Raising the Eleventh Pillar: The Ratification Debate of 1788 (Flashpoints)

Bring primary sources and historical debates to life

Raising the Eleventh Pillar brings to life the debates surrounding ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Delegates to the New York State Ratifying Convention first debate the nature of representative government before considering issues such as the size of the lower house and recall. Drawing on primary sources, Federalists and Antifederalists must convince undecided voters―and the ending could prove explosive.

From the award-winning Reacting to the Past community, Flashpoints is a new series of immersive role-playing activities designed to help students bring historical ideas and forces to life. Games are designed to take about one week of class time in a survey course, between two and four class sessions. Drawing on primary sources to craft arguments and inform debates, students develop critical thinking and historical empathy. Classroom-tested materials for students and instructors ensure a smooth “flipped classroom” experience.

John Patrick Coby is professor of government at Smith College, where he teaches courses in political theory. He is the author of four books and of numerous scholarly articles and reviews. His books are Socrates and the Sophistic Enlightenment: A Commentary on Plato’s Protagoras; Machiavelli’s Romans: Liberty and Greatness in the Discourses on Livy; Henry VIII and the Reformation Parliament; and Thomas Cromwell: Machiavellian Statecraft and the English Reformation. He has just finished a fifth book, America’s Founding: The Constitutional Convention of 1787. He is the recipient of three teaching prizes: the Smith College Faculty Teaching Award, the Sherrerd Prize for Distinguished Teaching, and the Board of Trustees Honored Professor Award.