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RATINGS: Sites are rated from 1 owl (good) to a high of 5 owls. Read more- Creating a Constitution
From start to finish, this Library of Congress page describes some of the reasons why and how the U.S. Constitution was developed. In addition, this informative page discusses the lives of many of the major contributors to the foundational document of American democracy.
- George Mason University Virtual Tour
George Mason University maintains a site about their namesake, who is considered to be "The Father of the Bill of Rights." In addition to a biography about this Founding Father, a virtual tour at the university allows users to see the statue of George Mason firsthand without traveling to Virginia!
- The Constitutional Convention
Not everyone was in agreement during the development of the Constitution. ThisNation.com provides an in-depth look at the issues that placed the Founding Fathers at odds; how to properly represent each state in law-making, and how to deal with the troublesome issue of slavery. Through compromise, these men worked through their differences to create one of the lasting documents in history.
- Colonial Hall: Biographies of America's Founding Fathers
The lives and achievements of some of America's greatest historical figures, from John Adams to George Washington, can be found here. Also, check out the daily trivia section to find out some of the more obscure facts about our Founding Fathers. Here's one: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day, July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years to the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence!
- Constitutional Topic: The Constitutional Convention
The U.S. Constitution came about as a direct result of the work done by James Madison of Virginia, our future fourth President. His list of ideas, including bicameral (two house) legislature, and the formation of the three branches of government, came to be called the Virginia Plan. This site includes both a background and an outline for those revolutionary ideas.
Hamilton and the British Plan The other major plans used in the making of the federal government can be found here. This is a great way to compare the ideals of the Founding Fathers, and a reminder of how different our government could have been.
- Africans in America: Part 2: The Constitution and the New Nation
This PBS maintained site takes a less-traveled path through the formation and effects of the Constitution, that of the slave. The page begins with the Fugitive Clause of the Constitution, and discusses how the African people adapted to a new, and often unforgiving culture. Additionally, there are great links to other documents of that time period (1750-1805), all related in some way to the African perspective.
- Smoothing Out the Bumps
It's tough enough to sit in a classroom in June, imagine if you had to spend an entire summer in a room with 40 other men, and you had to wear a powdered, heavy wig! Of course, people would argue. That's exactly what happened at the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787. Check this site out to find out what they were arguing over.
- Selected Laws and Policies affecting African Americans
This site has brought together much of the important federal legislation concerning slavery, starting with the Fugitive Clause, made through compromise by the Founding Fathers of the Constitution. It leads up to the Dred Scott decision, one of the causes of the Civil War. It is a well-organized site about laws made during one of the darkest aspects of U.S. history.
- The U.S. Constitution Online
USConstitution.net is a megasite which pulls together resources from throughout cyberspace. Lists of the Presidents and the States, as well as commentary on selected topics within the Constitution can be found here. The ideas of "innocent until proven guilty," and the separation of church and state are commonly thought to originate in the Constitution. However, they do not. This site will test how much you know about the United States' most important document.
Constitution Through Compromise
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