Constitutional Convention Debate

Many people in the U.S. realized that the Articles of Confederation were not sufficient to run the country. A group of
55 delegates from all 13 states except Rhode Island went to Philadelphia to draft a new document. This meeting
became known as the Constitutional convention. It started on February 21, 1787 and ended with the signing of the
Constitution on September 17, 1787. The delegates came from large, small and in-between sized states. These
groups had different opinions about how the new document should be written. The following issues were debated
and you will be expected to debate these as if you were there as your assigned delegate:
Debate Issues
1. Anti-Federalist (strong government) vs. Federalist (strong central government)
2. The Virginia Plan, The New Jersey Plan, and the Great Compromise.
3. Slavery (anti-slavery or pro slavery). Slave Trade (Compromise on Slave Trade)
4. Counting slaves as part of the population for representation in Congress (3/5 compromise).
5. Bill of Rights (protecting the individual citizens rights).
Individual Research and Requirements:
Research: You will choose a delegate from the Constitutional Convention and research the following information:
All of THIS information should be memorized by the time of the convention! (You will be able to use your
notes during the Convention)
1. State you are representing
2. Age
3. Occupation, education and marital status
4. Member of the continental army?
5. Signer of the following documents?
a. Declaration of Independence?
b. Constitution (At the end of the convention, you will be asked whether or not you will sign the
document)
6. What issues from the Debate Issues section above was your delegate involved in?
7. Of those issues, what were his thoughts/ideas/feelings?
8. RESEARCH THOSE ISSUES!!!!! You must have great knowledge of those specific issues that your
delegate was involved in.
a. Understanding questions:
i. WHY did he feel that way?
ii. WHY did he support that issues?
iii. WHY did he not support that issues?




Requirements: (for grading information, see the evaluation section on the next page)
Introduction
Debate
1. Prepare an introduction that you will verbally present at the beginning of the convention.
1
st
person and presented as if it is the first day of the convention.
Include all information from introduction research
2. Present your (your delegates) ideas/feelings during the convention.
1
st
person presentation of idea/feelings about the specific topic being discussed
Portray the personality of your delegate and the passion he felt about the issues
Try to persuade the other delegates to agree with your position
Include all information from debate research
Group Work:
During the debate, you will be seated with other delegates from states similar to yours (large, small, in-between). If
you find out through research that your delegate worked with other delegates to present or discuss a specific topic,
you must meet with those people to decide who will present which portion of the issue.
Debate Evaluation:
Research: 15 points
This portion of your grade will be dependent on you using your time given in class wisely. This will include all
library/computer lab research time and text notes outside of class. RESEARCH FULLY AND
COMPLETELY..BECOME THAT PERSON!!!
1. Keep research categories organized and separate: textbook, library notes, biography, computer
notes
2. Write down the name of the source above notes from that source
3. Turn in at the end of the project- This will be a test grade based on completion!
Participation You must be here and speak for credit:
This is a verbal debate. You must verbally present information in order to be effective. The amount of
participation required depends on your delegate. You are required to participate in whatever portion of the
debate that your delegate participated in or had feeling about. See Keys to Success.and look for ways to
participate based on other factors.
Knowledge:
Your knowledge of your topic needs to be evident during the debate. The only way I will know what you
know is if you participate. I will be looking for your knowledge of your delegate as well as knowledge of the
issues being debated. If your delegate was actually highly involved in a specific issue, I will expect your
knowledge to be particularly strong in that area. Your knowledge must reflect the strength of your research
using the given websites, the book available and information in the library and textbook.



Delivery :
This includes voice level, inflection, eye contact, ability to formulate your argument in a convincing but
appropriate way, as well as use of facts and evidence. During the debate portion, you may (and probably
should) have out notes, information, etc. but you should not have to rely heavily on them. Your introduction
has to be memorized. When you read directly off of a paper it takes away from the effectiveness of your
presentation. You are pretending to be a delegate from the actual convention, and I expect you to be
comfortable speaking as if you are that person.
Debate Project Calendar:
Day 1 Discuss Project and choose delegate
Days 2-3 Computer research in class work
Days 4 (5 if needed) DEBATE.BE HERE!!!!!
Required Research Information
How do I figure out my delegates position/feelings about each of the debate topics?
1. Read your introduction research. Obviously your biography is a good source of information for your
intro, but it also might provide information or clues about which topic your delegate felt strongly
about at the convention.
2. Read pages your textbook! Some of the delegates are specifically mentioned in the book. Also, it
gives a great overview of most of the debate issues and can give you a better understanding of the
overall picture
Websites for the Constitutional Convention Debate
(These will be linked on Ms.DeAngelis Weebly site) http://socialstudiesmsdeangelis.weebly.com/
List of delegates by state with biographies:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_founding_fathers.html
Overview of Constitutional Convention
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/
Overview of Constitutional Convention (compromises, plans, etc):
http://usconstitution.net/consttop_ccon.html
Delegate information listed by the documents that they signed:
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/delegates/experience.html
Overview of the Constitutional Convention:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_history.html
Quotes from some delegates (Hamilton, Morris, Mason, Pinckney, Wilson, Davie, Madison, Randolph, Gerry,
Sherman) about debate topics:
http://www.westillholdthesetruths.org/quotes/category/constitutional-convention
http://billofrightsinstitute.org/resources/student-resources/play-games/madisons-notes-are-missing/
Issue of Slavery:
http://www.academicamerican.com/revolution/documents/ConstDebate.html

Extra Credit:
1. Dress up as your delegate. Check out this website for examples of the clothing of the time period.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1750-1795_in_fashion Obviously all of the delegates were men.
2. Incorporate the following ideas into your debate (in textbook pgs 152-174): state constitutions, Articles of
Confederation, Land Ordinance of 1785, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, and Shays Rebellion.
Keys to Success on Debate Day:
Use the script I provided you to find spots where your delegates could speak on a given topic (make notes on
speaking points). Create a PLAN of when and what you will say.
How do you know when you should speak? The size of state you come from, the region you come from, and
your personal beliefs give you an automatic OPINION on almost all the topics.
Are you small or large, north or south, federalist or anti-federalist.etc? ARGUE THESE MAIN POINTS.
You MUST understand the issues..that is the whole point to the project.
To get credit for your understanding you MUST SPEAK!!!
State Classifications
Small States Large States In-Between States
Connecticut: Massachusetts: Georgia:
William Samuel Johnson Elbridge Gerry Abraham Baldwin
*Oliver Ellsworth Nathaniel Gorham William L. Pierce
*Roger Sherman Rufus King
Delaware: North Carolina: New York:
Gunning Bedford Jr. Hugh Williamson *Alexander Hamilton
John Dickinson William R. Davie John Lansing Jr.
Maryland: Pennsylvania: Robert Yates
Luther Martin Benjamin Franklin South Carolina:
New Hampshire: *James Wilson Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
John Langdon Gouverneur Morris Charles Pinckney
New Jersey: Virginia: John Rutledge
*William Paterson *James Madison
William Livingston George Mason
*Edmund J. Randolph

*indicate a required speaking part in the script.