS ASSESSMENT

• September 6, 1787, to Jefferson the "plan should
  it be adopted will neither effectually answer its
  national object nor prevent the local mischiefs
  which every where excite disgusts against the
  state governments."

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CONCLUSION

• George Packer, 2008
• Governing means mastering details, knowing
  options, using cautionthat is, taking government
  seriously