Founding Clause

Read each state's mood, pick the right arguments, and arrange them into a ratifying speech.

How to play

Travel state by state during a ratification convention. Each audience leans a certain way and responds to certain topics. Select up to four arguments from your hand, order them into a speech, and clear the state's persuasion threshold to ratify before moving on.

• Check the audience's lean and the topics it favours
• Pick up to four Federalist or Anti-Federalist arguments
• Reorder your speech with the up and down controls — order matters
• Deliver the speech; reach the persuasion threshold to ratify the state

Controls

• Desktop: click arguments to add them, use the arrow buttons to reorder, click Deliver Speech
• Phone & tablet: tap to select and reorder arguments, then tap Deliver

Tips & strategy

• Lead with the topics the audience already favours to maximise persuasion
• Match the state's lean — the same argument lands differently before different crowds
• If a state rejects you, the recap shows the best possible speech from your hand to learn from

What you'll learn

Founding Clause is a persuasion and deck-ordering game set during the ratification debates, bringing the Constitution's making to life.

• Skills: American history, ratifying the Constitution, persuasion, argument
• Best for: roughly grades 8–12 (ages 13+)
• For parents & teachers: the ratification debate as persuasion.

About Founding Clause

Founding Clause is an original persuasion and deck-ordering game set during the ratification debates. Play free in your browser with a daily convention, an endless practice run and multiple difficulties.

A free, original browser game on PlayPendium — no download, no install. Browse all games →