Historical Context The U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights PDF

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Historical Context: The U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights Krisanna Hall Southern New Hampshire University HIS 100: Perspectives in History Instructor Deborah Douglas December 6, 2020

2 Historical Context: The U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights Research Plan Research Question: What were the biggest issues that were resolved at the Constitutional Convention? Introduction Being among the shortest and oldest of written national constitutions, the U.S. Constitution was written in 1787 behind guarded and locked doors and it was ratified in 1788, by all states except for one. North Carolina was the only state to decide that they were neither ratifying nor refusing the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention. The U.S. Constitution was created to define rules and regulations for the citizens of the United States, but many of the delegates were concerned that the U.S. Constitution lacked individual rights, so North Carolina held out in hopes to secure The Bill of Rights. The U.S. Constitution is an example of what a balanced, yet imperfect, document can be to create a one free nation with democracy. The drafting of the U.S. Constitution was home to several conflicts and disagreements, but eventually led to a document that is unified for the United States. In a letter from George Washington to John Jay in 1786, Washington identified that there were errors in the National Government that needed to be addressed. He noted that it was necessary to amend and revise the Articles of Confederation, stating “I think there is more wickedness than ignorance, mixed with our councils.” (Washington, 1786). While the U.S. Constitution was quickly ratified by most of the Country, one state set out for further definition of rights to be added before they proceeded with ratification. It was apparent that two groups were against each other during the ratification process. There was a group of Conservatives who favored a strong government power and agreed with the original

3 Historical Context: The U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights constitution, and there was a group of Radicals who feared the government could potentially abuse having that much power over society. At the Fayetteville Convention In 1789, after North Carolina’s hesitation led to a divide of the Federalists, The Bill of Rights was created which led to North Carolina ratifying the U.S. Constitution. (Howard III, T. L., 2017, pg. 5).

4 References From George Washington to John Jay, 18 May 1786,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/04-04-02-0063 HOWARD III, T. L. (2017). The State that Said No: The Fight for Ratification of the Federal Constitution in North Carolina. North Carolina Historical Review, 94(1), 1–58....