Learn about the Virginia Plan that was based on a national and state government system with a separation of powers consisting of legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It also contained a resolution for proportional...

An interesting look at the background of the men who gathered in Philadelphia to frame a new constitution for the new country.

A brief biography of this signer of the Constitution. He later served as a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania.

A good biographical sketch of Rufus King, one of the signers of the Constitution. He was a delegate from Massachusetts. He served in the Revolutionary war and was later a senator from New York.

A nice biography of Hugh Williamson, a signer of the Constitution from North Carolina. It discusses his career as doctor, soldier and politician.

The links in the New Nation, which is provided for by the Library of Congress, will lead you to sets of selected primary sources on a variety of topics,such as the Constitution, governmental policy on Native Americans, and problems and...

Read about the change of plans when delegates to the Philadelphia convention decided to write a new constitution to replace the Articles of Convention. See the ideas delegates had to address concerns of large and small states.

A brief biography of James Madison. Find out why James Madison was called the father of the constitution. Learn how his life affected the United States. (In Spanish)

This site is provided for by the University of Groningen. Alexander Hamilton represented the growing movement towards a strong national government. Read the beginning stages of the nationalist movement, the conflicting ideas of state...

Overview of the principle of checks and balances proposed in the Federalist Papers.

Detailed biographical information on one of our founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. He was a signer of the Constitution, a General, and a co-author of The Federalist Papers.

In this set of activities, students learn what George Mason's objections were to the U.S. Constitution. They then evaluate them through a class discussion and divide into groups to hold a debate about the disagreement between the...

Read about how the state governments in the new American nation served as the laboratory to try out new ideas of governing and treating citizens. See how remarkably similar the ideas put forth in state constitutions were to each other.

Although he was the old sage of the American Revolution and the Founding generation, Benjamin Franklin's considerable work in the areas of journalism, science, and invention often obscure his many contributions to the creation of the...

James Madison's slight stature and reserved personality gave little indication of his keen intellect and shrewd nature. No other Founder had as much influence in crafting, ratifying, and interpreting the United States Constitution and...

The major focus of this site is Randolph's role in the creation of the Constitution and his views on the structure of the executive branch of government.

One of the most aristocratic delegates at the convention, Butler was born in 1744 in County Carlow, Ireland. His father was Sir Richard Butler, member of Parliament and a baronet.

Biography of George Wythe, 1726-1806, a learned man and teacher who supported the American Revolution and was a delegate to the Continental Congress, signing the Declaration of Independence and attended the Constiutional Convention.

Born near Charles Town (now Charleston), South Carolina, Charles Pinckney was the child of a wealthy family. He received a first-rate education and became an accomplished lawyer. Pinckney joined the state militia during the American...

The new United States government had many problems under the Articles of Confederation. Find out what these problems were, but also discover some of the successes accomplished under that constitution. [pdf]

Compromise was the name of the game when writing the Constitution. See how taxation, elections, and the power of the federal government were enshrined in the document. Marvel at the ideas that were rejected.

Elbridge Gerry is remembered today for his controversial attempt as governor to draw congressional districts in Massachusetts to the advantage of his party. Indeed, "gerrymandering" is a common political tactic today and undeniably part...

Although not the most charismatic or eloquent Founder, Roger Sherman was highly esteemed by his contemporaries. At Sherman's death, Ezra Stiles, president of Yale College, wrote, "He was an extraordinary man-a venerable uncorrupted...

George Mason's ideas helped to shape the Founding documents of the United States, but few Americans remember him today. The words he used when writing the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Constitution of 1776 inspired the...