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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Tough Issues

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the change of plans when delegates to the Philadelphia convention decided to write a new constitution to replace the Articles of Convention. See the ideas delegates had to address concerns of large and small states.
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Handout
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Colonial Williamsburgh: Meet the People: George Wythe

For Students 9th - 10th
A short biographical sketch on George Wythe, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention from Virginia.
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Website
US Department of State

Office of the Historian: Constitutional Convention and Ratification

For Students 9th - 10th
Among the many weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation was the inability of the government to conduct foreign policy in an effective manner. Find out how the Constitutional Convention addressed this issue by allowing the Executive...
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Interactive
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Colonial Williamsburg: Edmund Randolph Fact Sheet

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides some insight into Randolph's family as well as political life.
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Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Founding Fathers

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides a very brief description of three of the founding fathers of the Constitution: Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington. The site provides links to further biographies of all three men as well as...
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Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Founding Fathers: Edmund Randolph

For Students 9th - 10th
The major focus of this site is Randolph's role in the creation of the Constitution and his views on the structure of the executive branch of government.
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Primary
University of North Carolina

Unc: Reminiscences & Memoirs of John H. Wheeler

For Students 9th - 10th
The full text of John Wheeler's memoirs (478 pages) in which he writes a history of North Carolina by talking about its famous citizens. He has a lengthy section on Richard Dobbs Spaight, Sr. in which he discusses his life and how he...
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: George Washington: The First Administration

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about George Washington's presidency. See why his role was so important in setting precedents to be followed by future chief executives. Find out about some of the warts in his personality too, all of which made him more human.
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Handout
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Historic Valley Forge: Major General Alexander Hamilton

For Students 9th - 10th
A short biography of Alexander Hamilton containing information on his military service during the American Revolution as well as his later life in politics.
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Handout
Curated OER

National Park Service: Resource Study: Charles Pinckney National Historic Site [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A scholarly publication which examines the archaeological findings of Snee Farm, the plantation and house owned by Charles Pinckney, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention from South Carolina. Click on "Table of Contents" to get a...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Petition From the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery

For Students 9th - 10th
A learning module that begins with "Petition from the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery" by Benjamin Franklin, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be...
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Unit Plan
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Ap Us History Period 3: 1754 1800: The American Revolution

For Students 9th - 10th
This Khan Academy resource provides video lessons, detailed notes, and practice questions for the AP U.S. History Exam. The years 1754-1800 are covered.
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Handout
Soylent Communications

Notable Names Database: Edmund Randolph

For Students 9th - 10th
A short biography of this delegate from Virginia to the Constitutional Convention. He is the author of the "Virginia Plan" and he later became the first attorney general of the United States.
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Handout
Soylent Communications

Nndb: Charles Pinckney

For Students 9th - 10th
A short but detailed biography of this delegate from South Carolina to the Constitutional Convention. He later served as governor of the state.
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Handout
Soylent Communications

Notable Names Database: James Wilson

For Students 9th - 10th
A short but detailed biography of this delegate to the Constitutional Convention from Pennsylvania. Wilson later served as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
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Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: The New Nation, 1783 1815

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
The links in the New Nation, which is provided for by the Library of Congress, will lead you to sets of selected primary sources on a variety of topics,such as the Constitution, governmental policy on Native Americans, and problems and...
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Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: The Constitutional Convention: Creating the Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains why the Articles of Confederation were not strong enough to hold the country together. One result was a farmers' rebellion in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays, which was precipitated by a debt crisis that caused many farmers to...
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Website
The Dirksen Congressional Center

Congress for Kids: Signing the Constitution

For Students 3rd - 8th
This site has a brief summary that describes the delegates to the Constitutional Convention. This group is sometimes called the "Founding Fathers."
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Primary
Library of Congress

Loc: Ferrand's Records: Records of the Federal Convention

For Students 9th - 10th
A large collection of chronological links to the text of the official records of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.
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Graphic
Other

The Architect of the Capitol: Roger Sherman

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource from the Architect of the Capitol is a government site that focuses on art and architecture in the U.S. Capitol. Features a picture of a marble statue of Sherman.
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Website
The Dirksen Congressional Center

Congress for Kids: The Articles of Confederation

For Students 3rd - 8th
At this site read a short synopsis of the Articles of Confederation, and then complete a short quiz by clicking on the "show what you know" link at the bottom.
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Lesson Plan
Success Link

Success Link: 1787 [Archived Version]

For Teachers 4th - 8th
By using the novel, Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz, and 1787 by Joan Anderson, learners learn the lively discussion among the delegates to the Constitutional Convention concerning the ratification of the document they...
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Benjamin Franklin Timeline

For Students 3rd - 8th
Independence Hall Association features an easy-to-read timeline offering a wealth of information about Franklin's life.
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Website
Columbia University

Columbia University: Columbia University & Slavery 5. King's, the Revolution

For Students 9th - 10th
This website was created by faculty, students, and staff to publicly present information about Columbia's historical connections to the institution of slavery. This article focuses on King's College, soon to be Columbia College, in the...