Constitution and Ratification Middle School Video

0:02 Welcome to the museum. Today we’re investigating a source from the 1780s. It will give us a glimpse into the heated debate over the new US Constitution. Our exploration of the political cartoon will give us some insight and historical context to create a document analysis summary and answer an important historical question. What were the

0:23 principles of the new constitution? and how did they shape the debate between the federalists and anti-federalists? Take a look at this political cartoon by Amos Doolittle, The Looking Glass. It was published in response to the debate between federalists and anti-federalists in Connecticut on the eve of ratification. Although Connecticut was not a major player in the debate for

0:45 ratification, this primary source gives us clues about the larger debate nationwide. Let’s take a look at a few key details. the caption, the title, and the figures in the image. The caption says, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." This phrase might sound familiar. It was

1:05 later used by Abraham Lincoln, and it’s a passage from the Bible, but here it’s warning about division over ratifying the Constitution. Dittle suggests that without unity, the new nation could collapse. Now think about the title, the looking glass. A looking glass is another word for a mirror. What might the artist want

1:27 people to reflect on? Dittle is asking Americans to take a hard look at the arguments for and against the Constitution. Finally, let’s examine the people in the cartoon. Notice how the federalists appear on the side where the sun is shining and the sky is clear while the anti-federalists are seen under a cloudy

1:47 stormy sky. There’s even lightning that has started a fire. Dittle was a federalist himself and his art reflects his belief that the constitution was necessary to strengthen the nation. There is an imaginary line stretching down the painting with federalists and their ideas appearing on the left and anti-federalists on the

2:07 right. Let’s look at the painting on each side with this in mind. We see a hill on the left. This can mean that the Federalists have the high ground or moral superiority in the fight for ratifying the Constitution. Meanwhile, on the other side of the image, we see New York being struck by lightning from the storm. This is likely a comment on

2:29 the real debate over the Constitution happening in New York. There’s a strong anti-federalist sentiment there. There is so much more to discover in this image. We didn’t even get to discuss the speech bubbles or this man behaving badly on the anti-federalist side. But I think we have enough to answer our historical question. Let’s head to our

2:52 classroom to break this down. Now that you’ve analyzed the cartoon, let’s use view to understand its perspective. View stands for voice,

3:12 intent, environment, and who. And it is a process for analyzing historical documents. First, voice. The voice of this source is Amos Doolittle, a federalist engraver who supported the Constitution. Next, intent. His intent was to persuade Americans to ratify the Constitution by showing the dangers of

3:33 the vision. Then environment. The cartoon was created in 1787 during the ratification debate. Some delegates at state ratifying conventions. The anti-federalists were hesitant about a stronger federal government while others believed it was necessary for stability. Finally who

3:55 the audience for this cartoon was? the American public, particularly people in Connecticut who were deciding whether to voice support or opposition to the new constitution. The vote for ratification would ultimately be decided by representatives. But just like today, public sentiment mattered and Dittle was trying to sway the populace. By using

4:15 view, we see that Doolittle’s cartoon supports the federalist argument. A strong constitution would hold the nation together. Now let’s see if we can use this analysis to help us answer our historical question. The question is what were the principles of the new constitution and how did they shape the debate between the federalists and

4:36 anti-federalists? There are many principles at play here but I think I’ll focus on a debate over separation of powers, federalism and liberty. These were key principles of the federalist cause. Then we need to address the debate between federalists and anti-federalists based on what we know from our source. Amos Doolittle was

4:56 a federalist who supported the constitution. On the other hand, anti-federalists feared the constitution would give the national government too much power. How about a response like the constitution was based on principles of federalism, separation of powers, and liberty. Federalists like Amos Doolittle argued that these principles would

5:17 protect the country from division while anti-federalists feared too much government control. This response connects our analysis of the cartoon to the broader ratification debate. Great work today. You’ve analyzed a primary source, practice using few sentences, and built a historical argument.

5:38 We’ve explored a single moment in time. But history is more than just states and documents. It’s a story of choices, conflicts, and ideas that still shape us today. That’s why learning history matters. The same arguments over government power, rights, and representation are still happening today. By studying the past,

5:59 we gain insight into how we shape the future.