EPIC POETRY by Carrollwood Day School 8th Grade Humanities Students

EPIC

POETRY by

CDS 8TH GRADE HUMANITIES STUDENTS

Our Beautiful Nation | Jai D. At last, an independent nation about to be formed, originally connected by 13 colonies; To create a federal government, put many in agony The Articles of Confederation For some, it was weak, For others it caused too many taxes after the war; Soon to be the cause of Shay’s rebellion Chaos nationwide Realizing the Articles of Confederation is weak The delegates meet in Philadelphia to see what they can tweak; A Solution they seek; James Madison the note taker George Washington the federalist Thomas Jefferson the anti-federalist; Benjamin Franklin the core; Alexander Hamilton, the man with ideas; Now thinking; Whether to add on to the Articles Or to start from scratch; Anti-federalists and federalists trying to patch; Arguments and compromises from both sides of this Constitutional Convention Should states have less power; Or should their be a strong central government Watching it all from a view as a ghost; It appeared all the hard work was lost; It was me the federalist; It was me Jean-Jacques Rousseau Hoping for a strong central government; That was the right idea - 100 percent; The Convention compromised to start from the beginning; Starting with a preamble; Then explaining the Separation of Powers; The three branches - Judicial, Legislative, and Executive; America - May you continue to live; Moving on to the Bill of Rights; Wanting to avoid any fights; Watching everything from every angle; The freedom of expression, religion, and assembly No unreasonable suspicions on citizens No right for the new government to take your life, liberty or property; Still a country with sovereignty; These new amendments were just the start of a beautiful nation and strong government; But along the way, watching from an angle as a ghost Unpleasant racism and unfair court decisions had raged the country A poor man named Clarence Gideon Not afforded a public defender; The case is now before the Supreme Court; Justices agree that everyone must have the right to a public defender; Irrespective of a gender; The new law;

That Gideon saw; He was provided one; Guess what, he won; Proving his innocence; Unlike this, other men were the cause of some rights to be snatched from blacks Dred Scott had lost all blacks’ right of being able to sue While Homer Plessy had lost his right Affirming the 14th amendment was intended for an equal but segregated society Causing many in a stage of anxiety; Oh, the demarcation had been reached Outrage; Melancholy; Agony; These were the thoughts of all blacks in this new nation; Yet again, I had thought myself; This nation was falling apart; Even though I kept it true to my heart; But along the way, This beautiful nation had fixed itself; A Supreme Court that was accepting its mistakes; Reversals made from a poor Dred Scott decision; Alongside Legislation to Homer Plessy’s disgrace; Caused by the Brown vs Border case; Finally, a nation far more together than the beginning; Some cheers and some singing To celebrate a historical country; But now a hope for the Constitution and its future; Even more amendments that can be a racism reducer; A stricter policy for crime And lastly a desire for fixing any problems from past times.

Thoughts of Washington | Izzy R. Being the first president ever is how I gained my fame I go by George Washington, that’s my name I led the people with my strength and my will My own face belongs on the one dollar bill The Revolution is over, America won their freedom It’s time to initiate a government, to control our nation.

I fear to be too controlling and act just like commanding king George.

Alternatively, the Articles of Confederation is the first sign of organization.

I find the Articles are weak My mind is like an ocean, waves pounding back and forth Too much power, not enough power I would like to let the people of America lead while I guide them on my leash.

Because of the weakness, Shay’s rebellion was initiated.

Farmers got angry because they were not being appreciated.

The Articles stated if they could not pay their taxes, their land was taken away.

As a result, they rebelled and made the government pay.

I realize I need to make a stronger government.

The Articles of Confederation are falling apart.

My people are desperate, in despair, longing for a stronger system to start.

I plan to hold a meeting with 55 devoting, dedicating, decision making delegates.

The Constitutional Convention commences in Philadelphia.

The meeting was like a secretive sauna.

Commands carry throughout the harsh hot room while the windows are closed tight, We discussed compromises and arguments while being out of sight.

We balanced our thoughts by noticing issues and constructing new rulings We wanted these compromises to accommodate everyone’s feelings.

While I was nominated president of the whole Convention, My fellow friend documents all of our statements and goes by James Madison.

The first major argument, dealing with the representation was getting out of hand Large states felt more dominant, for they think they deserve a larger say While small states want equality and to have the same power.

The compromise resulted in two problem solving plans.

Two plans diverged into one, The Great Compromise needed to be done.

New Jersey and Virginia forgave, the organization of congress was proposed over the room of heat waves.

Creating the senate and the house of representatives was a solution to big predicaments, The government gained some control and the states were in agreement.

The New jersey plan and the Virginia plan mixed into two, constructed the Great Compromise that satisfied the room.

The next argument dealt with if people should be owned.

Men going back and forth, the room was like a war zone.

The north longed for freedom, the south fought for slaves.

We had to come up with a compromise or the south threatened to misbehave.

We came to a conclusion to keep slave trade But instead, to import, $10 tax had to be paid.

If slaves decide to escape from slave states

They will therefore be placed back from where they came.

Representation came up as an argument once again Fire sparked between North and south.

The South demanded representation of their slaves to count.

The South longed for more delegates in order to gain votes.

The secretive solution makers constructed a compromise.

The 3/5’s compromise was the solution in their eyes.

3/5 ‘s referred to every 5 slaves counted as representing three people, This meant that not all slaves were counted because they weren’t considered equal.

The Constitution is very important to me I crave for the document to be ratified and make America controlled but still free.

Federalists, Anti-federalists, they both have an opinion to be shared.

The answer will determine whether the constitution will be ratified.

Anti Federalists were opposed to this new Constitution People like George Clinton, Patrick Henry, and Samuel Adams, believed in individual freedoms.

On the contrary, Federalists supported this new Constitution People like Alexander Hamilton believed the Articles of Confederation were too weak and needed a stronger government.

The Federalists won their argument in 1789 The weight of the world is lifted off my shoulders, everything’s going to be fine.

11 out of the 13 states agreed to ratify the Constitution, We the people…..the Preamble states, the constitution’s introduction.

Three branches of government arose.

The legislative, judiciary, and executive branches stated in the first three articles.

These branches divide different powers while still working with each other.

While the congress makes the laws, I, the president am able to sign them or veto.

