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The Constitutional Convention wasn't just a meeting—it was a collision of competing visions for American government. You're being tested on more than names and dates; you need to understand the ideological tensions that shaped our federal system. These framers disagreed fundamentally about how much power the national government should hold, how to balance large and small state interests, and whether individual rights needed explicit protection. Their debates and compromises created the framework you'll analyze in every unit of this course.
When you encounter these figures on an exam, think about what problem each one was trying to solve and which constitutional principles they championed. Were they pushing for federal supremacy, popular sovereignty, states' rights, or individual liberties? Don't just memorize that Madison wrote Federalist No. 10—know that he was arguing for a large republic as a cure for faction. That's the level of understanding that earns you points on FRQs.
These framers believed the Articles of Confederation had created a dangerously weak national government. Their solution was a Constitution that dramatically expanded federal authority while creating institutional checks to prevent tyranny.
Compare: Madison vs. Hamilton—both championed federal power and co-wrote the Federalist Papers, but Madison later broke with Hamilton over the national bank, showing how "federalist" meant different things to different framers. FRQs love asking about evolving interpretations of federal authority.
The Constitution exists because these framers prioritized workable solutions over ideological purity. They understood that a document acceptable to no one would govern no one.
Compare: Sherman vs. Randolph—both proposed major structural plans, but Sherman's Great Compromise succeeded because it gave something to both sides, while Randolph's Virginia Plan required significant modification. This illustrates why compromise, not ideological victory, defined the Constitution.
Not everyone at the Convention trusted that structural checks alone would protect liberty. These framers insisted that explicit protections for individuals and states were essential—and their concerns directly shaped the Bill of Rights.
Compare: Mason vs. Wilson—both cared deeply about the people's role in government, but Mason focused on protecting individuals from government through explicit rights, while Wilson emphasized the people's power through government via popular sovereignty. Both perspectives appear in modern constitutional debates.
The presidency was perhaps the Convention's most uncertain creation. Having rejected monarchy, the framers struggled to design an executive strong enough to govern but constrained enough to remain republican.
Compare: Washington vs. Morris—Washington shaped the presidency through action as the first to hold the office, while Morris shaped it through design at the Convention. Both demonstrate how the executive branch emerged from both constitutional text and practical precedent.
| Concept | Best Examples |
|---|---|
| Federal Power Expansion | Madison, Hamilton, Randolph |
| Structural Compromise | Sherman, Franklin, Dickinson |
| Individual Rights Protection | Mason, Wilson |
| Executive Branch Design | Washington, Morris, Hamilton |
| Popular Sovereignty | Wilson, Madison |
| Federalist Papers Authors | Hamilton, Madison, (Jay—not a framer) |
| Non-Signers with Influence | Mason, Randolph (initially) |
| Small State Interests | Sherman, Dickinson |
Which two framers co-authored the Federalist Papers but later split over the constitutionality of a national bank, and what does this reveal about early debates over federal power?
Compare George Mason and James Madison on the question of individual rights—why did one sign the Constitution and one refuse, despite both influencing the Bill of Rights?
If an FRQ asks you to explain how the Constitution balanced large and small state interests, which framer's proposal would you discuss, and what was the key compromise?
Both Washington and Morris shaped the presidency, but through different means. Explain how one influenced the executive through constitutional design and the other through precedent.
Identify two framers who initially opposed or refused to sign the Constitution. What were their concerns, and how did those concerns ultimately influence the final constitutional system?