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

I designed this activity with my AP U.S. Government & Politics students (who are seniors) in mind, but it could be modified for use with honors and on-level students as well.

Ideally, you should assign this activity after you have covered the problems that existed during the Confederation period and the ways the Constitution was meant to address those problems.

Three of the documents deal directly with the economic problems of the period  (debt & the inability to raise revenue), while the other two do so indirectly (security concerns on the nation’s borders).

Divide students into small groups of 3-4 students and assign each a document to read.

All documents were written after the ratification of the Constitution, spanning the period from 1789-1793 and include transcriptions for ease of reading, except for the Senate Pay Chart, which is clear and legible.

After each group finishes their work, bring them back together as a whole class to attempt to answer the question in the summary. The ideas is not to arrive at a single correct answer, but rather to have students discuss the evidence and their interpretation of it, as well as identifying any missing information that would help them to make a more solidly grounded determination.