Library of Congress
Loc: The Constitution: Counter Revolution or National Salvation
Using primary texts and prior study of Colonial America and the Revolution, students examine "what type of government would best represent the ideals of the American Revolution." Worksheets, discussions, and role-playing within this...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: The Problem of Expansion
With the end of the Revolution, the United States again had to face the old unsolved Western question -- the problem of expansion, with its complications of land, fur trade, Indians, settlement and local government. Lured by the richest...
OpenStax
Open Stax: Debating Democracy
By the end of this section of a chapter on "Creating Republican Governments," students will be able to explain the development of state constitutions, describe the features of the Articles of Confederation, and analyze the causes and...
iCivics
I Civics: Trying Self Government
In this lesson, students will learn about the Articles of Confederation's strengths and weaknesses as well as how it downfalls impacted the writing and ideas in the U.S. Constitution.
C3 Teachers
C3 Teachers: Inquiries: Great Compromise
A learning module on the Great Compromise and the role it played in developing the US Constitution in 1787. It includes several supporting questions accompanied by formative tasks and source materials, followed by a summative performance...
US Government Publishing Office
U.s. Government Publishing Office: Core Documents of u.s.democracy
Direct online access to the basic Federal Government documents that define our democratic society, a core group of current and historical Government publications.
A&E Television
History.com: Continental Congress
From 1774 to 1789, the Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies and later the United States. The First Continental Congress, which was comprised of delegates from the colonies, met in 1774 in reaction to...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source Set: Creating the Us Constitution
A collection which uses primary sources to explore the creation of the US Constitution.
Bill of Rights Institute
Bill of Rights Institute: Northwest Ordinance
Enacted through the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance led to the organization of the Northwest Territory and expedited the expansion of the United States westward. This is a thorough explanation of the ordinance.
Other
The Architect of the Capitol: Roger Sherman
This resource from the Architect of the Capitol is a government site that focuses on art and architecture in the U.S. Capitol. Features a picture of a marble statue of Sherman.
Library of Congress
Loc: Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention
This site provides a collection of material regarding the work of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. Content includes a focus on how the Revolutionary War was organized, fanning the flames of patriotism,...
Library of Congress
Loc: The New Nation 1783 1815
The creation and growth of the new nation of the United States is the focus of this article. Being divided into time periods makes this site easy to understand.
Tom Richey
Tom Richey: The u.s. Constitution (1783 1789)
A comprehensive unit of the colonies gaining their independence from and trying to create an effective constitution establishing a new government. Find lessons, videos, and primary sources.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Declare the Causes
Offers lesson plans that guide students to understanding the structure of the Declaration of Independence. Throughout the course of the lesson, students will be working on writing their own declaration of grievances relative to issues in...
Digital History
Digital History: Was the Constitutional Convention Legal?
A look at the convening of a Constitutional Convention to address the problems inherent in the Articles of Confederation. Read a quote from George Washington, who addressed the legality of such a convention.
University of Chicago
The Founders' Constitution: Deficiencies of the Confederation
The original text of a letter from Alexander Hamilton to Governor George Clinton of New York in 1778 complaining of inadequate material for the U.S. armed forces and perception of weakness by foreign powers.
A&E Television
History.com: The Patriot Financier Who Bankrolled the Revolutionary War
A brash, self-made millionaire helped fund the fight for independence, but after the war, he ended up in debtor's prison. Without Robert Morris, the American Revolution may have been crushed under a mountain of debt and disarray. The...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Tough Issues
Read about the change of plans when delegates to the Philadelphia convention decided to write a new constitution to replace the Articles of Convention. See the ideas delegates had to address concerns of large and small states.
Digital Public Library of America
Dpla: Creating the Us Constitution
The sources in this primary set document the creation of the US Constitution. Includes teaching guide.
Bill of Rights Institute
Bill of Rights Institute: Constitution of the United States of America (1787)
The Constitution was written in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by delegates from 12 states, in order to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new form of government. It created a federal system with a national...
US Government Publishing Office
Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: The Constitution
Ben's Guide is a fun way to present U.S. Government to students grades K-12. This site presents a brief history of the Constitution. Links to related sites are available.
Other
The House of Commons Heritage Collection
This comprehensive site from the Curatorial Services of the House of Commons in Ottawa collects and celebrates the architecture, fine art, and heritage spaces of Canada's Parliament. The Collection Profiles gives students web-based...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A Cast of National Superstars
A brief look at some of those who served as delegates to the Philadelphia Convention, which morphed into a constitutional convention. Pay attention to the class of people who made up the delegates.
Digital History
Digital History: A Bill of Rights? [Pdf]
There was no Bill of Rights attached to the original Constitution, but it was a topic of discussion. Read a reconstruction of speeches of delegates to the Constitutional Convention who debated for and against the inclusion of a way to...