Issue
What issue led to the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution?
Many Americans felt that The Constitution lacked protections for individual freedoms and rights. This led to concern that a strong central government could potentially abuse its power.
What is the Bill of Rights?
The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, added to protect individual freedoms
What is Amendment I?
Freedom of Religion: You can practice any religion you choose, or none at all, without the government interfering.
Freedom of Speech: You can express your opinions, even if they’re unpopular, without fear of government punishment (though there are some limits, like speech that incites violence).
Freedom of the Press: Newspapers, journalists, and other media can publish information freely without government control.
Right to Assemble: You can gather peacefully in groups to protest, rally, or share ideas.
Right to Petition the Government: You can ask the government to fix problems or make changes without being punished for speaking out.
What is Amendment II?
You have the right to own and bear arms, like guns, for your safety and to protect yourself
What issue led to adding the Bill of Rights to the Constitution?
Many Americans felt that The Constitution lacked protections for individual freedoms and rights. This led to concern that a strong central government could potentially abuse its power.
How did the legal status of slavery in the Southern states and the growing opposition to the slave trade in the Northern states contribute to the debate over slavery during this period?
Northern states were opposed to the slave trade because it was inhumane, and many in the North were pushing for an end to slavery altogether.
Southern states wanted to keep the international slave trade open, as it was crucial for their agricultural economy and for maintaining their labor force.
What is the ⅗ Compromise?
The ⅗ Compromise stated that for every five enslaved people, only three would be counted when determining a state’s population for both representation in Congress and for taxation purposes.
It gave southern states more power in the House of Representatives.
What is Amendment IV?
You are protected from unreasonable searches and seizures. The government cannot search your house or take your things unless they
have a good reason (called probable cause)
a warrant (a legal document signed by a judge).
What is Amendment III?
You have the right to refuse to house soldiers in your home during both war and peace.
What is the Bill of Rights?
The Bill of Rights is made up of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which outline specific protections for individual rights.
What were the two main concerns in the debate over how to elect the president?
Larger states, which had more population, wanted the president to be elected by a popular vote, believing that the majority of people should have a say in who leads the country.
Smaller states, however, worried that a popular vote would mean their voices would be drowned out by the larger states. They wanted only a small group of elites to vote.
What is the Slave Trade Compromise?
The Slave Trade Compromise allowed the international slave trade to continue for 20 more years, until 1808.
It also allowed the federal government to tax the importation of enslaved people. This meant that the government could place a tax on each enslaved person brought into the country.
What is Amendment VIII?
You have the right to be protected from excessive bail, meaning that the amount set for your release before trial cannot be too high.
You have the right to be free from excessive fines, ensuring that financial penalties are not unfair or too large.
You have the right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishments, meaning that punishments for crimes should not be overly harsh. Punishments should be reasonable and humane, and not involve torture or excessive harm.
What is Amendment VII?
If you are being sued and the value of the dispute is more than $20,
You have the right to have a jury decide the case.
Scenario— Your state passes a law that requires all public officials to be elected by a popular vote, overriding the state’s traditional process of appointing officials. You believe the state has the right to choose its own process without interference from the federal government.
Question— Which amendment would you reference to argue that the state has the right to manage its own elections?
Amendment X— This amendment states that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people. In this case, your state would have the right to determine how to elect its officials, without federal interference.
What did the Northern and Southern states believe about how enslaved people should be counted when determining a state’s population for representation in the House of Representatives and for the distribution of taxes?
Northern states, where slavery was less common, argued that enslaved people should not be counted at all because they could not vote and were not treated as citizens. They didn’t want the southern states to have more political power by counting enslaved people.
Southern states wanted enslaved people to be fully counted toward their population total so they could gain more representatives in Congress, giving them more political power.
What is the Great Compromise? Be specific.
The Great Compromise established a bicameral system for Congress, meaning it has two chambers.
The Senate
Each state, regardless of size or population, would have two senators. This satisfied the smaller states because it gave them equal representation in one part of Congress.
House of Representatives
Representation in this house would be based on a state's population, with larger states having more representatives. This addressed the concerns of the larger states, which wanted more influence based on their population.
What is Amendment IX?
You have the right to have rights that are not specifically listed in the Constitution.
What is Amendment X?
You have the right to know that any powers that are not specifically given to the federal government by the Constitution are given to the states or the people.
Scenario— You are arrested for a minor offense, but the police refuse to inform you of the charges against you or allow you to contact a lawyer. You are detained for several hours without any explanation or opportunity to prepare a defense.
Question— Which amendment would you reference to argue that your rights are being violated?
Amendment VI— The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to be informed of the charges against you, the right to an attorney, and the right to a fair and speedy trial. Denying you these rights is a violation of your constitutional protections.
What was the Virginia Plan?
What was the New Jersey Plan?
The Virginia Plan favored larger states and proposed that representation in Congress be based on a state's population. The larger the population, the more representatives the state would have. This would give more power to states with bigger populations.
The New Jersey plan favored smaller states. It suggested that every state should have the same number of representatives, regardless of population size. This would ensure that smaller states would not be overshadowed by the larger states.
What is the Electoral College Compromise?
Describe how the Electoral College works.
The Electoral College is a system that allows electors (chosen by the states) to formally elect the president.
Here’s how the Electoral College works:
• Each state is given a certain number of electors, equal to the number of its representatives in Congress (the number of Senators plus the number of Representatives in the House). For example, a state with two Senators and five Representatives would have seven electors.
•Voters cast their ballots for their chosen candidate. While voters technically vote for electors who are pledged to that candidate, the effect is that the electors will usually vote for the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state. (except Maine and Nebraska)
•The candidate who wins the majority of electoral votes (at least 270 out of 538) becomes president.
What is Amendment V?
You cannot be tried for the same crime twice after being acquitted or convicted. (double jeopardy)
You cannot be forced to testify against yourself in a criminal case ("pleading the Fifth").
The government is required to follow established rules and processes before it can take away your basic rights.
The government cannot take your private property for public use without providing fair compensation.
Serious federal criminal charges must be reviewed and approved by a grand jury before a trial can take place.
What is Amendment VI?
You have the right to a speedy and public trial.
You have the right to be informed of what you’re being charged with and why.
You have the right to have your case decided by a group of people (the jury) who are fair and not biased. The jury should come from the area where the crime happened.
You have the right to ask witnesses who testify against you questions about what they said. You can challenge their story and make sure they are telling the truth.
You have the right to bring in witnesses who can testify on your behalf to help prove your innocence.
You have the right to legal counsel (a lawyer) for your defense.
Scenario— A judge sentences a person convicted of a non-violent drug offense to solitary confinement for 25 years. The individual argues that the punishment, which involves long-term isolation without any rehabilitation opportunities, is cruel and unusual.
Question— Which amendment would you reference to argue that the sentence is unconstitutional, and why?
Amendment VIII— In this case, the individual could argue that long-term solitary confinement without rehabilitation opportunities could be considered cruel and excessive, potentially violating the protections against cruel and unusual punishment