Let's solve the guided reading activity titled
"Origins of American Government: Creating the Constitution" by filling in the blanks based on historical knowledge of the Constitutional Convention and the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
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A. Main Idea:
*Although delegates to the Constitutional Convention agreed on fundamental issues, they had to work together to resolve a number of disagreements.*
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1. Detail:
The delegates agreed that the new government would be limited and
representative, the powers of the national government would be divided among
three branches, and that state power should be limited.
✔ Explanation:
The framers wanted a government that was limited (to prevent tyranny) and representative (to reflect the people’s will). They established
three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial — this is known as the
separation of powers.
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2. Detail:
In the
Virginia Plan, a strong legislature with representatives based on state population had the power to bar state laws it deemed unconstitutional, choose the executive, and appoint the judiciary.
✔ Explanation:
The
Virginia Plan, proposed by James Madison, favored large states. It called for a bicameral legislature where representation was based on population, giving more power to populous states.
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3. Detail:
Smaller, less populous states supported the
New Jersey Plan, which proposed a unicameral legislature with one vote for each state, a weak executive elected by Congress, and a national judiciary appointed by the executive.
✔ Explanation:
The
New Jersey Plan, proposed by William Paterson, aimed to protect small states' interests by maintaining equal representation in Congress, similar to the Articles of Confederation.
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4. Detail:
The Connecticut Compromise proposed a legislative branch with two parts, one with representation based on
population and one giving all states
equal representation.
✔ Explanation:
Also known as the
Great Compromise, it created a
bicameral Congress:
- The
House of Representatives (based on population),
- The
Senate (equal representation: 2 senators per state).
This balanced the interests of large and small states.
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5. Detail:
Debate over the presidency was settled by creating the
Electoral College system in which each state selected electors who chose an executive to serve a four-year term.
✔ Explanation:
The Electoral College was designed to balance direct popular election with state influence. Each state appoints electors (equal to its total congressional delegation), who then vote for president.
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B. Main Idea:
*Compromises temporarily settled, but did not solve, the divisive issue of slavery.*
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1. Detail:
The Three-Fifths Compromise counted three-fifths of enslaved people for both
representation and
taxation.
✔ Explanation:
Southern states wanted enslaved people counted fully for representation but not for taxes. Northern states opposed this. The compromise counted enslaved individuals as
three-fifths of a person for both purposes, affecting how many representatives a state received and how much tax it paid.
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✔ Final Answers:
A.
1. representative; three
2. Virginia
3. New Jersey
4. population; equal
5. Electoral College
B.
1. representation; taxation
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These answers reflect key compromises and principles established during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Let me know if you'd like a summary or explanation of any specific concept!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of creating a new government worksheet answers.
