Transcript A “Republic”

The Constitutional Convention
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1) More than the menace of anarchy, the crisis in
interstate commerce threatened the break
apart the informal union that had been created
by the ineffective Articles of Confederation. A
meeting would prove necessary to revise their
form of government.
The Constitutional Convention
Ex. – The state governments
of Virginia and Maryland
had reached an effective
agreement concerning the
navigation of the
Chesapeake Bay and its
tributaries and wanted
Pennsylvania and
Delaware to join. However,
such trade agreements
were illegal without of the
consent of the national
Congress.
The Constitutional Convention
On May 25th, 1787, a very select and wealthy
group of 55 delegates convened in Philadelphia
and conducted very secretive debates
concerning the future of the country. The
delegates ignored their command of revising the
Articles of Confederation and boldly proposed
an entirely new form of government under a new
Constitution.
The Constitutional Convention
6) Key Figures:
A) George Washington –
lent his enormous
prestige to the
Convention by coming
out of retirement to
serve as its Chairman.
He rarely involved
himself in debate and
his leadership and
guidance helped to
foster compromise in
heated arguments.
The Constitutional Convention
B) Ben Franklin – at 81 years old was the
eldest and most respected statesmen in
America.
The Constitutional Convention
C) James Madison – a young
Virginia legislator that so
greatly contributed and
influenced major debates
during the convention that
he is known as the “Father
of the Constitution.”
Madison was also the most
disciplined note taker
during the convention and
is the key source for
knowing what took place
among the delegates that
framed the Constitution.
The Constitutional Convention
D) Alexander Hamilton –
a young New York
delegate that was the
strongest advocate
for a strong
centralized
government that
would be superior
over the states.
The Constitutional Convention
E) George Mason – the
author of the
Virginia Declaration
of Rights that was
very skeptical of
making the national
government more
powerful than the
state governments.
The Constitutional Convention
F) Governor Morris – a
delegate from
Pennsylvania that is
responsible for writing
major sections of the
Constitution, including
the famous opening
phrases that are
commonly known as
the “Preamble.”
The Constitutional Convention
Jefferson
John Adams
Paine
S. Adams
Henry
4) Many fiery Revolutionary leaders were absent
from the Philadelphia Convention. (Thomas
Jefferson, John Adams, and Thomas Paine were
in Europe; Samuel Adams and John Hancock
were not chosen by the state of Massachusetts;
and Patrick Henry was chosen by the Virginia
legislature, but declined to attend, declaring that
he “smelled a rat”)
The Constitutional Convention
5) The Constitution amounted to a series of
compromises that were forged between the
competing factions that developed during the
Philadelphia Convention. The resulting
Constitution established a solid framework for
American government that ensured its survival
and endurance to this day.
The Constitutional Convention
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9) Similar to the Declaration of Independence, the
Constitution only partially addressed several
fundamental issues that would have to be
decided by future generations.
Ex. – the future of slavery, the authority of the
national government over the states (the power
of the “Union”), the expansion of suffrage (the
right to vote), etc.
Constitutional Compromises
A) The Legislature
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1) The national legislature (Congress) was the only branch of
government created under the Articles of Confederation.
Every state retained one vote despite the size of their
respective populations. Congress was considered to be
the most powerful branch of government because it had
the ability to write laws but it would soon need change.
A) The Legislature
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
3) The Virginia Plan was primarily developed by
James Madison. It largely influenced the overall
framework of the Constitution because it
advocated the creation of a powerful central
government with three separate branches:
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.
A) The Legislature
4) For the organization of the national Congress, the
Virginia Plan called for the creation of a twohouse legislature (bi-cameral) where one house
was elected directly by the people and the other
was appointed by the state legislatures (state
congresses).
A) The Legislature
54 According to the Virginia Plan, the number of
representatives for each state in both houses of
Congress would be based on a state’s
population. Larger states like Virginia would
obviously benefit from this plan because it would
give them disproportionate control of the
government.
A) The Legislature
5) Delegates from small
states responded by
proposing the New
Jersey Plan. This
called for a one house
legislature (unicameral) with one
representative per
state. Representatives
would be chosen by the
state legislatures (state
congresses) and would
not be elected directly
by the people.
A) The Legislature
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7) The New Jersey Plan called for a national
Congress very similar to the one created under
the Articles of Confederation. The only change
would be that the powers of the national
Congress would be greatly expanded.
A) The Legislature
8) The large state and small
state controversy
degenerated into a bitter
dispute that threatened to
leave the Philadelphia
convention in complete
deadlock. Roger Sherman
of Connecticut helped to
frame a workable
compromise that masterfully
combined portions of both
plans.
A) The Legislature
9) The Connecticut Compromise = created a
two-house congress that benefited both
large and small states.
A) The Legislature
-THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
(lower house) = Elected directly by the
people and the number of
representatives is based on a state’s
population.
-THE SENATE (upper house) = Appointed
by state legislatures (state congresses)
and every state gets two senators.
