Historical Context Drafting of the U.S. Constitution

Prompt: Applying what you’ve learned about narrowing research questions, revise your research questions from your Topic Exploration Worksheet. In the tables below, replace the bracketed text with the original question, the revised version of that question, and one to two sentences explaining how you approached your revisions for that question to give your instructor insight on your revision process. Then, answer the questions about your primary sources below the tables by replacing the bracketed text with the relevant information.

Research Question 1
Original Question Revised Question
How would the laws protect the fundamental rights of American citizens? What aspects were considered during the US constitution-drafting process to guarantee the most complete protection possible of individual rights?
I noticed that the initial question was too loose in regard to what it wanted to obtain as an answer. For that reason, I change the “how” with a “what” as a way to narrow the point and generate a clearer idea to guide my research process.

Research Question 2
Original Question Revised Question
How does the entire process of the constitution drafts ensure the unity of the states that comprise the United States of America? What is the relation between the ideal and practice of national unity within the process of the US constitution drafts?
I focus on the relation between the ideal and practice of unity, instead of just asking “how,” because it will allow me to develop and more precise thesis as well as a more compelling argument during the writing process of my research.

1. Applying what you have learned about comparing primary sources and analyzing secondary sources, revisit the primary sources you listed in Part 3 of your Topic Exploration Worksheet, list them below, and describe what each of these sources adds to your understanding of your selected topic.

1. Name of primary source: From George Washington to James Madison, 31 March 1787
Author: George Washington
Hyperlink: archives.gov
What this source adds to your understanding of your selected topic: This letter offers me a close view of the founding fathers experiences and ideas during the drafting of the constitution and thus help me perceive the true scale and implications of the process.

2. Name of primary source: Full Text of The Federalist Papers – Federalist Papers: Primary Documents in American History
Author:
Hyperlink: loc.gov
What this source adds to your understanding of your selected topic: these documents explain the constitutional project in a very complete and compelling way, offering a detail summary of the constitution along with its mission and vision for the nation.

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