The legislative branch is the Congress, the Senate and House of Representatives They establish laws and rules that can be signed and be official.

Another branch is the Judicial Their job is to interpret these laws.

They make up the Supreme Court and deal with important cases It is like the Congress has a very important power, like a shoe. And the Judicial Branch finishes it off by tying the Congress’s laces.

The third in the final branch is called the Executive which is where I, the president sit.

I enforce the laws that are made by the congress which I can sign a law or dismiss it.

The president gets elected every four years.

I am the leader of this country, My people are in the car that I steer.

James Madison made sure amendments in the Constitution called the Bill of Rights were made.

The amendments ensured protection. This was an upgrade.

The very first amendment stated the freedom of speech.

We were not like the British, our freedom was preached.

A man named Dred Scott was a slave and lived in both free and slave states.

In result, he sued and argued he is free and shouldn’t have to wait.

He went to supreme court but didn’t not win his case.

The court stated he was not a citizen and shouldn’t be able to sue in the first place.

A man named Homer Plessy went through a similar problem.

He is white and black and sat in a ‘whites only’ section of a train.

He got arrested because he refused to move which put angry thoughts into his brain.

He took the case into supreme court.

The supreme court refused Homer Plessy and this allowed “separate but equal” The blacks and whites got the same treatment but were not integrated.

Another court case has rights that are gained.

Clarence Earl Gideon of Florida, was charged for breaking into a pool and stealing.

The court refused to give him a lawyer but he could not afford one and was proven guilty.

While in prison, Gideon studied the law.

He proved the court he needed a lawyer in order to be fair.

The second time through, Gideon was not proved guilty, not even a hair.

My hope for the future Constitution is to understand what the people of the United states need.

Only then I can run a stable country including justice and liberty.

Equality will only get better from here, And I want the people that I love to have a say in the life that I steer.

EPIC CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY | Brooke B. The new independent nation Is in the world’s eye “What will they do next?”

All of the people cried The Articles of Confederation Attempted to govern the new nation Shay’s Rebellion proved their weakness By showing that no power can be enforced War debt and weakness told them it’s time The delegates knew what they had to do In the height of Philadelphia summer The men came together And wrote for 126 days They fought and they compromised They wrote and they ratified Until they were satisfied The result was the foundation, The heroic solution Out of the room came the constitution She established the government, and all of its branches Her words described justice, she increased America’s chances Her preamble was like a song She stated what “We the people” fought for so long Little did she know that her amendments would fight For every single American’s right She went into action effective immediately She worked with the legislature She signed all the treaties She grew with the country They amended together Until the Supreme Court decided To interpret her wrong-minded Gideon was proven guilty For something he didn’t do He had no lawyer in court It was something he couldn’t afford That was the reason for this result While Gideon was jailed He petitioned and wrote Right by the constitution’s side They both knew her 6th amendment was read wrong

The right of due process belonged to everyone Finally, he was heard He went before the court Gideon’s results were reversed And his posterity will have rights to a lawyer Then the constitution tried to argue for Dred Scott She tried to help show he was free from slavery The court said the contrary That NO African-American was free That was not what she intended it to be She tried to help Homer Plessy Who only wanted a nice train ride But the Supreme Court told them NO He broke the 14th amendment Separate but equal The Constitution was let down She wanted their liberty, Their welfare, Their equality, The white, male, land owners can’t have it all Brown went against the board of education with the constitution on his side Hoping for a different outcome than Plessy, Scott, and Gideon Finally, that’s what the court will decide Schools were no longer separate They were one The constitution finally won She continued to push, To teach the court right ways, She fought alongside many of the greats The constitution is on the American people’s side She’ll work and fight Until you get your right

America’s Finally Free | Francie M. Freedom at last, all we’ve ever wanted for so long.

The British are gone, It’s up to us now to run this great nation.

The fear of tyranny and pain that the British caused leaves our new nation in pieces.

I, Thomas Jefferson, must now play my role in the great history of our nation.

We start with the Articles of Confederation, More flaws than strengths.

We can’t govern a nation without power But we can’t put all the power in one place.

A strong Constitution sure would be great But at what cost would it take?

Are we taking the power from our people?

I can’t let that happen, it’s way too unfair.

1787 Daniel Shay’s rebellion finally proves our government is weak, He marched with over 1,000 men seizing courthouses and attempting an armory He is finally stopped the day before the planned attack, Four lives are lost and the rest disperse to not get caught.

This raid finally opens the eyes of our Founding Fathers, If our own people can attack us, who’s saying another nation cannot?

Not even wasting a year the Constitutional Convention took place in 1787.

Four main founding fathers were present, George Washington the president of the convention James Madison the note taker Alexander Hamilton a strong Federalist And Benjamin Franklin the eldest and most experienced of the group.

I myself was not present, for I was away in Paris serving as Minister to France.

The convention was kept secret, Though many delegates did not agree.

They argued, discussed, and wrote a draft of the new constitution.

With 55 strong opinions all in one room they’re bound to disagree.

Three main compromises were made so everyone was happy; The 3/5 compromise that said 3 of every 5 slaves would be counted for the purpose of representation and taxes.

The Great Compromise which formed Congress into two separate houses, Favoring both the large and smaller populated states.

Lastly, the Slave Trade compromise which limited slave importation until 1808 and levied a tax for any slaves traded after the deadline.

With these main controversies dealt with all that was left was ratification.

Although it might seem simple, It definitely was not.

9 of 13 states had to ratify this document, And those that didn’t were threatened to be treated as foreign nations.

Two social groups formed from this, The Federalists like Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay supported a strong centralized government.

While I, on the other hand was an Anti-Federalist Who feared a central government and thought the states should get more power.

Many states debated and held out for a while, Some wouldn’t sign without a Bill of Rights, But by 1790 Rhode Island was the last to ratify.

At last, A constitution is made.

Split into three parts, the Preamble, the seven Articles, and the amendments.

I must say it’s quite a beauty seeing all our restless hours of work pay off.

The Constitution is a success, I particularly enjoy the Preamble starting with “We the People”, As an Anti-Federalist the rights of the people must never be forgotten.

This new Constitution splits out government into 3 branches, Legislative makes laws, Executive enforces laws, Judiciary interprets laws.

