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How effectively did the Constitution address the problems of the Confederation period?

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Weighing the Evidence

We have been studying the flaws of the Articles of Confederation and the remedy offered by the Constitution. In this activity, you will use primary source documents, dated after the ratification of the Constitution, to evaluate the effectiveness of that remedy. Each group is responsible for examining one document and answering the questions below. Choose one group member to serve as the recorder/scribe and one to serve as the spokesperson when we come back together as a class to answer the central question.

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View the full activity: https://docsteach.org/activity/how-effectively-did-the-constitution-address-the-problems-of-the-confederation-period-2/

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Review your notes on the problems of the Confederation period and the Constitution with the members of your group and create a list of the five most significant problems. You can make a bullet point list but be as precise as possible. For example, don’t just write, “money”; provide the specific type of money problem.
  • Next, create a list of ways the Constitution was supposed to solve each problem you identified. Again, be as precise as possible.
  • The recorder/scribe should write down both lists and place it somewhere central so that you can refer to it as needed.
  • Each member should read the document independently and answer the following questions. All the documents include a transcription for ease of reading, except for the Senate Pay Chart, which is clear and legible.
  1. Who is the author of the document?
  2. Is the author a credible source of information?
  3. Who is the document addressed to?
  4. What is the purpose of the document?
  5. Which of the problems identified by your group does the document address?
  6. What evidence does the document provide about how this problem is being addressed?
  7. What do you think the evidence says about the effectiveness of the Constitution in addressing this problem? Why?

After everyone finishes, come back together as a group to share your findings and discuss the following questions. If possible, try to reach a consensus.

  1. Based on the evidence in the document, how effectively did the Constitution address the problem?
  2. Does the document present sufficient evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of the Constitution in resolving the problem?
  3. What information or evidence is missing that might allow you to make a more definite determination?
  • The recorder/scribe should write down the group’s responses and provide it to the spokesperson.
  • After each group finishes, we will come back together as a class and the spokesperson for each group will provide a brief description of their assigned document and share their group’s conclusions.
  • As a class, we will then attempt to answer the question, “How effectively did the Constitution address the problems of the Confederation period?”
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To the extent possible under law, Paula Kalakowski has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to “How effectively did the Constitution address the problems of the Confederation period?”