confederation to constitution
Download
Report
Transcript confederation to constitution
After the War
The 13 colonies are now free of British rule and are a
new country called The United States of America
The Americans control all of the land from the
Atlantic to the Mississippi and from the Gulf of
Mexico and to the Great Lakes
British still control Canada and Spanish are west of
Mississippi
Defining a Country
Following the American Revolution, the newly
established United States of America faced the
challenge of defining itself as a new country.
At first, the Americans are worried about a strong
central government for the nation, leading to a
weak, ineffective one under the Articles of
Confederation
The US Constitution creates a stronger central
government to replace the failed Confederation
This new Constitution protects many American rights
and liberties with the Bill of Rights
Section 1 – The
Confederation Era
Vocabulary
Confederation Congress – national legislative body
created by the Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation – plan for national
government in the US ratified in 1781
Northwest Territory – lands northwest of the
Appalachian Mountains
Northwest Ordinance – law that described how the
NW Territory would be governed
Background
Republic – state, country or nation in which people
elect representatives to govern them
Ratification – an act of official conformation
Neutral – not siding with one country or another
Framing a Government
The new Americans wanted to fix some of the
things they thought were wrong with Britain,
so their new government:
Was a republic that allowed people to vote on
representatives (but not everyone could vote)
Had strong state constitution that outlined people’s
rights and defined the states powers
Had a weak national (or central) government
This government was formed under the
Articles of Confederation
Homework
Read hand out about Articles of Confederation and be
prepared for a short quiz about the information
Quiz
1. What was the first government created by the Americans
called?
2. What was the name of the document that said how this
government would work?
3. True or false: The first government appointed a king for the
US.
4. True or false: This government had strong state
governments and a weak national government
5. Name one power of this national government
6. Name two weaknesses of this government
Powers of Confederation
Congress
Allowed by Congress
Denied to Congress
Conduct foreign affairs
Establish executive branch
(president)
Declare war and make
peace
Enforce national laws
Enact or collect taxes
Control Western lands and
Indian affairs
Regulate trade between states or
other countries
Establish Federal courts
Run postal service
Amend Articles
Issue or borrow money
Why might the national government been weak
because of the powers it was denied?
Strengths and Weaknesses with
the Articles of Confederation
The Land Ordinance of 1785 establishes how new
territories and states are created
No slavery, rivers are free, freedom or religion and trial by
jury
Limited national government’s ability to deal with
foreign countries
Spain and Britain refuse to allow American trade in the
Caribbean and around Great Lakes
Inability to levy taxes keeps national government poor
Can’t pay debts from war (soldiers)
States have to raise their own taxes which makes people mad
Homework
Yellow words for section 2 on page 242 in notes or on
note cards
Read “The Northwest Territory” on page 240-241 and
answer the 3 questions on page 241 “Connect
Geography and History”
Section 2 – Creating a
Constitution
Vocabulary
Checks and balances – system in which each branch of government checks
the power of the other branches
Executive branch – part of government that enforces laws and leads country
Legislative branch – part of government that makes laws
Judicial branch – part of government that interprets laws
Government
Constitutional Convention – 1787 meeting that created the US Constitution
Virginia Plan – proposal for legislature based on population or wealth
New Jersey Plan – proposal for legislature in which each state got 1 vote
Great Compromise – agreement that establishes 2 house legislature with 1
house having equal representation and 1 with representation based on
population
Three-fifths Compromise – agreement that slaves would count as 3/5ths of a
person for representation and taxation
People
Founders – people who helped create the US Constitution
James Madison – important advisor to the Constitutional Convention
Calling for a Convention
What: a group meeting to discuss changes that the
national government needed
Who: the Founding Fathers (Madison, Hamilton,
Washington and others)
When: starting on May 25, 1787
Where: Philadelphia PA
Why: they recognized the Articles of Confederation were
not strong enough and the US might fail
How: Each state sent representatives to the convention
including many famous men of the time
John
Adams
Samuel
Adams
Ben
Franklin
John
Hancock
• James
Madison
Challenges at the
Convention
There were many things to discuss at the convention
