Unit 10

The New Nation

This Unit explores the United States’ first attempt at unified, representative government, the Articles of Confederation. We will analyze the flaws of the Articles of Confederation, and how those flaws led our Founding Fathers to search for a more centralized form of republican government. Through much debate at the Constitutional Convention, the delegates hammered out the document that serves as the law of the United States even today...our Constitution. We will also learn how and why the first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights, was added to the Constitution, and how it protects our civil liberties.

Guiding Questions for Unit 10

- How was the first form of government of the United States of America influenced by historical events and new ideas?
- What was accomplished under the Articles of Confederation and what were its weaknesses?
- What ideas influenced the framers of the Constitution?
- What compromises were made in the drafting of the Constitution?
- What were the beliefs of Federalists and the Anti-Federalists and how did they influence the creation and ratification of the U.S. Constitution?
- How can the Constitution be changed?