The Constitutional Convention and the ratification debate

Grade 12 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to D on the Convention (the cards are summaries in our words; card D is made up). Card A, "The Convention". Who made it: written for this sheet from the National Archives and standard histories. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The Convention met in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787, with George Washington presiding. Twelve states sent delegates; Rhode Island did not. Of the 55 delegates who attended, 39 signed the Constitution. Card B, "Two plans". Same maker as card A. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The Virginia Plan gave states with more people more votes in Congress. The New Jersey Plan gave each state one equal vote, as under the Articles. Card C, "The Great Compromise". Same maker as card A. Summary in our words, not a quotation: It was agreed on July 16, 1787, by five states to four, with one state's delegates split. Seats in the House would depend on population; each state would have two senators. Card D, "Altis, Beren and Calda (made up)". Who made it: written for this sheet. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Altis has 400,000 people, Beren has 200,000 and Calda has 100,000. Under a plan with one vote for each 100,000 people, Altis has 4 votes, Beren has 2 and Calda has 1, a total of 7.

2. 1.

   Bo reads card D. What share of the votes would Altis hold under the Virginia Plan, and under the New Jersey Plan?

   • About 57 percent under the Virginia Plan (4 of 7) and one third under the New Jersey Plan (1 of 3)
   • One third under the Virginia Plan and about 57 percent under the New Jersey Plan, because the plans are the other way round
   • About 57 percent under both plans, because Altis has the most people and so the most votes under each plan
   • One third under both plans, because Altis is one of three states and each state has the same weight
3. 2.

   Milo applies card C to card D. What would the Great Compromise give Altis?

   • 2 of 6 House seats but 4 of 7 Senate seats, because the Senate is the house that counts the people
   • 4 of 7 seats in both houses, because Altis has the most people and the compromise counts people throughout
   • 1 of 3 seats in both houses, because the compromise gives each state the same weight in Congress
   • 4 of 7 House seats but 2 of 6 Senate seats, so Altis has extra weight in just one house
4. 3.

   Zee lists questions about cards A to C. Which one can the cards not answer?

   • On what date the Great Compromise was agreed, and by what count of states it was agreed
   • Which state did not send any delegates to the Convention, out of the thirteen states of 1787
   • How each state's delegates voted on the Great Compromise, apart from the count of five states to four
   • Which of the two plans gave each state one equal vote in Congress, as the Articles had done
5. 4.

   Kira reads card C. What does "five states to four, with one state's delegates split" show about the vote?

   • The compromise passed unanimously among the states that voted, with one state not taking part
   • The compromise passed by a wide margin, because five of the ten states that voted were for it
   • The compromise passed narrowly: five states said yes, four said no, and one state's delegates divided
   • The vote was held on July 16, 1787, in the Convention that met in Philadelphia that summer

6. Use this

   Cards A to C on counting people (card A is exact; cards B and C are in our words and made up). Card A, "Article I, Section 2 (1787)". Who made it: the Constitutional Convention. When: September 17, 1787. For whom: the states and the people. Why: to say how House seats and direct taxes are divided. Excerpt: "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons." Card B, "The Three-Fifths Compromise". Who made it: written for this sheet from standard histories. Summary in our words, not a quotation: When dividing House seats and direct taxes, the delegates agreed to count three of every five enslaved people. Enslaved people had no vote, and the rule gave more seats to the states where slavery was legal. Card C, "Two made-up places". Who made it: written for this sheet. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Southfield has 600,000 free people and 400,000 enslaved people. Northvale has 1,000,000 free people.

7. 5.

   Card A never uses the word "slave." Ren asks which words in the clause cover enslaved people.

   • "All other Persons," meaning the people left after free persons and Indians not taxed are counted
   • "Persons bound to Service for a Term of Years," because those words name people who were not free
   • "Free Persons," because the clause counts free persons at three fifths of their number in the count
   • "Indians not taxed," because the clause counts them at three fifths of their number in the count
8. 6.

   Noah lists questions about the three cards on counting people. Which question can the cards not answer?

   • Whether enslaved people could vote in the elections that decided the House seats of their state
   • Which two things the three-fifths count was used to divide among the states of the Union
   • Whether the rule gave slaveholding states more seats than a count of free persons alone would give
   • How many House seats Southfield would hold, since no card gives a number of people for each seat

9. Use this

   Cards A and B on ratification (card A is exact; card B is a summary in our words). Card A, "Article VII (1787)". Who made it: the Constitutional Convention. When: September 17, 1787. For whom: the states. Why: to say how the Constitution would take effect. Excerpt: "The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same." Card B, "Ratification". Who made it: written for this sheet from the National Archives. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Delaware ratified first, on December 7, 1787. New Hampshire became the ninth state on June 21, 1788. Virginia ratified on June 25 and New York on July 26, 1788, which made eleven states. The new government began on March 4, 1789. North Carolina ratified on November 21, 1789, and Rhode Island on May 29, 1790.

10. 7.

    Luz reads card A. What does "between the States so ratifying" mean for the nine states?

    • The Constitution would take effect among the states that ratified, not for the states that waited
    • The Constitution would take effect just after the Confederation Congress approved it a second time
    • Each state had to wait until nine states had ratified before it could hold a vote of its own
    • The Constitution would take effect for the whole of the thirteen states once nine had ratified it
11. 8.

    On June 23, 1788, Virginia has not yet voted. Tala applies card A to card B. What follows?

    • It is established for the full thirteen states, because nine states are a majority of the thirteen
    • The Constitution is established among the nine ratifying states, though four have not yet joined
    • It is established just if Congress counts Virginia's vote before the new government is to begin
    • It is not yet established, because Virginia, the largest state, has not yet taken its vote on it
12. 9.

    Jun lists questions about cards A and B on ratification. Which question can the cards not answer?

    • On what date New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States
    • Which state ratified first among the thirteen, and on what date that state ratified it
    • How many delegates in New York's convention voted for and against ratifying, and why they did so
    • Whether North Carolina and Rhode Island ratified before the new government began its work
13. 10.

    Pia puts cards A and B together. Which claim do the two cards support?

    • Nine states were enough for the government to begin, so the later states did not matter to it
    • The new government began the day New Hampshire ratified, June 21, 1788, as the ninth state
    • The new government waited for thirteen states to ratify before it began on March 4, 1789
    • The new government began on March 4, 1789 with eleven states, and the last two joined later