Debating the Constitution

Debating the Constitution

Multiple Choice

What was the name of the document that gave rules to how The United States would run?

• The Declaration of Independence

• The Constitution

• The Washington Document

Multiple Choice

Where did the founding fathers or framers of our country meet to write the constitution?

• Philadelphia

• New York

• Washington, DC

After the Founding Fathers wrote the constitution, the people in the states had to agree to follow it.

No more monarchy

The colonists were worried that the president would be given too much power and be like a king.

The new American government could begin only if at least nine of the thirteen states voted yes. 

Majority rule

is a way of making decisions in government or in voting. A decision is made if it gets more than half of the votes

Multiple Choice

How many votes did they need to start the new government?

• All-- 13 out of 13 states

• the majority -- 9 out of 13 states

One big worry was that the Constitution itself did not list the rights and freedoms that all Americans should have. Some people wanted a bill of rights attached to the Constitution. 

The Bill of Rights

A bill of rights would make it clear that every American had freedom of religion and freedom of speech. It was also important that newspapers, or the press, had the freedom they needed to do their job. 

Rights

rights are freedoms that are protected by law.

Right to freedom of speech

• freedom of religion

• freedom to meet/ assemble

• freedom of the press/ newspaper

• freedom to sue the government

Multiple Choice

What is the document that names the rights for people?

• Code of Rights

• Bill of Rights

• Liberty pamphlet

The people who supported the Constitution were sure that it would make things better.

If America remained thirteen separate states, the states would soon be gobbled up and destroyed by other countries in war, or by disagreements with one another.

United States

Only by acting together—as one United States under the Constitution—could they last. 

Open Ended

Why did the states have to work together?