and many delegates were still worried about creating a
national government that was too strong
Two issues they had to agree on were:
Representation and
Slavery
Representation in
Government
Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
Favored states with large
populations
Favored states with small
populations
Two houses with the
number of votes based on
the population of the state
One house with one vote
per state regardless of
population
• Both plans created an executive and judicial branch and proposed
system of checks and balances to keep one branch form getting too
much power
• Eventually, The Great Compromise solves the conflict by creating
two houses in the legislature, one with equal votes and one with
representation based on population
Questions about Slavery
What: deciding who “counted” in a states population
Who: African-American slaves
When: during the Constitutional Convention
Where: debate between the Northern and Southern delegates
How: Southern states wanted slaves counted so they had larger
populations while Northern states did not
Why: The delegates agree on the Three-Fifths Compromise
which counted 3/5ths of a state’s slaves in the population for
representation and taxation. The Compromise also protected
slavery in the South
Slave population in 1790
Powers of State and
National Government
Homework
Yellow word vocabulary for chapter 8 section 3 on
page 248
Section assessment questions for section 2 on page 247
#s 4, 5 & 6
Quiz on the first 10 amendments (the Bill of Rights)
next week
See handout – we will be talking about them next week
but start to work on memorizing them now
Section 3 – Ratification and the
Bill of Rights
Vocabulary
Federalism – system of government in which power is shared
between the national government and the states
Federalists – people who supported the Constitution
Anti-federalists – people who opposed the Constitution
The Federalists Papers – essays published in newspapers
about the Constitution
Amendment – an addition to a document
Bill of Rights – the first ten amendments to the Constitution
Majority rule – system in which of more than half the group
agrees, the decision binds the whole group
Arguments Over
Ratification
After the Constitution was written, two different
groups emerged; those that were for the Constitution
and those against it.
The most important difference was what role the
national government would play and how it related to
state government
Those in favor of the Constitution and national (or
federal) government were called Federalists
Those against it were called Anti-federalists
Concerns of the Federalists
and Anti-federalists
Federalists
Anti-federalists
Federalism is a system of
government in which the
national and state
governments share power
Thought the Constitution
took too much power from
the states
Also, the 3 branches and
checks and balances would
keep things equal
Supported by rural areas
and large population states
Federalists James Madison,
Alexander Hamilton and
John Jay wrote essays called
The Federalists Papers to
support their cause
Patrick Henry, Samuel
Adams and James Monroe
were important Antifederalists
Protecting People’s Rights
The Anti-federalists wanted a list of rights that were
guaranteed to be protected and that the national
government could not take away
They wanted a Bill of Rights
Eventually, the Federalists agree to this demand and
the Bill of Rights is added at the end of the
Constitution making the first 10 amendments to it
The Bill of Rights
1.
Religious and political freedom
2.
Right to bear arms
3.
No Quartering troops
4.
No illegal search and seizure
5.
Rights of accused people
6.
Right to speedy, public trial
7.
Right to jury trial
8.
Limits fines and punishment
9.
Rights of people
10.
Powers of states and people
Ratification
The Constitution still needed to be ratified and had to
be approved by 9 of the 13 states according to the
Articles of Confederation
Nine states approve it between December 1787 and
June 1788
However, Virginia, New York and North Carolina do
not and many are worried that is will fail without the
large states support
Ratification continued
Both Virginia and New York eventually ratify it after
the states agree to adding a Bill of Rights
North Carolina does not ratify it until AFTER George
Washington is sworn in as the first president
Improvements to the US
Government (pg. 253)
Confederation Weakness
Constitution Strength
National government could not
collect taxes
Could collect taxes
Could not regulate trade
Allowed to regulate trade
No national courts
Established national court
No president
Established president
One state, one vote (no
population
Proportional representation
Laws approved by 3/4th of states
Simple majority needed
Amendments must be
unanimous
Only 2/3rds needed
Homework
Section assessment questions on page 254 #s 3, 4, 6 & 7
Review Day – 7-1 Thursday 17th
7-2 Friday 18th
Test Day – Tuesday 22nd
Review
Democracy – government of the people, everyone gets
to vote on laws
Republic – a bunch of smaller groups together forming
one big government, elect representatives to vote on
laws