Transcript Our Political Beginnings

Our Political Beginnings
American Government
Chapter Two
Basic Concepts of Gov’t

Ordered Government
-Colonists from England saw the need for orderly
regulation of their relationship with one another.

Limited Government
-Colonists brought with them the idea that gov’t should
not be all powerful.

Representative Government
-Colonists brought with them the idea that gov’t should
serve the will of the people.
Landmark English Documents
The Magna Carta
-Established the principle of limited gov’t and fundamental rights of
English citizens.
 The Petition of Right
-Limited the monarch’s authority and elevated the power of
Parliament while extending the rights of the individual.
 The Bill of Rights
-Redefined the rights of Parliament and the rights of

individuals.
Check out page 64 in your text to take a look at
commonalities b/t these documents and our own.
New Political Ideas

Thomas Hobbes – Leviathan
– Utopian society,
everything/one equal

Montesquieu – The Spirit of
Laws (1751)
– Divide political authority into
three branches/powers
 Each separate branch will
promote liberty

John Locke – Second Treatise on
Gov’t (1690)
– People lived in a state of nature,
all were free and equal with no
laws.
– People have rights to life, liberty,
and property, according to “natural
law”
 If a Gov’t doesn’t protect these
rights overthrow it!
– Social Contract Theory… ring a
bell?
– T.J. borrowed this idea
– “Freedom of [people] under gov’t
is to have a standing rule to live
by…made by the legislative power
vested in it; a liberty to follow
[one’s] own will in all things, when
the rule prescribes not, and not to
be subject to the inconsistent,
uncertain, unknown, arbitrary will
of another…”
You say you want a revolution…

So…….
– Why did we have the
AMERICAN REVOLUTION?
 So…….
– We won and wrote the Declaration of
Independence!
– What do we do now???
1st and 2nd Continental Congress’

1st came up with the Embargo
– They agreed to not use British goods or trade with
them.
– Caused 1st clash of the Revolutionary war at
Lexington & Concord.

2nd said each state should draw up its ideas of
government to allow them to function until a
National Government is constructed.
– Would this be a unitary, federal or confederate gov’t?

This is what early states did. Many made their
courts independent from the governor’s control,
so that government leaders did not get too
much power.
What else did they do?

Since liberty was an undeniable theme in the
revolutionary war each state made a bill of
rights to protect citizens’ natural rights.

Many states had laws allowing religious
freedom, expanding suffrage.
– Some even to African American men like
Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
– New Jersey even let white women vote after the war,
but took away the right in 1807
What else did they do?

Second Continental Congress also
recommended that a permanent national
government be founded to oversee new
state governments.

Careful because we don’t want to give
away state sovereignty or power.
Origins of the new Government

June 1776 the 2nd continental congress
appointed a committee of 13 (one per colony) to
create a constitution.

Met for a month to discuss and draft the new
document, “The Articles of Confederation”.
– Was a central government with limited powers.

Approved in November 1777 and sent to states
to ratify, all 13 had to approve before it could be
put into force – ratified in 1781.
Why did it take so long?

Many states claimed territory to west of
Mississippi.
– VA and NY had largest claims.

States could sell land to pay off war debts!
– States without land claims wanted the land to
be turned over to the central gov’t.
– Maryland refused to ratify until all states had
given up their land claims.

In 1781 everyone gave up land claims and
ARTICLES WERE RATIFIED.
The Articles of Confederation:
Powers
Each state had one vote on this congress.
 Could borrow money.
 Could request soldiers.
 Could negotiate and make treaties with
foreign nations and Indians.
 Could resolve conflicts between the
States.

What they could not do…
Can’t force states to provide soldiers for
an army.
 Couldn’t enforce international treaties.
 Couldn’t protect citizens
 No executive power or central judicial
system.
 Can’t tax!
 Coin money

More problems with the new
and weak Government…
Had trouble kicking GB off their old forts after
the war…no army.
 Lost a trading partner b/c of the war.

– GB and Canada

Spain shut off the Mississippi River to our trade
flow and would only re-open if we would say it
belonged to them.
– Gov’t can’t establish tariffs.

Interstate trade was tough (bullies, currencies)
– Can’t regulate interstate trade, can’t coin money

And then…
Shay’s Rebellion
Feb. 27, 1787

Massachusetts wouldn’t issue paper money to
pay the war debt, so they levied taxes on land,
which caused a depression.
– Farmers were hit hard, why?
 Because they had tons of land and no proper gold/paper
money to pay for it with.
Mass sent people/farmers to debtors prison or
they had to sell themselves into servitude.
 Many farmers saw foreclosure; they demanded
change.

