Government – 3/02/2020

I. Bellwork
“Our government under the proposed [Constitution], will be guarded by a repetition of the strongest cautions against excesses [abuse of power]. In the senate the sovereignties [powers] of the several states will be equally represented; in the house of representatives, the people of the whole union [all the states] will be equally represented; and, in the president, and the federal independent judges, so much concerned in the execution [carrying out] of the laws, and in the determination of their constitutionality, the sovereignties of the several states and the people of the whole union, may be considered as . . . represented.” -John Dickinson, The Letters of Fabius, in 1788, on the Federal Constitution

Based upon the information above, what is Dickinson’s point of view on the constitution?
What information does he provide that would lead you to believe he is a Federalist or Anti-Federalist?

II. Objectives:

Identify the main stances of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists between 1787 and 1789
Analyze primary and secondary sources related to a historical question to determine their reasoning and stance.
Summarize the convention’s major compromises and the effects of those decisions.
Explain why the weaknesses of the Articles led to a critical period for the country in the 1780s.

III. Classwork