Race to Ratify

About Race to Ratify

Race to Ratify drops you into 1787, where the ink is still drying on the new Constitution. Will it become the law of the land or will it fall into the dustbin of history? The fate of the young nation is in your hands! Dive deep into the heated national debate over the future of a radical new plan for American government. Travel across the 13 states to hear from a diverse and opinionated cast of characters and use what you have learned to influence others through the social media of the time... pamphlets.

Can you be a ratification #influencer?

Race to Ratify teaches the big ideas at the core of the ratification debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

Sign up for an iCivics account to earn Impact Points!

Teachers: Check out our classroom resources for Race to Ratify. Just visit www.icivics.org!

Learning Objectives: Players will...
-identify the main stances of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists between 1787 and 1789.
-understand the key debates surrounding the ratification of the constitution, including an extended republic, the House of Representatives, the Senate, executive power, the judiciary, and a bill of rights.
-interact with the ideas, perspectives, and arguments that defined the ratification debate.
-explore the many different viewpoints, which spanned geographic regions, populations, and socio-economic class that permeated this historic period.
-identify the building blocks of the proposed Constitution.
-engage with competing ideas in order to form an effective and cohesive set of arguments for, or against, ratification within a state.