Shay’s Rebellion (cont.)

Two months after the Massachusetts legislature
meeting, where they had still refused to print
paper money, farmers in three counties
revolted.
– They had pitchforks and farm tools.

They took to the courts in attempts to close
them.
– Why? Because if the courts were closed, no farms would be
foreclosed.

Daniel Shay, a revolutionary war veteran and
farmer, led the rebellion.
Shay’s Rebellion (cont.)

After closing the court they tried for the
federal arsenal.
– They were rebelling from Jan 26-Feb 4, 1787
The gov’t sent 600 militiamen there.
 A few warning cannons were fired by the
militiamen and the rebels scattered (Jan
1787).
 Most were caught and sentenced early on
to death. Eventually sentences got lighter
and then eventually let go.

Impact of Shay’s Rebellion
Europe saw it as ridiculous.
 Made many more see why the Articles of
Confederation Gov’t were weak.

– When Massachusetts asked for help to put
down the rebellion, the Congress could not
assist them.

People called for a strong national
government that could protect in time of
crisis.
Shay’s Rebellion Assignment



Extra, extra, read all
about it!
Create a front page
story about Shays’
Rebellion and its
implications for the
Articles of
Confederation Gov’t.
10 sentences at least.
– Can be biased
– Can be advice column
– Be creative



Picture, color!
Name your paper
Include historically
accurate information
You have twenty minutes to get started!
So, how do we fix this?

1786 – VA called for a national conference to discuss
economic issues and possible revisions to the Articles of
Confederation.
-Suggested to meet in Annapolis, MD because of the central
location.
-Only five states came, no one from England, GA or Carolina, even
Maryland didn’t come
-They felt it was violating the authority of Congress

Hamilton/Madison scolded states for not coming.
-They said send someone next time: Philly, May 1787
-They said why it as important for people to come

This letter is called the “Annapolis Address” and it was
sent to the Confederation Congress and the governor of
each state.
Constitutional Convention, May 1787
In Feb the Confederation Congress invited
each state to send delegates to the
convention in Philly.
 It was held in May at Independence Hall.
 The delegates wanted to keep it a secret,
pretty sure that more public input would
only complicate things.
 12 states sent a total of 55 delegates;
Rhode Island only one not there.

Who were these delegates?
College educated, history, law, political
philosophy, congressmen, state legislators.
 James Madison was one of the more famous and
important.

-He wanted to preserve powers of state within the strong
union.
-He took notes the whole time and inputted in a lot of the
discussions.
-Persuaded Washington to come and participate and lend his
authority to the convention
-Wash was quickly and unanimously elected President
of the Convention, he headed VA delegation
Who was not there?
Thomas Jefferson was in France and John
Adams was in GB; both ambassadors to
those areas.
 Sam Adams and Patrick Henry both
disagreed with the convention – why?
 Women, African Americans, and Native
Americans were absent.

-Didn’t have full rights of citizens, including the right
to represent other citizens in gov’t.
Differing Ideologies…

Right away, where will people disagree?
– Some members thought the articles should just be
revised, others said rewrite.
– Those who wanted them to be rewritten had different
views too.
– Small and large states had different concern about
representatives.
– Regional issues, economic concerns separated the
North from the South and the East from the West.
– Some wanted a strong national gov’t while others
wanted a less centralized and weaker national gov’t.
Three Big Compromises!!!
 Representation
 Population
 Slave
Trade
Compromise #1
Representation – The VA Plan
Edmund Randolph presented a plan for gov’t
the “large state plan” aka the “VA Plan”
 It included:

– New Constitution which made strong central gov’t.
– There were three branches of national gov’t: executive,
judicial, and legislative.
– Legislation was bi-cameral (two house) with
representatives chosen in proportion to state population.
 Small
state delegates objected…why?
The New Jersey Plan

NJ delegate William Paterson presented the
“small state plan” or the “New Jersey Plan”.
– Proposed to keep existing congress.
– Unicameral, one house, legislature with each state
entitled to an equal number of votes.
 All states would have an equal voice in the fed gov’t.
– All acts ratified by Congress would be law of states
and state judiciary will be bound by their decision.
– Federal gov’t has power to tax citizens in all states.

Delegates from large states thought….?
The Great Compromise:
There was a committee formed to reach a
compromise on representation.
 Roger Sherman, of Connecticut, was on
this and proposed a “Great Compromise”.

