Getting to Union
Navigating Differences in the Constitutional Convention
Overview
During the summer of 1787, delegates came to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia intensely worried about the future of the United States. The fragile new experiment in self-government appeared to be headed down the road to failure. States were divided by their economic interests, religious beliefs, and reliance on slavery. The Articles of Confederation had created a confederation government during the Revolutionary War, but Congress’ inability to collect taxes or call-in state debts left Continental Army soldiers unsupplied, cold, and hungry.
A few years after victory in the Revolutionary War, states bickered over boundary disputes, printed their own currencies (causing inflation), and violated the peace treaty that ended the war. Britain watched and waited patiently for the American experiment to collapse, ready to move back in and regain some of its resources lost in the war.
As the delegates came to the Constitutional Convention, they knew they had monumental problems to solve. How would they navigate their differences and save the American experiment? They knew there would be no United States unless they could find ways to accommodate one another across their differences.
This lesson explores the ways the delegates in the Constitutional Convention navigated their differences to create a government that united them in spite of their deep differences. Students can look to this historical moment as a model for how to navigate differences to keep our Union today in spite of our deep differences.
The 3Rs Framework
The Utah 3Rs Project promotes the civic understanding of constitutional rights by using humanities education to promote the 3Rs of religious liberty: every person has Rights; we all have the Responsibility to protect the rights of others, including people who are different; and we all have the duty to be Respectful toward other people even when we disagree.
The Utah 3Rs Project is a civic education initiative that uses humanities scholarship to cultivate students’ knowledge about the origins and effects of the First Amendment’s religion clauses. Our objective is to create a constitutional culture in Utah, whose residents respect and honor one another’s differences. This is especially critical in our current political moment as polarization increases and political attention for the marginalized has amplified.
Learning Objectives
By using Getting to Union: Navigating Differences in the Constitutional Convention, students will…
- Understand the fragile state of the United States at the time of the creation of the U.S. Constitution, including deep divisions across the states.
- Explore how the delegates in the Constitutional Convention created a space to address issues where they disagreed.
- Identify that creating a space in the Constitutional Convention to address issues built trust among the delegates and made linchpin compromises over representation and slavery possible.
- Discuss possible ways today we can navigate our differences to keep our Union.
Recommendation for How to Use this Lesson Plan
Assign Part I as prework. This way, students arrive to class with a sense of the divisions and problems facing the Constitutional Convention. Then complete Parts II, III, IV together as a class.
Utah Learning Standards
Utah Studies, Civic Preparation (7th Grade): Civic engagement is one of the fundamental purposes of education. The preparation of young people for participation in America’s democratic republic is vital. The progress of our communities, state, nation, and world rests upon the preparation of young people to collaboratively and deliberatively address problems, to defend their own rights and the rights of others, and to balance personal interests with the common good. Social studies classrooms are the ideal locations to foster civic virtue, consider current issues, learn how to act civilly toward others, and build a civic identity and an awareness of global issues. These skills, habits, and qualities of character will prepare students to accept responsibility for preserving and defending their liberties.
To reach these ends, student should have ample opportunities to:
- Engage in deliberative, collaborative, and civil dialogue regarding historical and current issues.
- Identify local, state, national, or international problems; engage with solutions to these problems; and share their ideas with appropriate public and/or private stakeholders.
U.S. History I, Standard 4.1 (8th Grade): Students will explain how the ideas, events, and compromises which led to the development and ratification of the Constitution are reflected in the document itself.
U.S. History I, Standard 4.2 (8th Grade): Students will describe the structure and function of the government that the Constitution creates.
U.S. History I, Standard 4.3 (8th Grade): Students will use historic case studies and current events to trace how and explain why the rights, liberties, and responsibilities of citizens have changed over time.
U.S. History I, Civic Preparation (8th Grade): Civic engagement is one of the fundamental purposes of education. The preparation of young people for participation in America’s democratic republic is vital. The progress of our communities, state, nation, and world rests upon the preparation of young people to collaboratively and deliberatively address problems, to defend their own rights and the rights of others, and to balance personal interests with the common good. Social studies classrooms are the ideal locations to foster civic virtue, consider current issues, learn how to act civilly toward others, and build a civic identity and an awareness of global issues. These skills, habits, and qualities of character will prepare students to accept responsibility for preserving and defending their liberties.
To reach these ends, student should have ample opportunities to:
- Engage in deliberative, collaborative, and civil dialogue regarding historical and current issues.
- Identify local, state, national, or international problems; engage with solutions to these problems; and share their ideas with appropriate public and/or private stakeholders.
U.S. Government and Citizenship, Standard 2.1 (High School): Students will use historic and modern case studies, including Supreme Court cases, amendment initiatives, and legislation to trace the application of civil liberties, civil rights, and responsibilities spelled out in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other amendments.
U.S. History II, Standard 7.5 (High School): Students will use evidence to demonstrate how technological developments (such as television and social media), government policies (such as Supreme Court decisions), trends (such as rock ‘n’ roll or environmental conservation), and/or demographic changes (such as the growth of suburbs and modern immigration) have influenced American culture.
U.S. History II, Civic Preparation (History School): Civic engagement is one of the fundamental purposes of education. The preparation of young people for participation in America’s democratic republic is vital. The progress of our communities, state, nation, and world rests upon the preparation of young people to collaboratively and deliberatively address problems, to defend their own rights and the rights of others, and to balance personal interests with the common good. Social studies classrooms are the ideal locations to foster civic virtue, consider current issues, learn how to act civilly toward others, and build a civic identity and an awareness of global issues. These skills, habits, and qualities of character will prepare students to accept responsibility for preserving and defending their liberties.
To reach these ends, student should have ample opportunities to:
- Engage in deliberative, collaborative, and civil dialogue regarding historical and current issues.
- Identify local, state, national, or international problems; engage with solutions to these problems; and share their ideas with appropriate public and/or private stakeholders.
- Develop and demonstrate the values that sustain America’s democratic republic including open-mindedness, engagement, honesty, problem- solving, responsibility, diligence, resilience, empathy, self-control, and cooperation.
Teacher's Guide
Download Discussion Questions
At the beginning of the modules, students are prompted to download this document to respond to questions. These questions are designed to prepare for a class discussion at the end of the lesson.
Funders & Partners
We are grateful for funding from the Craig and Connie Thatcher Foundation for making this Constitution Day lesson possible. We are also grateful to our partner Quill Project at Pembroke College, University of Oxford for historical research support.
Craig and Connie
Thatcher Foundation
