Assignment #1 - Demographics

The demographic questions you need to answer about your state in the year 1760 are:

            1. population: total population, percentage of different ethnic groups, location of population, names & population of the major city(ies)

            2. economics: how did citizens of your colony make a living, what are the major crops/goods/services sold by the colony, main jobs in the colony, what natural resources did the colony possess

            3. religion: what are the main religions, what percentage follow each religion, what percentage of the population is religious

            4. politics: what type of government exists in the colony, how is power shared

            5. foreign affairs: how did the colony deal with the native peoples living on/in/near its borders, how did the colony deal with other European powers

Assignment #2 - Declaration of Independence

Pick one of the signers of the Declaration from your state. Write a short biography of this person. Issues to include are:

1. what made them prominent BEFORE the declaration (since they had to get elected to Congress to be able to sign)
2. how did they react to the Declaration?
   • few immediately signed - when did this person sign?
   • did they strongly support independence or was he convinced to sign or did he only reluctantly sign?
3. what happened to this signer AFTER the signing of the Declaration?

Go to http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/signers/index.htm to see a complete list of the signers by state and help you get started on your paper.

Assignment #3 -Constitutions

click here for a link to your state constitution

The questions you need to answer about your state’s first constitution are:

            1. In what year was the document created?

            2. How was the document drafted and ratified?

            3. What is the justification offered for creating a new constitution?

            4. How does this constitution determine:

                        a. who may be elected to office?

                        b. what offices are to be created/filled?

c. who may vote?

Assignment #4 - Fighting the Revolution

 The questions you need to answer about your state’s involvement with the revolution are:

            1. When did your state declare independence?

            2. How did the state reach this agreement?

                        a. was the opinion universal?

b. what individual(s) played the greatest role in pushing the state to declare independence?

            3. How did your state prosecute the war?

            4. What were the most significant battles fought within the state?

            5. Why were these battles significant to the war?

Assignment #5 - The Constitutional Convention

1. Read about the origins of the Constitutional Convention here 

2. Pick one member of your state's representatives to the Constitutional Convention: click here for the list

3. Write a short biographical sketch of your selected delegate.

4. Include analysis of the opinions your delegate held regarding the following major issues:

                 a. Expanding the power of the central government

                 b. Determining representation

                           1. How to determine - slave vs. free, based on taxation

                           2. Large vs. Small

                 c. The Legislature

                           1. How to determine who is a member of Congress

                           2. How to divide power in the legislature

                 d. The Executive

                           1. Length and how many terms?

                           2. Veto power?

                 e. The Judiciary

                           1. How to set one up?

                 f. Swearing an oath to support the Constitution

                 g. Slavery

                 h. Religion

                 i. Individual liberty

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