A More Perfect Union – America Becomes A Nation

Questions

1. As James Madison reminisces late in the evening, why does he believe America is in crisis?

2. Why does Richard Henry Lee (a signer of the Declaration of Independence) object to Madison’s proposal?

3. Madison mentions two very important documents George Mason wrote. What are they?

4. Who did George Mason suggest was the “indispensable friend” of Madison’s idea to unite the states in one meeting?

5. Where is John Adams? Who is he meeting with?

6. What does America desire of Great Britain according to Adams?

7. Why doesn’t Great Britain’s government wish to accommodate American trade?

8. Why is there rebellion in America?

9. Why isn’t Jefferson concerned with armed rebellion in a republic?

10.Why is Madison risking his reputation, according to George Mason?

11.Who will present Madison’s plan to the Convention?

12.What does Madison’s plan do to the Articles of Confederation? 13.How is Madison’s plan for a new Congress different? 14.According to Madison, what would be the first battle at the convention?

15.What would be the second great battle of the convention?

16.Who was elected president of the convention?

17.Why did James Madison move to the front of the convention floor?

18.Why did Rufus King object to the recording of all votes?

19.Who did Washington suggest as the president of the Committee of the Whole, one of the delegates from Massachusetts?

20.Which delegate from Delaware when arriving late did Franklin recognize as the man that refused to sign the Declaration of Independence?

21.What did Gouverneur Morris notice right off from the Virginia Plan?

22.Which delegate from New Jersey objected to the plan?

23.What were the delegates sent to Philadelphia to do?

24.What did Roger Sherman of Connecticut and James Madison debate right off the bat?

25.What happened to the New York delegation during the vote on the first resolution of the Virginia Plan?

26.What did John Dickinson of Delaware object to in the Virginia Plan? What did he threaten to do?

27.What was John Rutledge of South Carolina demanding? 28.What did George Mason warn?

29.What compromise did John Rutledge and Roger Sherman (who seconded) offer?

30.What was James Wilson of Pennsylvania proposing?

31.What debate did John Dickinson begin weeks into the Convention?

32.What compromise did Roger Sherman offer? What was the result of the vote?

33.What did Alexander Hamilton and James Wilson (who seconded) call for?

34.What did the small state delegates agree to at the tavern?

35.What happened to the Virginia Plan on the next day?

36.On the committee vote day, what happened to the Virginia Plan? What happened to the New Jersey Plan?

37.What did Rufus King accuse Gunning Bedford of after he said he would take the hand of a foreign government?

38.What did Benjamin Franklin ask the delegates to do?

39.What did Oliver Ellsworth move when the convention came to order? What happened to the vote?

40.What did Roger Sherman propose in order to break the tie?

41.Which state left the Convention? 42.How many days, according to William Paterson, did the Convention debate the report of the Grand Committee? What did the report conclude? What was the result of the vote?

43.According to James Madison, what was unique about the preamble?

44.On what date was the Constitution signed?

45.Summarize Benjamin Franklin’s sentiments about the Constitution.

46.What happened to the Virginia delegation’s final vote? What was George Mason’s objection? Who else joined Mason?

47.What did Alexander Hamilton ask for?