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Worksheet
Curated OER

Creating the Constitution

For Students 8th - 11th
Useful as a review assignment or as a quiz, these ten questions on the U.S. Constitution address its creation. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Ben Franklin are the main topics of the questions, as well as The Three-Fifths Compromise.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Constitution and Slavery

For Students 9th - 10th
The issue of slavery was a contentious one during debates in the Constitutional Convention. Read about the various issues, the quotes of several of the delegates, and see how the word "slave" is not even mentioned in the Constitution....
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Handout
University of Missouri

Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: Delegates to the Constitutional Convention: Connecticut

For Students 9th - 10th
Information about Connecticut's delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Includes information on Oliver Ellsworth, a key supporter of the Great Compromise, as well as William Samuel Johnson and Roger Sherman.
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eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: The Constitutional Convention and Federal Constitution

For Students 11th - 12th
After reading this section of the chapter on "Creating Republican Governments", students will be able to identify the central issues of the 1787 Constitutional Convention and their solutions and also describe the conflicts over the...
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Website
University of Groningen

American History: Biographies: Oliver Ellsworth (1745 1807)

For Students 9th - 10th
Biography of Oliver Ellsworth who represented Connecticut in the Continental Congress and also was a promoter of the Connecticut Compromise.
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Handout
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Debate and Compromise

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The 18th-century statesmen who met in Philadelphia were adherents of Montesquieu's concept of the balance of power in politics. This principle was supported by colonial experience and strengthened by the writings of John Locke, with...
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Website
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: The Debate About Slavery

For Students 9th - 10th
Article outlines the issues of debate over slavery and the compromises made while writing the Constitution.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Revolution of 1800

For Students 9th - 10th
The election of 1800 was a revolution in a peaceful sense. Read about the election, how Thomas Jefferson became president, and the resulting 12th Amendment.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Constitution Through Compromise

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about how compromises were reached at the Philadelphia convention that dealt with issues between large and small states, and slave and free states. Take the quick quiz to assess knowledge about the writing of the Constitution.
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Interactive
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Classroom: Freedom From Slavery

For Students 9th - 10th
Check out this interactive timeline of the history of freedom from slavery in the United States.
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Article
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Constitutional Rights Foundation: The Constitution and Slavery

For Students 9th - 10th
Article and questions for discussion on the controveries surrounding slavery while writing the U.S. Constitution and forming a new U.S. government.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: u.s. Constitution and the Idea of Compromise (Lesson Plan)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this lesson, examine many of the opposing viewpoints held by founding fathers as they considered various compromises that made the U.S. Constitution possible, including the three-fifths compromise made to placate slave-owning states.
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: The Three Fifths Compromise

For Students 9th - 10th
The Three-Fifths Compromise that was presented at the Constitutional Convention resolved the issue of counting slaves towards the population in regards to representation in the House of Representatives.
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Slave Trade Compromise

For Students 9th - 10th
The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise was reached at the Constitutional Convention by stating that Congress could not prohibit the slave trade until 1808, but that any imported slaves could be taxed.
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Lesson Plan
Other

Urbana School District: Was the Three Fifths Compromise Fair?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
How do political leaders solve political problems? This lesson is an example of how compromise is a vital part of our democracy. Learners will be able to visually see the effects of the Three-Fifths Compromise on the United States House...