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On May 25, 1787 at the state house in Philadelphia, 55 delegates from 11 states met to make changes to the Articles of Confederation, the document adopted in 1781 which gave people an idea of how to form a government after they declared their independence from the British in 1776.
The men who attended the Constitutional Convention were all well-known, well-educated, successful leaders in their towns, states, and a few were known throughout the entire country. The delegates had to solve two major problems at the convention:
1.The problem of power. Who should have the power? Would individual states have a lot of power, or would the states share their power with a strong federal government?
2 How would the new government behave itself so that one part would not get too powerful?
On January 22, 2003 at the Highlands Mansion in Fort Washington, 54 students from the fourth grade at Germantown Academy met to reenact that famous convention from 1787. Each student was assigned the role of a delegate. The students studied their delegate's personal history and learned about their political views. At the Highlands, the students debated the Virginia, New Jersey, and Connecticut Plans as well as slavery, individual rights and taxation.
We discussed the important issues. Click here to see more...The delegates took a break from their political debates to perform a traditional dance to beautiful music provided by Mr. Newberger and Ms. Dzwil and to enjoy traditional colonial snacks prepared by parent volunteers.
The convention adjourned after the Final Session led by George Washington himself! The delegates debated, voted, and passed the Constitution by a landslide victory: the final vote was 45-9
We learned songs and dances from the period.
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We met with George Washington and voted on the Constitution.
Click here to see more...Submitted by Emily Shutt, 4th grade assistant. 01/29/2003 This web site is maintained by the fourth grade teachers of Germantown Academy
David Nagel, Graham Martin, and Julia Blumenreich.Site design by Emily Shutt and Andrea Owens