That way it’s not a dictatorship with one person in charge.

Exactly what I wanted, Distributed power.

These branches have to agree to pass any type of law, They also override each other when they spot a flaw.

No one branch has complete power, This way everything is fair and agreed on by all.

Inspired by I myself (and George Mason), A Bill of Rights was added.

It insured freedom of press, petition, religion, speech, and assembly for all.

The Bill of Rights guaranteed our basic freedoms, We’re allowed to bear arms and can’t be searched without a warrant.

Many amendments were added on later, But in the first ten, human rights began This Bill of Rights opened the doors for years to come.

Problem was, Not all were interpreted as they should’ve.

In 1846, Dred Scott sued for his freedom, He was an enslaved person brought to live in a state where slavery was illegal.

His case made it all the way to the Supreme Court, Before being overturned because Blacks were not considered citizens.

Not long after in 1892 Homer Plessy, A creole sat in the white section of a train.

The 13th amendment abolished slavery in 1865, The 14th forbids laws to be made against the rights of anyone born in the US. But yet, Plessy was still denied.

Although they were equal under the law, Social settings apparently did not apply.

This court rule led us down a dark road, Segregation and Jim Crow laws became quite popular.

It’s unfortunate how misinterpreted the Constitution was, But luckily things got better.

Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery And in 1954, Plessy’s case was reversed by Brown vs. Board of Education.

This Supreme Court reversal made “Separate but Equal” illegal in public schools.

This was a big step but racial discrimination would not end for another 10 years.

Not all court cases revolved around race, Clarence Earl Gideon was denied a lawyer and proved guilty at the state level.

He brought his case to the Supreme Court where it was reversed.

Now, everyone accused of a crime gets a lawyer.

I hope this fairness continues on, No person should ever be treated as less than someone else.

Our Constitution exemplifies a utopia, Although our world may not be as perfect as it could, I wish for us to try to the best of our ability to treat everyone with fairness and acceptance.

The Constitutional Constraints of the Constitution and other short stories from the young USA | Logan F. In the beginning of this land we call home Was a struggle to gain independence for us But after it ended, the nation struggled to become A place where We The People Pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

So let’s go back to when it all began The Articles of Confederation.

After being ruled by a King The new USA was not willing to give up much power This created what is known as the Articles of Confederation It was weak, poor, and diminishing on the economy These Articles made the states in control Which was a big no, no Bills were almost impossible to pass in the Confederation Congress So the US needed a change, And one uprising was going to change it all.

Shay’s Rebellion was a powerful one Which put the Articles of Confederation to shame Some angry farmers were tired of debt Which put them to trial, and hung later on This made them mad, so they demanded change So the Continental Congress was created and the Articles were scrapped.

So now we go to Philadelphia Where the delegates of the congress convene There are many names that we know today People like John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, George Washington and others.

They discussed what to do To satisfy the needs of the people of the nation They decided to create a new government But still not make it too powerful.

So they decided to make a system of checks and balances Where the government spread out its power This ensured equality and stability over the nation.

But at the Convention, things were amiss As senators and leaders fought over this The powers of the constitution, must be given to who They came up with a compromise, to keep the nation secure But they kept this meeting secret, as to not cause unrest In the new union, the United States.

The constitution was eventually ratified and it went something like this The preambles was as follows We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America This was major for the US It now had a system of democracy where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were able to be expressed.

The ratification was a hard one The federalists wanted it, but the anti-federalists did not.

The federalists wanted to keep a powerful government But the anti-federalists wanted distributed power Between the states, to keep secure

This is why the meetings were kept secret In Philadelphia, to stop unrest.

In the end, there were three branches of government The Judicial Branch The branch that makes sure laws are constitutional To stop the overpowering of the other branches The first of the checks and balances The Executive branch Is the branch of the president And the vice president and the cabinet as the whole white house Making laws and vetoing them Though the next branch can revert a veto So let’s talk about the last one now The Legislative branch The branch for the people The House and the Senate represent us The House depends on population, representing the larger states The Senate represents the smaller states, with 2 representatives per state.

The Bill of Rights were the first 10 amendments to the constitution Number one is the freedom of speech, religion, and expression 2 is the right to bear arms, allowing us guns 3 is the right to no quartering soldiers in your house 4 is the right to no unnecessary search and seizure 5 is protection to accused criminals 6 is the even more protections 7 is the right to a jury in your trial 8 is the restriction of unusual punishments 9 provides protection to us to be allowed regular things 10 is the fact that the congress only has rights specified in the constitution The Supreme Court cases have changed our country Keeping it safe and secure The First was Gideon, which helped us get free lawyers if we are in need of one He was falsely charged and he couldn’t afford a lawyer Making his case powerless and he lost But he wanted the Supreme Court And they said he was obligated to a lawyer.

But there were other cases Where civil rights were violated, like Plessy v Ferguson Plessy argued that he should be in the White car But the supreme court argued separate but equal in law Was the right thing to do.

I hope that in the future of the constitution We keep adding amendments to adapt to new times New civil rights laws, and even more To keep our union as secure as possible.

His side: I screwed it up - Alexander Hamilton | Adassa P. Fire burning low, I finally let out that breath that I have been holding in for so long.

We won, The long burdensome revolution has come to an end.

I write a letter to James: Hello, my dear friend, I am headed to Philadelphia tomorrow just after sunrise.

Write to Franklin, we three need to talk.

Alexander Hamilton.

My beautiful rose Eliza.

Sweet as candy but doesn’t want me to leave.

I have to keep moving my sweet rose.

I will never forgive myself if something happens to you.

My alluring rose.

What is this exhausting and grueling world?

James is doing well.

Of course, he is, he smells like intense whiskey.

The nice autumn breeze feels nice on this heavy day.

A kid hands me a newspaper.

The paper feels warm and earthy.

The words just pop out.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN - Articles of Confederation…

I drop the paper down to a muddy puddle.

The brown mousy puddle ends up on a horse’s hooves.

The horse moves as the puddle splashes.

Problems Problems Problems These problems need to be solved.

There are more negatives than positives in the Articles of Confederation, Franklin likes the plan.

He’ll bow for a while, but shortly the fight will break out again.

The lack of power given to the Continental Congress strangled the federal government.

So we have no power but the Congress does.

