Bill of Rights Institute
Bill of Rights Institute: Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry is known for being a steadfast patriot opposed to a strong centralized government. In 1765, Henry was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses. By the 1770s, Henry had emerged as one of the most radical leaders of the...
University of Groningen
American History: Biographies: John Dickinson 1732 1808 (2)
Dickinson, "Penman of the Revolution," was born in 1732 at Crosiadore estate, near the village of Trappe in Talbot County, MD. He was the second son of Samuel Dickinson, the prosperous farmer, and his second wife, Mary (Cadwalader)...
Bill of Rights Institute
Bill of Rights Institute: John Dickinson
John Dickinson was called "The Penman of the American Revolution." During the 1760s and 1770s, he authored numerous important essays in defense of American rights, including The Late Regulations Respecting the British Colonies, the...
University of Groningen
American History: Biographies: John Dickinson (1732 1808)
Dickinson has correctly been called the "Penman of the Revolution" by later historians. But his activities extended fortwo decades into the life of the new republic, years in which Dickinson's contributions were many. Dickinson's career...
State Library of North Carolina
N Cpedia: Convention of 1868
Read about the Convention of 1868, which was a direct result of the Radical Congressional Reconstruction Acts passed in 1867, overturning post-Civil War Presidential Reconstruction.
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Virginia Plan
Learn about the Virginia Plan that was based on a national and state government system with a separation of powers consisting of legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It also contained a resolution for proportional...
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: New Jersey Plan
New Jersey Plan was presented in the form of eleven resolutions drafted by William Paterson. It detailed a legislature of only one house and featured equal representation in which each state had the same number of representatives thus...
University of Groningen
American History: Biographies: Alexander Hamilton
This site is provided for by the University of Groningen. Alexander Hamilton represented the growing movement towards a strong national government. Read the beginning stages of the nationalist movement, the conflicting ideas of state...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: u.s. Constitution and the Idea of Compromise (Lesson Plan)
In this activity, examine many of the opposing viewpoints held by founding fathers as they considered various compromises that made the U.S. Constitution possible, including the three-fifths compromise made to placate slave-owning states.
University of Chicago
The Founders' Constitution: Separation of Powers
Federal Convention on the Separation of Powers as recorded during debate at the convention, June 2, 1787.
Other
Austin Community College District: Convention, Washington on Brazos
A detailed description of the Convention of 1836, a meeting of elected delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas shortly after the Texas Revolution began.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: The Debates on Diversity and the Extended Republic
In this Curriculum Unit, students will consider "The Federalist and Anti-Federalist Debates on Diversity and the Extended Republic" in 2 Lessons. The unit also includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the...
The Dirksen Congressional Center
Congress Link: Lesson Plans
The Dirksen Congressional Center provides abundant lesson plans on all aspects of the US Congress and the US Constitution. All lessons contain time frames, objectives, and links to material, and are built around Bloom's taxonomy.
Yale University
Avalon Project: Resolution of Congress of September 28, 1787
The original text of the resolution of Congress submitting the newly drafted constitution to the states for ratification.
iCivics
I Civics: Major Clash? Compromise!
For this lesson, young scholars explore the reasons for and outcomes of some of the most impactful resolutions made to form 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 National Archives
Our Documents: Virginia Plan (1787)
Read the complete text of the Virginia Plan that proposed a strong central government consisting of three branches. You can also view images of the original drafts.
Other
Colonial Hall: Benjamin Rush (1745 1813)
This non-profit site offers detailed biography of Benjamin Rush. the United States. Examines his early training, his years in Europe, his work in medicine, his role in the Revolutionary War, and his political career. Rest of site has...
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: Alexander Hamilton Biography
This excellent biography of Alexander Hamilton is part of the University of Missouri's "Famous Trials" site. With text links to personal letters and other documents written by Hamilton.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Alexander Hamilton
A biography of Alexander Hamilton from the documentary program AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: The Duel, produced by PBS.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Benjamin Franklin's Rising Sun
Franklin, as the oldest delegate to the Constitutional Convention, recognized the arguments against the proposed new government and the strength of the Federalists. The essay gives insight into Franklin's views on the drafted...
![Campaign Journal of a [Colonial] Militiaman Primary](https://content.lessonplanet.com/knovation/original/95943-d46e7c40d76b9e3934bfd9fda26ec2ce.jpg?1661409178 "Campaign Journal of a [Colonial] Militiaman Primary")
Other
Campaign Journal of a [Colonial] Militiaman
Some excerpts from the Journal of William Houston written during the American Revolution. Houston served in the Continental Army and would later serve as a delegate from New Jersey to the Constitutional Convention.
Other
Seguin Descendants Historical Preservation: Erasmo Seguin
Dig deep into the life of Erasmo Seguin, the sole representative from Texas to the constitutional convention after Mexico achieved independence from Spain. He helped to draft the Constitution of 1824 and was a major influence in the...
Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association: Juan Jose Maria Erasmo De Jesus Seguin
Learn about the life and work of Erasmo Seguin, the sole representative from Texas to the constitutional convention after Mexico achieved independence from Spain. He helped to draft the Constitution of 1824 and was a major influence in...