– For NJ supporters:
 Every state, regardless of size, would have an
equal vote in the upper house of the legislature.
– For VA supporters:
 Lower house, each state would get one rep for
every 40,000 people.
Compromise #2
Population Determination

South says they want the slaves to count
towards their population, but they
shouldn’t have to pay taxes for them…

North says don’t let them count slaves for
population…they aren’t even taxed! Can’t
do one without the other.
The 3/5 Compromise
Edmund Randolph and James Wilson
proposed the 3/5 compromise.
 The slave population in the south would
be… for every five, three would count.
 That number would go towards
determining a number for the state in the
House of Representatives.

Quote by Gov. Morris

“The admission of slaves into the Representation
comes to this: that the inhabitant of a [a state]
who goes to the coast of Africa and in defiance
of the most sacred laws of humanity tears away
his fellow creatures from their dearest
connections and damns them to the most cruel
bondage, shall have more votes in a
Government instituted for protection of the
rights of mankind, that the citizens of [a state]
who view…with horror, so nefarious [evil] a
practice.”
Compromise #3
The Slave Trade
Some delegates wanted to ban it all together.
 Those who wanted to keep the slave trade,
pointed out that the economy of states like SC
and GA would suffer tremendously with out
importing slaves.
 Some people threatened to oppose the new
constitution and withdraw from the Union if
immediate ban on the slave trade was included
in the document.

So…We Compromise!
The north delegates agreed to let the slave
trade continue without interference for the next
twenty years.
 The south delegates would drop their demand
that laws in congress be passed with a 2/3
majority vote.

– Problem b/c they could have easily gotten a majority
with the HOR.

FYI: the terms “slave” and “slavery” aren’t used
in the Constitution, instead “free person” and
“all other persons” are used.
So…do you think the
Constitutional Convention
accomplished its goals?
What were its goals?
Anti-Federalists
These people opposed the Constitution.
 Why?

–
–
–
–
–

Thought convention delegates had gone too far
Thought it had special privileges for a limited few
Thought it gave the central gov’t too much power
President will become a King
Biggest issue: No bill of rights!
Sam Adams and Patrick Henry
– Two prominent Anti-Feds
Quote from Elbridge Gerry:
(one of the conventionists who didn’t sign!)

“My principal objections to the plan
are…that some of the powers of the
legislature are ambiguous, and
others…dangerous; that the
Executive…will have undue influence over
the legislature; that the judicial
department will be oppressive…and that
the system is without the security of a bill
of rights.”
True test came to ratification….
The Constitution would go into effect as soon as 9
states ratified (not 13 like the articles).
 Each state had a special state convention, which gave
ordinary citizens the opportunity to discuss and vote
on whether the const should be ratified.


December 1787 – Delaware, 1st state, ratifies!
– New Hampshire ratified in June 1788, in effect by July
– Time to have the 1st Presidential & Congressional elections.
What about those who didn’t ratify?

Those in power knew that the gov’t would not
succeed without VA (largest population at this
time) and NY (important center for business and
trade).

Virginia:
– Difficult b/c some of the most respected anti-feds
were here (Patrick Henry).
– They feared the President would become a monarch.
– James Madison convinced them to ratify the
constitution.
The Problem with New York

New York:
– Wealthy landowners didn’t like b/c they thought they
would have lots of taxes with the new system.
– John Jay and Alexander Hamilton said if the states
didn’t ratify than N.Y. City would break away and join
the new gov’t…so they caved.

After NY and VA, North Carolina ratified in Nov.
1789, and Rhode Island became the last state to
do so and did in May 1790.
Still a slight problem…
Many states only ratified b/c they were
told a bill of rights would come soon.
 Some federalists thought that a BOR was
not necessary b/c people were promised
those rights with the state constitutions.
 Also, some said the whole constitution
was a big BOR document itself.
 Nevertheless, Madison pushed for a BOR.

The Bill of Rights

Madison got over 200
suggestions for the BOR.
– Would be the 1st
amendments (official
changes, corrections, or
additions) to the
Constitution.

Sep 1789 Congress sent
out a list of 12
amendments to the
states to ratify, by Dec
10 had been ratified by
the required ¾ majority.

The BOR became the
1st 10 amendments.
– They added to the
strength and flexibility
of the Constitution.

Established clear
example for
amendment process
in the future.
Extra Credit Question
Originally 12 amendments were proposed
to be in the Bill of Rights… 10 were
ratified.
 What are the original additional two
proposed that were not accepted?

– Hint… not #11 and #12

Bring them in by the end of the day for a
bonus card!!!