This will cause an outrage.

It will cause damage to this country we fought for.

He was a farmer, A man who farms for a living.

He feels like the government is abusing him.

That’s not okay.

The country, this world needs more.

The states should not put taxes on their own.

The central government should pay back the war debt.

So much going on and it feels like time is running out.

Tick, tok, Tick, tok, Tick, tok.

“Hamilton!

Hamilton!

ALEXANDER!” yells Washington.

I fell into a deep slumber.

How could I. I see Washington, Madison, Franklin, Randolph, Mason, Morris, and Wilson all standing around me.

Why is it so hot?

It feels like there is no such thing as a breeze.

Oh a breeze.

How nice would it feel to have that nice cold air cooling your sticky, sweaty skin.

Alexander, snap out of it.

You are creating a strong government with the most powerful people standing around you.

Everything feels like a blur.

Sleep.

I need sleep.

I hear the smaller states arguing about how to set up congress.

We’re making progress.

The heat is getting unbearable.

The yelling, Arguing.

I cannot tell who’s talking anymore.

Sherman proposed a Great Big Compromise to set up the legislature with two houses.

The congress will be split up and each branch will specialize in something new.

Next, slaves, Why do we have slaves?

Peace can only be achieved by understanding.

We are hopeless.

I do not think of that.

A 3/5 compromise.

Three out of every five slaves would be counted for the purpose of representation and taxes.

Slave trade, The North worries that the South could control Congress simply by importing more slaves.

The government should regulate slave trade.

Each imported slave would have a $10.00 tax levied upon the Transaction and in exchange for the delay in ending the import of slaves the South agreed to let the national government regulate slave trade.

The men and I wrote a constitution during the convention.

It is perhaps amazing and genius I must say.

It has a Preamble that describes its purpose and I cannot wait to see how the economy ends up in this wonderful country.

I walk out of the room.

Oh air.

The breeze flies past my face and I release a sigh of relief.

Why don’t these useless people want strong central government, Land can only give you so much.

People only fear a strong central government because of Britain.

We’ll get ratified and hold all the states together.

My family, I have not come home to my dear Eliza and my sons in nearly three weeks.

I am such a bad father and husband.

Eliza would yell at me for realizing that right now.

I cannot come back home yet.

My warm cozy home.

As a result, we have a separation of powers now.

The Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary branches of government.

The Legislative branch will make the laws.

Executive will enforce the laws.

The Judiciary will interpret the laws.

Genius, right?

Took me a hell of a long time to finish writing those.

Today was a good day, You’ll never in a million years hear me say that.

I am always writing or stressing myself out.

Everyone has a coping mechanism.

Mines writing.

I write, write, and write.

We have a Bill of Rights now, The first ten amendments in the Constitution.

Some include freedom of speech, bear arms, and more.

These are protections that we laid out for the Americans.

I made many mistakes, I lost Eliza, Philip, My parents, My friends.

I can say that I screwed some things up.

I will never forgive myself for what I did to Eliza.

I deserved to die.

It is nice up here.

All white and calming.

I have never felt this calm before.

I watch over everything, I hope that the Constitution will give everyone freedom in this country.

Now everyone gets a lawyer thanks to Gideon, But Dred Scott lost his rights and he could not sue in a Federal court.

The Supreme Court that we started made many mistakes, It does keep everyone under control, And I watch every day from above.

I am finally proud of my work in the United States of America

Gavel the proclamator | Alexis N. They fought and they died and they cried just to be able To hit this ceremonial mallet They went to war just to be able To decide for themselves right vs. wrong And he sat there, waiting for his time to shine Greats like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton Led the fierce American troops against the British front to victory Craving justice and freedom from the King And he sat there, eager, waiting for his time to shine But that was just the beginning For now the Articles of Confederation was upon them The pressure was unparalleled for Ben Franklin To make a perfect country in an imperfect world Who knew we needed a balance A tyranny was out of the question But if there weren’t established rules and government Our beautiful democracy would turn to anarchy These articles composed a Congress They could declare war, make alliances, sign treaties, etc.

We had 1 house, a unicameral legislature It was made it too weak, so fragile and delicate The definition of fiasco if there ever was one Mighty gavel knew we needed executive / judicial branches Congress couldn’t regulate trade with foreigners There was no universal currency They didn’t have the power of taxation to pay for the war And he sat there, appalled, waiting for his time to shine But then came good ole Daniel Shays Western Massachusetts had enough with the high taxes Farmers were getting kicked off their properties for not complying He couldn’t believe the uproars in the streets!

Our beautiful country collapsed in one fell swoop But never fear, the Constitutional Convention was here!

In Philadelphia, the delegates pondered Men such as Washington, George Mason, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson Vigorous debates took place, in that boiling little room Hamilton, Madison, and Jay wrote their Federalist essays Arguing the decentralization of power set them up for disaster And while checks and balances were crucial to avoid mayhem Branches only function to their best when separation of powers are implemented And gavel the proclamator agreed By mid-June the verdict came out They needed to redesign the government And the key to it all… Compromise Disputes over congressional representation were heated Should representation be based on population, or divided equally among states The Great Compromise concluded that they’d split straight down the middle Every 30,000 people in a state got one representative in the House And every state got 2 representatives in the Senate How nice, gavel thought, but the struggle wasn’t over yet Were slaves allowed to be included in the population?

Some would argue no, because they weren’t given the right to vote However the southern states were mostly slaves, so there was an impasse Then came the 3/5 Compromise Every enslaved African American was counted as three-fifths a person Congress really hated slavery, and disputed it often But the only way to get the South to consent to Constitution was through slavery But they did have a plan to contain slavery

The Slave Trade Compromise Congress would have the power to ban slave trade, but not until 1808 This way the South and the North could be happy After arguments and compromises finally ceased The ratification process could finally commence Harder than envisioned, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists came to an impasse Federalists loved the Constitution and the idea of a strong central government Anti- Federalists disliked how much power the Constitution gave the government But finally, gavel looked on with glee We now had a constitution The Preamble was important, to make its purpose and intention clear There also was a separation of powers The legislative branch creates our laws The executive branch carries out and enforces our laws The judicial branch interprets the law, and applies the to real situations That branch is home to trusty gavel Without one branch, our system doesn’t function And they are all in place to keep one branch from having too much power That is the what we like to call checks and balances You would think we would be done right? Wrong.

