Bellwork : Constitution Trivia #1

1. Bellwork: Constitution Trivia #1 Make a section in your notebook for Constitution Facts. Copy each question and answer throughout the year.

2. Q: Who were the only future Presidents of the U.S. to sign the Constitution? • George Washington • James Madison Vocabulary: Signatory– person who signed something

3. Q: What two future Presidents and leaders in the Revolution did not sign the Constitution? • Thomas Jefferson did not sign the Constitution. He was in France during the Convention, where he served as the U.S. minister. John Adams was serving as the U.S. minister to Great Britain during the Constitutional Convention and did not attend either.

4. Q: How many of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed it? • Of the forty-two delegates who attended most of the meetings, thirty-nine actually signed the Constitution. Edmund Randolph and George Mason of Virginia and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts refused to sign due in part due to the lack of a bill of rights.

5. Q: Who were the oldest and youngest persons to sign the Constitution? • The oldest person to sign the Constitution was Benjamin Franklin (81). The youngest was Jonathan Dayton (26) of New Jersey. Because of his poor health, Benjamin Franklin needed help to sign the Constitution. As he did so, tears streamed down his face.

6. Frequently Asked Questions About the US Constitution Q: What were the events surrounding the ratification of the US Constitution? Dates are of format YYYY/MM/DD (year, month, day). 1787/12/18 - New Jersey ratifies the Constitution 1788/01/02 - Georgia ratifies the Constitution 1788/01/09 - Connecticut ratifies the Constitution 1788/02/06 - Massachusetts ratifies the Constitution 1788/04/28 - Maryland ratifies the Constitution 1788/05/23 - South Carolina ratifies the Constitution 1788/06/21 - New Hampshire ratifies the Constitution 1788/06/25 - Virginia ratifies the Constitution 1788/07/26 - New York ratifies the Constitution 1789/03/04 - The Constitution goes into effect 1789/04/30 - George Washington Elected 1789/07/14 - French Revolution 1789/09/25 - Amendments 1-10, 27, passed 1789/11/21 SH - North Carolina ratifies the Constitution 1790/05/29 SH - Rhode Island ratifies the Constitution 1791/03/04 SH - Vermont ratifies the Constitution 1791/12/15 AR - Amendments 1-10ratified Vocabulary: Ratification or ratify – to approve of something formally by vote

7. The Principles of the United States Constitution

8. I. Popular Sovereignty • The people hold the ultimate authority • “Consent of the governed” • A representative democracy lets the people elect leaders to make decisions for them. • Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson are two of our elected officials in Congress

9. II. Limited Government • Framers wanted to guard against tyranny (dictatorship) • Government is limited to the power given them in the Constitution. • The Constitution tells how leaders who overstep their power can be removed

10. III. Majority Rule • The people accept the decision of the majority vote.

11. IV. Protect Minority by Guaranteeing certain rights for all Individuals • Prevent the majority from denying basic rights from all individuals.

12. How do we keep the government strong but not so strong that it can be abusive (tyranny)? 1. FEDERALISM: The division of power between State and National Governments (see worksheet) • Some powers are shared • The National Government has the “supreme power” but not absolute Video

13. 2. Separation of Powers • No one holds “too much” power • Legislative branch makes the laws • Executive branch carries out the laws • Judicial branch interprets the laws

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17. 3. Checks and Balances

18. 3. Checks and Balances

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