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Burning Issues Constitutional Convention

The document discusses issues that representatives from states meeting at the Constitutional Convention must take positions on for the new Constitution, including whether slavery should continue to be legal, if the slave trade should be allowed, if escaped slaves must be returned to their owners, if debtors can pay debts with goods, if bonds from the Revolution should be repaid, who should be allowed to vote, and whether there should be a Bill of Rights listed in the Constitution.

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108 views

Burning Issues Constitutional Convention

The document discusses issues that representatives from states meeting at the Constitutional Convention must take positions on for the new Constitution, including whether slavery should continue to be legal, if the slave trade should be allowed, if escaped slaves must be returned to their owners, if debtors can pay debts with goods, if bonds from the Revolution should be repaid, who should be allowed to vote, and whether there should be a Bill of Rights listed in the Constitution.

Uploaded by

bdbnd
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Handout

Constitutional Convention
Burning Issues
The government under the Articles of Confederation is weak and not working.
Representatives from all states except one are meeting to decide upon a new form of
government, at what will later be called the Constitutional Convention. You have been assigned a
profile. Read your profile and determine how you think that type of person would respond to the issues
listed below. You will have a casual conversation about these issues with your classmates on Google
Chat next week.

Here are the issues you must have a position on for the new Constitution:

1. Slavery.
a. Slavery is legal in some states. Should it continue to be legal in any of the United States?

b. b. Enslaved people are still brought into southern states (like Virginia and South Carolina)
from outside the country to be sold to white plantation owners. Should the Constitution
continue to allow this trade in enslaved human beings?

c. c. Sometimes enslaved people flee their owners in the South and come North. Should
northern-ers be forced to turn over people who have escaped slavery to their “owners”?

2. Some state legislatures have passed laws allowing debtors (people who owe money) to pay their
debts “in kind” with cows, pigs, tobacco, corn, etc. This is a traditional method of paying debts in
some parts of the country. Should the federal government continue to allow this practice?

3. Many bonds were issued during the Revolution by the Continental Congress to pay soldiers and
lenders. Should these bonds be paid back in full? Just a small amount for each dollar? Just to
those to whom they were originally issued? Not at all? (a bond is a loan to the government)

4. Currently there is no national law determining who should be allowed to vote in elections. Some
states require people to own a certain amount of property to vote. Only one state (New Jersey)
allows women to vote. In most states, Black people may not vote, even if they are free. Who should
be allowed to vote in general elections?

5. Some argue that there should be a Bill of Rights that protects the people from Congress' power.
Others say writing such a list of rights would ultimately limit the people's power and not Congress.
What do you think? If you think there should be rights listed in the Constitution what are they?

Constitution Role Play — Zinn Education Project, 2020 11

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