One problem with the Constitution was it didn’t clarify citizens’ irrevocable rights And so James Madison went on his journey to promote the Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights worked by guaranteeing Americans rights like Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of press are all examples Federalists thought it was unnecessary, however Anti-Federalists loved it Also there were concerns about whether or not they applied to everyone Finally the time came for Mr Gavel to shine The Supreme Court utilized him when they had to interpret the law Gideon was a man who after 5 years in prison decided to stand up for himself He and Abe Fortas believed no person should go through court without a lawyer Since attorneys know more about the law, they should be a right to the accused Gavel the prosecutor was inspired by Fortas’s compelling argument The Supreme Court agreed and created the 6th amendment That was a humongous win for Gideon Next came Dred Scott, a Missouri slave looking for freedom Since his owner took him to stay in free Louisiana territory for 4 years, Scott believed that he then became a free citizen However going to court had a bad ending become Gavel and the Supreme Court Concluded he didn’t even have the right to sue because was property Court ruling was no African American could be a citizen and sue in federal court It also ruled the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional That was a low point for Mr Gavel Cases like Plessy vs. Ferguson came Mr Plessy wanted to sit in the white section of a train but he was arrested for it The court ruled that segregation was constitutional and should be upheld “Separate but Equal” wasn’t often the case This got proved in the Brown vs. Board of Education case A man from Topeka, Kansas just wanted his little girl to be able to go to school He proved to the Supreme Court that it was detrimental to black kids Justices unanimously ruled racial segregation was unjust This revoked the Plessy vs. Ferguson case outcome and caused an uproar Finally, after years of hard work, Gavel the proclamator was being used He decided right from wrong, fair from unfair All going off of the constitution, but not afraid to make revisions if necessary I hope that one day our Constitution Will fully support and give not just equality, but equity to everybody in America That our country becomes a unified nation, no matter our differences We the People need to look out for the welfare of our country and our world Because the future lies in our courts, our hands, and our words

Victory History (of the Epic Constitution) | Claire Kassewitz Hello, it’s Benjamin Franklin and I’m here to say my Articles of Confederation caused a delay, in came Shay’s Rebellion.

They tried to overthrow the government, which led the Articles of Confederation into retirement.

The government’s troops weren’t strong! They barely fought for long, soon they became weary, so in came a private military!

Shay’s rebellion proved unsuccessful, the whole ideal was very stressful!

The articles were weak, they really had no good technique. even though I created it I really hated it.

Soon came The Constitutional Convention in 1787, which felt like heaven.

In came James Madison and my articles were replaced, in a haste.

It was very cut-throat until we reached 2/3 majority vote.

The Constitution was created and I was elated.

There was a preamble I wanted to ramble.

Oh my! Separation of Powers said hi!

Three branches were made. I’m somewhat afraid!

Legislative, Executive, Judicial this will be so beneficial, the constitution started off with “We the people!”

Room in the constitution was getting tight but we had enough room for the Bill of Rights!

10 amendments, they were like commandments!

But first, we needed ratification!!!

Oh my! The first to ratify was Delaware!!

This was a huge affair!

Then came, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, this was mania!!!

Finally came New Hampshire I couldn’t be happier!

The rights were gained! I hope they’re maintained!

The 4th of July came and oh what a shame! John Adams and I were pushed away!

I watched everything from up, up, up and faraway.

I witnessed a man named Gideon who was not treated right and thankfully his story was written in black and white.

Gideon was very poor and couldn’t afford a lawyer.

He fought and fought till the judges were bought!

Over was the fight and now there’s a stronger 6th amendment in the bill of rights!

Oh no on came Dred Scott! He was a slave but now he’s not!

The Supreme Court thought his enslavement was cut short!

The court was blindsided and very misguided!

The court decided black people can’t have rights, oh what a fright!

Poor Homer Plessy, he tried to stand up for what is right but oh no what a sight!

He got arrested, because there he tested; the white only train car, which was unprecedented and really bizarre!

Thank god, Plessy was released on a 500 dollar bond!!!

The Idea of Democracy | Michael R. After the trials and tribulations had begun There was war sought out to be won And after years of fighting Freedom and liberty had won They chose their new leader The man who got them through George Washington Was the man to choose However, fearing a strong central government As the tyranny they once had They created a written document that stated the government’s functions The Articles of Confederation However, these were imperfect And they showed little strength And that would soon be shown By a man named Daniel Shays Farmer’s were mad About whiskey takes and injustices So Daniel Shays among them Decided to start a “fad” Them all, 4000 strong Started to march and Rebel As the Federal government Tried it’s best to make it repel However, their beloved Articles were too weak And they could not put down the rebellion So, after the rebellion had been sorted They decided something, they decided to change the government Many famous persons met Such as Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin In the heart of Philadelphia To hold a Constitutional Convention They would talk and argue for hours In the heat of the Philadelphia sun And at the end They had made a decision that won They had 3 major compromises Each dealing with a different subject However, they were all eventually discussed And none were treated with neglect Beginning was the Great Compromise, Some states wanted representation by mass And others by equality So, it was discussed And it was decided That they would do both The senate would be represented by equality And the H.O.S would be represented by mass

So in the end It satisfied both of the different class Followed is slavery Where northern delegates wanted slavery gone While southerners wanted to keep it As they could act lazily They threatened to leave the union And everybody panicked However just in time They had made a plan for reunion Slavery’s word would not appear And it would not be discussed until 1808 However, a $10 tax would be placed on slaves And runaway slaves could be returned Their final conundrum, Of all the incidents Where they argued and argued, Until they could fix it Southern states wanted slaves counted as citizens To get more votes, which they thought of as fair But the northern states did not want that And did not give that idea a single shred or care They decided they would count them as citizens But not to a full degree They would only be 3/5 Of the person they used to be Every 5 slaves counted as 3 free people And not as themselves As they needed to do that For taxation and representation of the common welfare Every person thought they were clear After months of trial and error So, they sent their document off to the states To see if it would be ratified for the real While they got 9/13 votes They needed to be fully in the clear This was a battle, not between states, but parties And their names were the Federalists, and Anti-Federalists The Anti-Federalists were scared of the new Constitution Scared it would make a tyranny comparable to Britain They also wanted individual freedoms To be in a Bill of Rights, and hard written The Federalists liked the new constitution And believed a strong government would lead to a preserved country They knew that America would not survive under the articles of confederation So they also made the Federalist Papers, To hopefully sway people their way In the end After 2 ½ years…

The constitution was ratified!

