Constitutional Crisis!

Breakout Clue Pack

Set Up:

Print copy of slides 2-9 for each group.

Cut slide 2 into 2 documents

Cut slide 4 into 4 documents

Print one copy of slide 10 to put in the lockbox

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Agents,

This is our most desperate hour. A tyrant has taken over as president in our timeline - your future. There is nothing we can do to stop him. However, our team at the Department believes you can. We’ve found a weapon, the ultimate weapon, for stopping such a leader.We’ve sent the weapon back to your time so you prevent this from ever happening to us. You’re our only hope.

We’ve secured the weapon safely away behind a series of locks. We had to make sure it didn’t fall into the wrong hands. We’ve sent a series of puzzles you will need to solve to open those locks, get the weapon and save our future. The puzzles are all built around your Constitution. By solving them you will prove to us that you understand what the government should look like and we will know you can be trusted with the weapon.

Let’s start with some background. The Constitutional Convention gathered in 1787 in Philadelphia. The delegates met in absolute secrecy so they were free to debate these highly controversial issues without fear of public opinion. It was hot and contentious. However, within just a few months, on September 17, 1787, a document was produced that would set up the new United States government.

It required the support of 9 of the existing states in order to become the new law of the land. This happened 8 months later in June of 1788. The new government began in March of 1789 and, outside of some changes called amendments, has remained for over 200 years.

With your help, it will remain that way.

Sincerely,

Instructor Locke

Department of Timeline Security

Agents,

This is our most desperate hour. A tyrant has taken over as president in our timeline - your future. There is nothing we can do to stop him. However, our team at the Department believes you can. We’ve found a weapon, the ultimate weapon, for stopping such a leader. We’ve sent the weapon back to your time so you can prevent this from ever happening to us. You’re our only hope.

Let’s start with some background. The Constitutional Convention gathered in 1787 in Philadelphia. The delegates met in absolute secrecy so they were free to debate these highly controversial issues without fear of public opinion. It was hot and contentious. However, within just a few months, on September 17, 1787, led largely by James Madison, the “Father” of the Constitution, a document was produced that set up the new United States government.

It required the support of 9 of the existing states in order to become the new law of the land. This happened 8 months later in June of 1788. The new government began in March of 1789 and, outside of some changes called amendments, has remained for over 200 years.

With your help, it will remain that way.

Sincerely,

​

Instructor Locke

Department of Timeline Security

I was last, but then came first.�I give intent, but not power.�Still not sure? �Look up the Gouverneur.��WHO AM I?�

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.

Gouverneur Morris

James Madison

Alexander Hamilton

Roger Sherman

The Branches

The new government formed by the Constitution was an experiment. It was designed to ensure that the government never became too powerful like a King might. It divided power among three separate but co-equal branches of government. Each with the own powers and responsibilities.

�The Executive Branch

The most known branch of the government, at least today, is the Executive Branch led by the president. It is led by the president who serves for a four-year term. He serves as the leader, or Commander-in-Chief, of the military and ensures that the laws of the nation are executed faithfully. Despite the limits of the Constitution the power of the Executive Branch has grown greatly in recent decades.

The Judicial Branch

The Judicial Branch is often a mystery to Americans today. It was arguably an even bigger mystery at the time of the founding. What, exactly, was it supposed to do? How many members should it have? The Constitution left those questions open. Today, we say the Judicial Branch interprets the law. They review laws and make sure they follow the rules and regulations set out in the Constitution. However, it wasn’t until 1803 that the Judicial Branch gave itself that power - judicial review!

The Legislative Branch

The ultimate power of any government is the power to make laws that govern their citizens. In our Constitutional system that power goes the Legislative branch. No other member of government, including the President, can make laws. In order to make sure that power was distributed as widely as possible, this branch had the most members. In fact, the branch itself is even divided further into two more branches - the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives is the part of government that most closely represents the people. The original house had 59 members with states with more people having more representatives. Today, there are 435 members of the House. The Senate, on the other hand, provides 2 votes per state no matter their population. This ensures that smaller states still have a powerful voice in their government.

