Passage 1:
he United States has had two constitutions. The first constitution was called the Articles of
Confederation. It was replaced by a new constitution. The Articles of Confederation lasted between 1776
and 1789. It had many problems. When the Articles of Confederation were being created, everyone was
concerned about a federal government that was too powerful. They did not want to create another
situation where Americans were under a strict government like when Britain ruled the colonies. The
creators of the Articles of Confederation purposefully restricted the power of the federal government and
made it weak. Some major restrictions wouldn’t allow the nation to have a strong federal government.
The articles did give the federal government some power, but it was limited. It could declare war, coin
money, operate post offices, and send ambassadors to other counties. The federal government could not
charge taxes or regulate the trade between the states. It had no control over what the states did between
each other. Each of the states acted as if they were independent countries. This created economic
problems. Many of the states had different money and would place taxes on other states. There was not
an executive or judicial branch.
The Founding Fathers were concerned about how weak the federal government was. They were
nervous about the possibility of American Indian attacks or attacks from European countries. The states
had disagreements on how they should act and where should the state borders be. The federal
government could not maintain any real type of military or roads.
In 1787, the Founding Fathers met to discuss these issues and how to solve the limitations of the
federal government. Many of the states wanted to revise the articles. Others wanted a new constitution.
Many debates and compromises were discussed before the new constitution was ratified. There were
debates about voting rights and population counts. Under the Three-Fifths Compromise, they agreed
that an enslaved person would count as three-fifths of a person in the population count. The Great
Compromise allowed the number of senators in each state to be equal. The representatives would be
based on the state's population.
Georgia had two important roles in the drafting of the new constitution. The Georgia delegates would
not compromise on slavery. The delegates demanded that enslaved people count towards their state's
population. This led to the Three-fifths Compromise, which created a significant division between the
northern and southern states. The second role came from Abraham Baldwin. He stood with the small
states who wanted to have equal representation as large states. His vote was critical in the Great
Compromise.
Abraham Baldwin and William Few Jr. were from Georgia. They were crucial for the development of
the new constitution. Baldwin signed the U.S. Constitution, as well as served in congress as a senator. As
a key person in founding the University of Georgia, he has had a lasting impact on Georgia. William Few
also signed the constitution. He served as a senator, representative, and judge. He later moved to New
York. His remains were returned to Georgia in 1976 for the 200th anniversary of the United States
declaring independence from Britain.
Did not want Americans
under strict government
Cause (why) Effect (what happened)
Cause
States operated as an
individual country
Effect
Cause
Revised and created a new
constitution
Effect
Debates about voting
rights and population
counts
CDid not want Americans
under strict government
Cause (why) Effect (what happened)
Cause
States operated as an
individual country
Effect
Cause
Revised and created a new
constitution
Effect
Debates about voting
rights and population
counts
Cause Effect
© Sarah Miller Tech 6
Name:___________________________
Reading Skills Date: _________
Issues with Constitution
Directions: Use the passage to fill in the graphic organizer.
Cause: The creators of the Articles of Confederation purposefully restricted the power of the federal government and made it weak.
Effect: The federal government was limited in its power and could only declare war, coin money, operate post offices, and send ambassadors to other counties. It could not charge taxes or regulate trade between the states.
Cause: Each of the states acted as if they were independent countries, creating economic problems such as different types of money and taxes on other states.
Effect: The states had disagreements on how they should act and where the state borders should be. The federal government could not maintain any real type of military or roads.
Cause: The Founding Fathers were concerned about the weakness of the federal government and the potential for attacks from American Indians or European countries.
Effect: The Founding Fathers met in 1787 to discuss and solve the limitations of the federal government. Many debates and compromises were made, leading to the drafting of a new constitution.
Cause: Georgia delegates demanded that enslaved people count towards their state's population in the new constitution.
Effect: The Three-Fifths Compromise was established, causing a significant division between northern and southern states.
Cause: Abraham Baldwin stood with the small states who wanted equal representation as large states.
Effect: His vote was critical in the Great Compromise, which determined that the number of senators in each state would be equal and representatives would be based on the state's population.