With 11/13 states!

It had a preamble To describe its purpose However, it also had articles Which made total power unavailable It had set up a system of checks and balances With three branches of government The Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches Were needed as a fundament No branch had power over one another Each branch keeping the other branches in check And always keeping one from getting too much power And having it go apex The Executive branch deals with the laws Enforcing and carrying them out While also including the president Who is the one who decides if laws are passed?

The Legislative branch creates the laws And handles all of the foreign affairs Keeping our nation safe And preserved forever The Judicial branch interprets the law And covers civil cases They make a judicious decision Which is taken without question However, it was still believed a bill of rights was needed To state individual rights And they would soon get their wish As they had pleaded Inspired by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison Drafted the Bill of Rights It was adopted in 1791 And then the first 10 amendments, Were then laws of the land The Amendments were a sign of safety As it gave citizen’s their own individual rights That if in any way were violated, Their cases could be taken to court The amendments allowed the citizens of the new nation to have new freedoms Freedoms that were surpassed by no nation From freedom of speech To freedoms not specified by the government This should’ve been the end The end for all constitution debate However further court cases down the line, would prove this wrong These court cases would be Gideon, Dred Scott, and Plessy Dred Scott, and Plessy’s cases lost them their rights Losing part of their citizenship While Gideon fought And he gained every man a new right

Dred Scott was a slave A man endowed to and eternity of work Who made a case That he was free He had been owned in both slave and free states So, he decided to sue for his freedom However, the only thing that was let free Was his right to citizenship Plessy was a man who decided he did not want to sit in the black train cart As it was filled with filth So, he walked to the white car And sat right down He was then arrested And in court, he argued that black men and white men are equal under amendment 13 He was overruled And the court said, “Separate but equal These may have been losses And step backs in history But Gideon was a success And gave us a new right to enjoy Gideon was charged for breaking into a pool hall and stealing $5 He asked for a appointed therapist But this case wasn’t no slaughter So his requests were denied Much like his appeal As he defended himself And he was arrested While in prison He decided to make a petition A petition To hopefully get his freedom He sued that the 6th amendment states “in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.”

The court agreed As it interprets the law So they made it a fundamental right To have a lawyer for all The idea of democracy Has changed over time From different perspectives To different times However, one thing has always remained the same democracy over everything It is only hoped that it stays that way And doesn’t get any worse In the future coming days

The City of Brotherly Love, Hero: Philadelphia | Sonja R. I was there at the beginning, Even when the colonists defeated the British.

But they were not ready for me yet.

After the Revolutionary War, the colonies realized their need of government.

Fear of creating a monarchy like the British, The American colonists worked together to create their government.

This would be known as the Articles of Confederation.

It didn’t take long for the colonists to disagree with the document.

The strengths of the Articles were overpowered by the weaknesses colonists found.

People feared how the government would be able to enforce their laws.

In the end, the government they planned for wasn’t strong enough to rule a nation.

America still was not ready for me.

War broke out in 1786.

Farmers in Massachusetts were having their land taken away.

Their taxes could not be paid.

America was in debt.

This rebellion was led by Daniel Shay, Which exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

The government was not ready for the farmers’ uprising.

The Congress had not had a military prepared due to: Lack of money And not being able to enforce taxes on colonists.

This proved the need for a federal government.

Now, America was ready for me.

Finally the colonies noticed my potential.

It wasn’t until a hot day and 12 delegates showed up.

12 delegates arguing for the government in a scorching sealed room.

At the constitutional convention, each delegate had a role.

I welcome them all, but especially: James Madison - the father of the constitution and took notes.

George Washingotn the President of the convention.

Benjamin Franklin - the wise mediator Alexander Hamilton - The advocate for the new government As they tried to create a new form of government, several arguments occurred.

How would small and large states be represented fairly?

Delegates argued smaller states would not have a fair advantage when it comes to population.

The solutions given were: The Virginia plan which gave the state a number of votes based on population.

This was proposed by James Madison.

The New Jersey plan gave states a number of votes based on the number of delegates.

They finally agreed to The Great Compromise.

It set up America’s bicameral legislature, and used both given solutions.

The bicameral legislature gave small states senators, And large states house of representation.

I approve.

The second argument was over abolishing slavery.

Northern delegates wanted to abolish slavery, While Southern delegates would not approve of the document if it abolish slavery.

This created the Slave Trade Compromise.

Until 1808, colonists could import slaves with a tax.

Later, the South gave in and let the Northern colonies control slave trade.

I wished for more, but it was a compromise The last compromise was the 3/5ths compromise, Southern colonies fought for slaves to count as population While the North fought against it.

This resulted in every 3 out of 5 slaves counted towards the population.

Finally, my job is done and I have helped America.

Now that the constitution was written, I continue to watch its progress.

The congress and states had to ratify it.

Congress eventually approved and sent it to the states.

Nine states would have to approve for the constitution to be ratified.

During the ratification, the document ran into many Anti-Federalists.

The Anti-Federalists argued that the Constitution was only in favor of the people who wrote it.

They feared that they would be giving the government too much power over them.

They feared there was no document like the Bill of Rights.

They feared that their rights would be forgotten and unprotected.

The Federalists who were all for the Constitution fought back By writing essays explaining human rights are implied.

These were written by some of the Founding Fathers.

In the end, they decided to add a Bill of Rights to ensure peoples’ safety.

It was time for the states to ratify, Most states quickly voted for the Constitution thanks to the Bill of Rights.

Rhode Island was the last state to vote, and only won by two, Meaning, the Constitution was ratified!

The final form of the Constitution ended up with a preamble, Bill of Rights, and a Separation of Powers.

The preamble stated that the states came together to form a union, Establish justice, and have tranquility.

The Separation of Powers divides the government into three branches.

The legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

The division of powers protects the people from a controlling government, tyranny, and monarchy.

Additionally, there are the checks and balances.

