Constitution of Massachusetts, 1780
03: The New Nation
The State of Democracy in the United States: 2022 published by the People's Republic of China
Teachers of Civics and US history would be well served by skimming through this report as it might give discussions and question material
Vices of the Political System of the United States, April 1787
Beyond the many "Failures of the Articles of Confederation" lesson and gimmicks to remember invented by teachers for decades, this article written by James Madison is a concise, though complex to read in part, explanation of the reasons he though a modification to the Articles was necessary
Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments, [ca. …
This is James Madison making an argument against the state sponsorship of legal education
To Thomas Jefferson from Benjamin Banneker, 19 August 1791
Benjamin Banneker was a free black man from Maryland who was both a mathematician and astronomer who had already impressed Jefferson with a scientific almanac we had written. In this letter he uses Jefferson's own words from the Declaration of Independence to make the case for abolition
Bernstein on Maier, 'Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788' | H-Net
Book review that exposes the vibrant debate in the states surrounding the ratification of the Constitution. These were the first debates over federal power that have continued to this day, yet they are ignored by the taught narrative canon. Teachers should learn this history an replace the memorization of the preamble and instead craft lessons that look into what "We the People" were actually arguing about
The documentary history of the ratification of the constitution : Jensen, Merrill;Kaminski, John P;Saladino, Gaspare J : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
600 pages of documents, letters and newspaper articles related to the debate over the Consitution - ignored by the taught narrative canon - but wide open for "Free Range" primary document lessons for students to search and learn (Try searching "slavery" or "arms" and weesee what you get
10 Things Pauline Maier Taught Us About Ratification and the Bill of Rights - Journal of the American Revolution
This should be read by every teacher who continues to teach what they've been taught about the ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights so they can see the chasm between the taught narrative canon and the understanding of the historical discipline of this era