US History - Standards of Learning - USI.8
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.rbc/bdsdcc.c0501
In this address, John Jay reminds the people of New York of the many pitfalls and problems that faced the nation under the Articles of Confederation. He lists all of the powers that were denied to the Confederation Congress and states that “other nations are taking the advantage of its imbecility.” I would have students read this excerpt looking for reasons Jay believes that this federal Constitution should be approved. I would then have them create a graphic organizer in which they will list these reasons. This graphic organizer would also include reasons people were opposed to the Constitution which could be added to from another source.
-Amy DuBois
Source IDTag: USI.8.001
2. The Political and Intellectual Origins of the American Nation: The Revolution and the Constitution, 1763-1789
http://elsinore.cis.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed01.htm
This document is the first in the series of 85 essays authored by John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton that became known as the Federalist Papers. Federalist # 1 serves as an introduction to the debate over ratification of the United States Constitution and builds the case for ratifying the Constitution.
3. The Political and Intellectual Origins of the American Nation: The Revolution and the Constitution, 1763-1789
http://elsinore.cis.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed09.htm
This document is Federalist Paper # 9. This document can be used to illustrate the debate over ratification of the Constitution. In this paper Hamilton and the Federalists argue in favor of building a strong union as a precaution against the power of domestic factions. In short this paper argues that the Constitution provides plenty of checks to ensure the country would not succumb to mob rule.
4. The Political and Intellectual Origins of the American Nation: The Revolution and the Constitution, 1763-1789
http://elsinore.cis.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed39.htm
Federalist # 39 deals with the Republican form of government as the basis of the Constitution of the United States. Federalist # 39 highlights the importance of Republican principles as the backbone of the United States Constitution. This is also a fine choice to show how Federalists were well organized in presenting their case for ratification to the American citizens.
5. The Political and Intellectual Origins of the American Nation: The Revolution and the Constitution, 1763-1789
http://elsinore.cis.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed51.htm
Federalist Paper # 51 discusses the need for checks and balances between the different branches of government. This essay articulates the checks and balances that each branch of government has on the others in order to prevent any 1 branch of government from growing to become too powerful. Students should connect the idea with limiting the power of the government to the abuse that Americans faced at the hands of the powerful King of England during the Revolutionary War.
6. The Political and Intellectual Origins of the American Nation: The Revolution and the Constitution, 1763-1789
http://elsinore.cis.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed78.htm
Federalist Paper # 78 written by Alexander Hamilton discusses the organization and role of the Judiciary Branch of the government. This essay describes the role and powers of the Judiciary Department and the importance of it. This essay is particularly useful when discussing the formation of the Judicial Branch of government.
7. Federalist Paper #10
http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa10.htm
James Madison is often considered to be the “father of the Constitution.” His extensive knowledge of previous successes and failures of governments and fallen empires allowed him to expand upon what he considers to be the most direct threat to the stability and integrity of American government: the destructive role of factions or special interest groups. In the Federalist papers Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay develop their ideas of Federalism and their principles for the American Constitution and argue for the Constitution’s ratification.
Madison’s Federalist Paper #10 is considered to be one of the most influential documents on political thought. In #10, Madison claims, “There are two methods of curing the mischief’s of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects. There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests.” Madison sees the first option as antithesis to the idea of American government; he sees the destruction of liberty as a completely unviable option. The second issue is seen as impossible as society will naturally have diversity in opinion. So he sees the only solution as controlling the effects of factions.
In order to do this Madison argues that in a large enough government, the idea of popular sovereignty will eliminate the possibility of a destructive faction to spread. This is where Madison outlines his argument for the establishment of a representative democracy, and contends that with a large republic the principle of checks and balances will prevent factions even at the state level. Madison’s ideas on government were emphatically contested by Anti-Federalists who did not believe a large republic of diverse interests would be successful; they would still be just as susceptible to influence or destruction by factions.
Madison’s writings directly relate to Massachusetts Standard USI.8, which deals with the argument over ratification of the Constitution and the debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. #10 is considered a seminal document to read for the curriculum, as it is vital to understanding where and how many of the key ideas of the Constitution were developed. In the classroom, this document can be used in a variety of ways. Using a primary source document breakdown sheet the students will first try to assess the meaning, purpose and bias of the author. This document can used to create posters illustrating key Federalist Points, the students can engage in a debate or they can try to draft their own version of #10 where they have to start their own government and come up with the terms and conditions and then write their own Constitution.
A person’s clothes can often illustrate many key aspects of not only their personality but also as a measure of their social standing, gender, occupation, and religious affiliation. On a larger scale, the fashion of a particular time period is one of many aspects of daily life that can be used by historians to gain a broader understanding of what life during that time period was really like. By looking at changes in fashion over time, one can attempt to assess the status of the time period from a variety of angles including the economic and political implications, social class and mobility, and the social and moral values of the time period.
In the early 1800s, fashion was changing in the United States. Americans still relied on European trends to dictate their tastes for fashion. The old styles of dress that includeded simple designs and colors were now giving way to more elaborate and decorative designs. Dresses changed in design, shape and color, moving towards a more Victorian style of dress that favored more luxurious fabrics and more outraegous designs.
In 19th century America Godey’s Lady Book was the pre-eminent source for the latest fashion trends and expected behavior of the time period. From the back issues of this magazine, using the color engravings we can try to paint a picture of the time period, and examine some of the economic changes that took place due to industrialization and how they are illustrated through the changes in people’s preferences.
In addition, use of these documents will lead to a discussion on how industrialization allowed products to be produced more cheaply and efficiently thereby allowing the lower class to also wear fancy clothes. With this development, the wealthy lost the division that kept them separated in upper echelon of society.
- Alexandra Friedman