This divides the power to make sure nobody is overpowered.

The last part of the constitution is the Bill of Rights.

The Bill of rights ensured peoples’ rights and safety.

It explains the freedoms everyone has living in America.

These amendments were written by James Madison.

Many years later in 1963, Clarence Earl Gideon was arrested for breaking into a pool hall.

Gideon argued using the 6th amendment that he had the right to have a lawyer.

So, Gideon went to the supreme court to prove his rights, and they were approved.

Gideon went back to court with a jury and was proven not guilty.

Because of this, state level court cases always provide lawyers and defenders.

However in 1896, Homer Plessy tested sitting in the white person section of a train.

He refused to get up and was sent to court.

Similar to this case, Dred Scott was sent to the supreme court and was told He had no rights, wasn’t considered a citizen in society, and had no right to ask anything of the court.

Unfortunately, both of these cases ended up being ruled unfairly, But was overturned in 1954, When Brown Vs. The Board of Education acknowledged their rights.

My hope for the future is that more rights will be protected and acknowledged and less cases are judged unfairly.

All of our American Government is because of the 12 delegates arguing in the secret boiling room in Philadelphia. You’re welcome.

Why It Says: We The People| Audrey R. The father of the greatest document ever written Eleven years after America’s sever from Great Britain But the real question was, would it be great?

The US Constitution was up for debate In May of 87’ James Madison began to write He wrote words of our country and how to unite At the Constitutional Convention new ideas were uncovered The delegates discussed how our country would be governed Our Founding Fathers were among some of these men They were there to help form a perfect union In Philadelphia these men argued in a scorching hot room A compromise was made, which one would assume They were getting closer to the final creation Soon to be our brand new nation The Constitution then went up for public scrutiny While many concurred some disliked it brutally Federalists wanted a strong central government with no Bill Of Rights Anti-Federalists wanted no central power, causing conflict and fights The Federalists prevailed And in 88’ the US Constitution was unveiled On June 21 the document was ratified And now the new nation was sure to be satisfied The writing and detail would be put into effect The very next year as one would expect Now back to the man, the king of it all James Madison himself, as you may recall He represented Virginia at the Constitutional Convention He was most definitely the key to America’s reinvention Madison was most certainly a true federalist at heart As were Jay, Franklin, and Hamliton, who played an important part Then just a few years later, the Bill Of Rights was created It stated freedom, liberty, justice and equality, the Anti-Federalists were elated Additionally three branches of government were made Equal power to each branch was most certainly displayed There were the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial parts One might say they all specialized in different arts The Judicial branch’s job is to discusses and review laws The Executive branch carries out and enforces them, preventing any flaws This branch also consists of the President, Vice President, Cabinet, and more The Legislative branch has the ability to declare war On June 28, of 1836 James Madison passed away But his legacy, heart, and soul lives on to this day Then about half a century later, a problem arose Homer Plessy got on a train and sat where he chose The problem was though was his skin A creole and sitting in section where whites should have been Judge John Howard ruled against what Plessy said Homer took this case to the Supreme Court, he went right ahead His lawyer argued that the 13th and 14th amendments were what was being breached But Justice Brown stated that something that went against what Mr. Plessy preached

He said blacks and whites were not equal in society, that’s just how it was This lead to the discrimination of blacks, the Jim Crow Laws Segregation and inequality, what would James Madison say?

He would surely be disappointed in how the amendments were interpreted that day He mean for the Constitution and Bill Of Rights to bring us together But now it has only brewed up more stormy weather Madison didn’t intend for discrimination or evil That’s why the Constitution starts with We The People

Salvation for America | *Arti - Articles of Confederation Nickname!

Aden D. America was filled with freedom, but the war was all but over For what comes next was a country, full of disorder And it would weigh them down, like a massive boulder Arti lived where he could help the people But that was a challenge, as he was imperfect and feeble Shay knew not his intentions or his love for the people, Only the many contentions he caused, so he thought he was evil He gathered his men and said he’d represent them And although Shay was fully against him, Arti understood it was for the liberty and welfare of the union He was like a monster with horns Or even a plant with thorns But all he could do Was sit there and mourn He wanted nothing with them He was ready to estrange himself from the world But then a glimmer of hope appeared As a man named Washington Was ready for change Delegates like Hamilton, Franklin, Maddison and more Were ready to help In ending the war They went to Philadelphia For a Constitutional Convention The room was hot and men were sweating Not cause of the heat, but because of the tension Though everything was being kept a secret The men spoke carefully, to keep their merit Arti felt sick And suddenly blacked out Like a city in a storm Nothing but darkness, thoughts And overwhelming tranquility After what felt like eternal sleep Arti woke up He would no longer weep He was a whole new person But still a man on a mission He was Arti no more He was called “Constitution” Leaving the room like Valiant Night He was ready to help the people And end the plight People were still scared and confused There was hesitation And a distinct lack of ratification The people wanted more So, they needed to compromise After a while, Rhode Island was all They thought and thought

But just weren’t enthralled The democracy was at stake With no room for mistakes So, they made up their mind And chose to ratify Alone a boulder, heavy as such, is impossible to lift But “we the people” can carry it on our shoulders The war was over and they were no longer doomed As from those scary thorns, a beautiful rose had bloomed Though the war was won There was still work to be done Like gaining a lawyer for all From Gideon when he was about to fall Or losing social status From sitting somewhere Inside an apparatus Even losing the right to fight From Dred Scott attempting to escape plight But that is nothing for the constitution Because all the people in the hands of God Can persevere against all odds

Establishing America by George Washington | Samantha H John Locke’s ideas of natural rights, life, and liberty, woven themselves into America’s foundations They now uphold the American spirit like pillars of a grand edifice Deep down, I always knew that those values would be the core of American principles I remember when it all began It was a birth from a death: The British rule in America was finished This was now the land of the free Home of the brave I, George Washington, had fought in the war I recall thinking, standing on the battlefields bathed red in the dawn and bloodstains of our brothers, that America had grown from a dream, a mere spark of hope to a country adorned by a beloved star spangled banner But troubles were not far, as the people were scared of being ruled again The question that loomed like an overbearing shadow Was what if we left one tyranny, just to live under another?

