AP US History Summer Reading Assignment (KEY)

AP US History Summer Reading Assignment

Miracle at Philadelphia
by
Catherine D. Bowen

Answer the following questions as you read. Read #18 before starting.

1. Which founding fathers used the word “miracle” in their correspondence to refer to what came out of the Constitutional Convention?

1. What early colonial efforts at self-government had occurred that are considered as documents influencing the United States Constitution? Name at least three.

A.

B.

C.

1. How many men attended the Constitutional Convention?

1. How many states (out of how many possible) were represented at the Convention?

1. Which state did not participate?

1. Where was the Convention held?

1. Why was the Convention called for?

1. On May 25, 1787, who was unanimously elected as president of the Convention, and what qualities did he demonstrate to cause this vote?

A.

B.

1. Who kept a journal of the Convention that was remarkably detailed and thorough?

1. What 1786 event cast a shadow over the debate between those who trusted and those who feared popular governance?

1. What were the most populous states at the time?

1. What were the four largest towns at the time, and what was their population?

1. What plagued Philadelphia resulting in numerous insects that caused residents to keep their windows shut as the summer began?

1. Write, word for word, the Preamble to the Constitution?

1. What fundamentally changed the relationship of the states to the national government?

1. When was the Constitution signed?

1. Who said the following? “I consent, Sir, to this Constitution, because I expect no better and because I am not sure that it is not the best. The opinions I have had of its errors, I sacrifice to the public good. I have never whispered a syllable of them abroad. Within these walls they were born, and here they will die.”

1. Below, write five other quotes from founding fathers that are stated within the book. These quotes should be profound to the reader, enlightening in some way about the founding of America’s supreme law of the land and the process of which it was created. Be sure to identify who said the quote, and what page it is on in the book.

1. Of the five quotes above, choose one and analyze this quote using the APPARTS analysis.
2. A

• P

• P

• A

• R

• T

• S

1. Write a brief outline of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which begins on page 313. For example:

Article I-establishes the first of three branches of government.

Section I-establishes a bi-cameral Congress.

Section II-defines the House of Representatives.

Section III-defines the Senate.

Be as concise as possible.