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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Liberation and deliberation: The North Carolina ratification debates of 1788

This lesson focuses on the deliberations over ratification of the US Constitution by the North Carolina legislators. In particular it traces the arguments of the Federalists and Anti-federalists found in the primary sources digitized in the Documenting the American South collection.

A lesson plan for grades 11–12 Social Studies

By Mark Laskowski

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Related pages

  • Paving the road to the Constitution: Students will be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation as related to the United States and North Carolina. Students will be able to demonstrate an argument for or against ratification of the United States Constitution.
  • Exploring the 1835 NC Constitutional Convention: This Internet Scavenger Hunt allows students to read the actual proceedings of the 1835 Constitutional Convention while they discover for themselves some of the significant amendments that were made. The activity also sets the foundation for class discussions about why the state Constitution was amended in 1835 and what impact the amendments had on religious groups, free blacks, and American Indians.
  • Tobacco bag stringing: Elementary activity four: In this activity for grades 3–6, students will read and evaluate a primary source letter from the Tobacco Bag Stringing collection. This should be done after Activity one, which is the introductory activity about tobacco bag stringing. Students will investigate the influence of technology, and its lack, on the tobacco bag stringers. They will do a role play/debate in which they will assume the roles of owners of companies and other people that were involved in the issue.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • learn about the major issues dividing the Federalists and Anti-federalists prior to ratification of the US Constitution.
  • gain a better understanding of the issues and personalities that characterized the NC constitutional convention.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 days

Materials/resources

Technology resources

computers with internet access

Pre-activities

Prior to this lesson, students should be aware of the provisions of the proposed federal Constitution and how it sought to confront the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation.

Activities

  1. Students will be divided into four groups. Two groups will represent the Federalist side and two groups will represent the Anti-federalist side. Provide students with access to the proceedings of the convention on-line or in text form. Allow the students time to peruse the document, discuss major topics involved in the debates with their group members, and prepare for the simulation activity by completing the handout.
  2. Allow all of the students representing the Federalists to meet together and all of the Anti-federalists to meet together. They should be given enough time to combine and compare lists of characters, major arguments, and quotes. After students have assigned speaking parts and planned for opening statements, questions and answers, and listing of arguments, the session can begin.
  3. The debate can be moderated by the teacher and culminate in a final vote.

Assessment

Class discussion or writing assignment in which students address the following:

  • What are some of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation government?
  • What were the major issues confronting North Carolinians in 1787?
  • To what extent did the proposed Constitution change the structure of government nationally?
  • To what extent might ratification affect the lives of North Carolinians? Would there be differences between rich and poor, slave and free?
  • What were the major philosophical and practical objections to the proposed Constitution? How did North Carolinian Federalists respond to those objections? Did their responses differ from Hamilton, Madison, and Jay in the Federalist Papers?
  • Having read the document, would you consider this to be civilized debate?
  • If this debate were happening today, how would you vote?

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 11–12 — United States History

  • Goal 1: The New Nation (1789-1820) - The learner will identify, investigate, and assess the effectiveness of the institutions of the emerging republic.
    • Objective 1.01: Identify the major domestic issues and conflicts experienced by the nation during the Federalist Period.

Grade 8

  • Goal 2: The learner will trace the causes and effects of the Revolutionary War, and assess the impact of major events, problems, and personalities during the Constitutional Period in North Carolina and the new nation.
    • Objective 2.05: Describe the impact of documents such as the Mecklenburg Resolves, the Halifax Resolves, the Albany Plan of Union, the Declaration of Independence, the State Constitution of 1776, the Articles of Confederation, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights on the formation of the state and national governments.