But I remained sanguine as the Articles of Confederation was written It was the first U.S. constitution, albeit, quite weak The Articles of Confederation stated that Congress was in charge However, Congress had very limited power because the people worried of being ruled under something like monarchy or Cruel King George III, whom we worked so hard to defeat There were no ways to enforce the laws, states could ignore laws, there was no federal court, no levying taxes, no regulating trade In my opinion, the country cannot operate without these things We needed to find a balance of state and government power States were given too much power

which led to ruin, as unpaid taxes became the catalyst for struggle and rebellion Shays Rebellion consisted of farmers who couldn’t pay their taxes When their land was taken, they gathered their torches and axes Fueled by their burning anger, they closed down courts in Massachusetts Eventually, they were stopped in Springfield This caused the downfall of the Articles of Confederation I found it quite messy, yet, necessary for people to finally realize that a strong central government was a requisite for a functioning nation Soon afterwards, 55 delegates gathered for the second Constitutional Convention in summer scorched Philadelphia We cloistered ourselves away to write a new constitution Some people who attended the convention were My right hand man, Alexander Hamilton the Eloquent Empathic, The father of the constitution, James Madison the Zealous Wordsmith, And the oldest of us all, Benjamin Franklin the Calm and Sage And I, The President With patience, brilliance, and honesty I aimed to be a strong leader for my people Arguments stopped in my presence I gained much respect For I know that in the eyes of Americans, I am the father of our country, A lodestar for the people Some would say we were superheroes, Instead of capes and suits, we donned quills and ink We dedicated years of secrets, squabbles, compromises, and countless hours of sitting in that room to at last taste the fruit of our labors when we were able to live in democracy Though it was miserable in the horribly humid heat, the sun couldn’t extinguish our devotion to our cause We prevailed through such conditions in order to build the new American government You see, creating the new government was like constructing a structure We were the builders, the architects We tried to craft a sturdy, reliable structure for our country that wouldn’t collapse so that our posterity could prosper in the future

There needed to be a strong national government, but the states needed power as well Many plans were proposed, and in the end, there were three main compromises The Great Compromise brought together the Virginia and New Jersey plans to settle the legislative branch of government The Great Compromise stated that Congress would be bicameral One chamber, the House of Representatives, For the big population states, as the House is based on population The other, the Senate, For the small population states, as the Senate is based on equality: two senators per state The next compromise was the 3/5 Compromise It was the South against the North, Two sides of the same coin The South wanted to count slaves towards representation in Congress The North thought this would lead to the South dominating Congress The North said slaves were not free and did not count except for taxes The compromise in the end was that 3/5 slaves would be counted for representation and taxes The Slave Trade Compromise Again, the North worried that the South would seize control of Congress by importing more slaves So the compromise was that no more slave would be imported after 1808 and $10 tax would be levied upon each imported slave for transaction The national government would regulate slave trade There were many instances when the tempers were high The South almost left over the 3/5 compromise The convention almost ended over the debate of representation in Congress between states with big populations and states with small populations Another conflict was between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists Anti-Federalists wanted to fix the Articles of Confederation and did not like the new constitution because it would create a central government that was too strong

They wanted a Bill of Rights to be added so that individual rights would be outlined Federalists supported the new constitution and said a strong federal government was necessary to keep the United States functioning They believed that the Articles of Confederation would not let America survive The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written in favor of the new constitution that were published around the country They were authored by Alexander Hamilton the Eloquent Emphatic, James Madison the Zealous Wordsmith, and John Jay the Negotiator In 1787, the constitution was ratified and a preamble was added to describe its purpose The new government formed in 1789 I, the head of the executive branch, was President of the United States The new constitution had three branches of government The legislative branch consisted of Congress and was to make the laws The executive branch was to enforce the laws And the judicial branch was to interrupt the laws The branches could check and balance each other so that one branch did not have too much power For example, as the president, I could veto a law Congress passed But, if the majority of Congress overruled my veto, then the law would pass I served for two terms as president I accomplished a great deal, such as setting up departments and the court system I backed up Hamilton to start the Bank of the United States of America I was a precedent as the first president, The eyes of the world lay

over my shoulder After two terms, I stepped down to lay under my own vine and fig tree and to watched America grow Ten amendments became the Bill of Rights, and were appended to the Constitution in 1791 They were written by Madison the Zealous Wordsmith Some rights included the right to the freedom of religion, speech, press, and peaceable assembly, the right to bear arms, and the rights of those accused of a crime This last one was a bit tricky further along down the road as I observed in the Gideon vs. Wainwright case A man named Clarence Earl Gideon was charged of a crime When he was in court, he asked the state to provide him a lawyer, as he could not afford one himself The court said no So, Gideon defended himself He was found guilty In prison, he petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for a chance at justice I respect him for standing up for what he believed in He argued that the 6th amendment should apply to state courts, and therefore, he should have had the right to a lawyer in court What was gained from this case was that the court realized the right to a lawyer was a fundamental right Now, states must provide a lawyer to criminal defendants who cannot afford one Gideon went back to court, and was proved innocent It is rare that the supreme court would reverse their decision This was monumental So were the cases of Dred Scott and Plessy Homer Dred Scott was a slave who tried to gain freedom by challenging the Supreme Court He said he lived in states where

slavery was illegal, therefore, he should be free He lost the case This case historically impacted America because the Supreme Court decided African Americans and slaves were not citizens, so they could not file lawsuits this case helped initiate the Civil War In the Plessy vs. Ferguson case, Homer Plessy sat in a train cart that was for “whites only” He was arrested and argued that his constitutional rights, such as the 13th and 14th amendments, were being violated He took the case to the Supreme Court The Court’s ruling was “separate but equal”, or segregation This made Jim Crow Laws and things worsened for African Americans Eventually, this was reversed because of the Brown vs. Board case, but still It is upsetting and enraging that the American promise of freedom and justice for all was broken People who yearned for basic rights were denied justice, and the results worsened the problem Like a father frowns at his child’s wrongdoing, I frowned at the mistakes America had made But there is hope as we see that these cases were reversed, wrongs were righted We must learn from these instances, look towards tomorrow, and bear our burdens together Do not forget our pillar principles from John Locke who enlightened the world And remember that we established America as a place of freedom, justice, liberty, and equality Land of the free Home of the brave