Qualifications to Serve the Federal Government

The Constitution is designed with check and balances to ensure no branch is ever too strong. Each branch is given powers over the others. You can thank the Father of the Constitution for that.

The Articles

The Constitution is divided into 7 articles with each article further divided into sections. For a document that guides an entire government and millions of people it is surprisingly short! Each article has its own topic. They are summarized below.

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Article 1

Sets up the powers and limits for the House of Representatives and Senate. It defines the requirements to serve in those institutions. It gives Congress the power to impose taxes, create money, set up a patent system, create a postal service, raise and army and declare war. This is the longest article.

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Article 2

Sets up the Executive branch of the government. It states that the president is not directly elected by the people but instead by electors chosen by the people. It gives the president the role of Commander in Chief of the military and the ability to make treaties with other nations as long as the Senate approves.

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Article 3

Sets up the Judicial branch of the government as a supreme court and other lower courts. It gives them very little authority. They rule in cases of lawsuits between citizens living in different states and not much else. This article also defines treason against the United States as a specific act of war against the nation or helping an enemy nation.

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Article 4

Explains the powers and responsibilities of the states. It doesn’t say much. It basically ensures that the laws of the nation are followed equally from state to state.

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Article 5

Outlines the process for adding amendments, changes, to the Constitution. It isn’t easy but it is possible. There have been 27 amendments made so far.

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Article 6

States that while old debts are still in effect the Constitution is now the supreme law in the country and all other laws must follow it.

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Article 7

This is the shortest article. It only says that 9 states approval is enough to make the Constitution the accepted law.

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By the Numbers

Numbers are very important in government. You can’t just say “there’s some senators” or “each state gets some votes” without being specific. The Constitution oddly specific about some of its numbers.

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Proposed Governments

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At first, 4 different set ups were proposed by the delegates. The New Jersey plan favored small states. The Virginia plan favored large states. Hamilton’s plan proposed a strong central government similar to Britain’s while Pinckney’s plan left most of the power with the states. None of those plans seemed like they could get the required 9 states to support them to be enacted. The 5th plan, proposed by Roger Sherman, combined elements of the other plans to ensure both large and small states were represented. This is the plan that became the basis for the government created by the Constitution.

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Slavery

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At the time of the Constitution slavery was rampant across the nation. Around 1/5th of the total population was slaves with some states, like Virginia, having nearly ½ of their population in slavery. Approximately 90% of the slaves lived in southern states. How would they be represented in the government?

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The first question to answer was the slave trade. Would the new United States continue to allow slaves to be imported from foreign lands? This question threatened to end the negotiations. Ultimately it was decided that the best answer was no answer. The Constitution guaranteed that the slave trade would not be dealt with in any way for 20 years, until at least 1808.

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But what about the slaves already here? There was no question that freedom was off the table. The southern states never would have supported the Constitution in that case. The real question was how would they count for representation? The South wanted them to count as full persons in the population. Since more population meant more votes in the new Congress they were put in this position. Interestingly, the northern states, some of which had already banned slavery, were put in the awkward position of arguing slaves should not count as people since that would ensure more votes for the South.

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After some debate it was agreed that slaves would count as 3/5s of a person when determining representation in the government.

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Agents,

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Apologies for the deception. You probably expected to find a gun of some type in this box. The fact is, you already have the ultimate weapon against tyranny. You’ve been learning about it for the last 45 minutes. It is the United States Constitution.

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Unfortunately, your generation, more than any other, has ignored it and, in some cases, flat out turned against it. Since the 1960s the presidency has greatly grown in power. Presidents now regularly create laws using a technique known as “Executive Orders.” The U.S. military has been in engaged in multiple conflicts strictly at the order of the president without any declaration of war by the Congress.

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And the people, you, have remained silent.

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It is your responsibility to appreciate the power in this document. To learn it. To read it. To protect it. When asked by a woman outside the Constitutional Convention whether the delegates had created a republic ruled by the people or a monarchy ruled by a king Benjamin Franklin replied “a republic… if you can keep it.”

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Keep it.

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Sincerely,

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Agent Locke

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PS - In return for the deception I’ve left you a true reward. I’ve spoken greatly about tyranny. If you can find the true meaning of the word then this key will open your reward. Good luck.

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