B) The President
1) The most significant revision to the old Articles
of Confederation was the addition of a strong
executive branch to the national government.
The office of President was created to ensure
that the laws passed by the legislative branch
would be executed and enforced.
B) The President
2) To eliminate suspicions of a monarchy,
several provisions were included
concerning the impeachment and removal
of the President if they abused the power
of their office.
B) The President
3) The powers granted by Constitution were
carefully divided among three different branches.
An intricate system of checks and balances
made the three branches dependent upon one
another in order to prevent the government from
becoming tyrannical.
B) The President
Ex. –Recognizing that human nature was
corruptible, James Madison stated that, “If men
were angels, no government would be necessary.”
The government developed by the Framers of the
Constitution was purposefully designed to counter
mankind’s flaws. Madison explained that,
“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.”
B) The President
VS.
4) By retaining the power to veto laws passed by
Congress, the President also served as an
important check on the power of the legislative
branch. As a balance to the veto power,
Congress could override the President’s veto if
the law was passed with a 2/3rds majority in both
houses.
B) The President
5) Some of the stronger
advocates of a powerful
central government like
Alexander Hamilton argued
that an elected President
should serve for life on the
basis of good behavior.
However, most delegates to
the Philadelphia convention
believed this too closely
resembled a monarchy and
they agreed to limit the
President to four year
terms, but allowed for reelection
B) The President
2004
6) Similar to the Senate, the President was to be
elected by the state legislatures. Unlike the
Senate, the President was indirectly elected by
the people through the Electoral College system.
The Electoral College is based on a series of
popular elections in the states to determine what
candidate will be awarded that state’s electoral
votes (based on the number of representatives
and senators a state has.)
B) The President
11+ 2 = 13
Ex. – Virginia is worth 13 electoral votes
because it has 11 Representatives + 2
Senators
C) Voting
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1) The Electoral College system was also developed
to prevent the direct election of the President by
the people. The appointed state electors are
intended to cast their vote for President
according to the popular elections of their states,
but they are not required to do so.
C) Voting
2) State electors were nominated by the wealthy state
legislatures and could serve as a guard against the
whims and passions of the common voter if they elected
a dangerous leader. They were concerned that the
unrestrained and uneducated voice of the “mob” would
radically alter the government and threaten their
positions of power.
C) Voting
VS.
4) Ben Franklin was one of the few at the
Philadelphia Convention that favored universal
white male suffrage, but more conservative
voices like Alexander Hamilton triumphed and
ensured that only white male property owners
would have the right to vote.
C) Voting
1/2
1/2
5) Reflecting the fears of widespread
democracy, the Constitution only allowed
the House of Representatives to be directly
elected by the people (white male property
owners).
D) Slavery
1) Despite movements to abolish slavery in many
northern states, the Philadelphia Convention
decided to preserve the institution in the hopes
of preserving the “Union.” Unfortunately,
regional unity outweighed concerns for justice
and human dignity.
D) Slavery
Ex. – James Madison wrote that, “Great as the evil
[of slavery] is, a dismemberment of the union
would be worse.”
Ex. – Thomas Jefferson compared slavery to
“holding a wolf by the ears- you didn’t like it, but
by God you didn’t let go.”
D) Slavery
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3) Not only did the South retain slavery, but it
also wanted to count slaves as part of their
populations. The North opposed this
because slaves were not legally
considered to be citizens.
D) Slavery
3/5
3/5
4) A compromise between Northern and
Southern delegates decided that slaves
would be counted as 3/5ths of person
when determining a state’s population =
“The 3/5ths Compromise.”
D) Slavery
5) Despite the continuance of slavery,
Northern and Southern delegates agreed
to end the slave trade in 1808.
E) State vs. National Authority
1) One area of general agreement among the
convention delegates was that the national
government should be greatly strengthened. It
was generally accepted that the weak national
Congress needed to have the power to regulate
interstate commerce, establish uniform trade
policies with foreign nations, and be able to
collect tax revenue.
E) State vs. National Authority
2) However, the convention delegates were divided
over exactly how much power should be granted
to the national government. More conservative
delegates like Alexander Hamilton favored a
system that resembled the British Parliament.
E) State vs. National Authority
3) More moderate delegates favored a
strengthening of the federal government,
but worried that centralized authority
would become oppressive and would
destroy the several state governments.
E) State vs. National Authority
5) To protect the position of the states, the
delegates purposefully created a “federal”
system that divided powers between the
state and national governments.
E) State vs. National Authority
A) Expressed Powers = Article I, Section 8 of the
Constitution lists several powers specifically
granted to the national government. (Ex. – declare
war, levy and collect taxes, regulate interstate
commerce, etc.)
E) State vs. National Authority
B) Reserved Powers = These are powers
that are specifically reserved for the
states.
E) State vs. National Authority
C) Shared Powers = Several powers are
shared by both the state and national
governments (Ex. – levy and collect
taxes, enforce laws, establish courts, etc.)
E) State vs. National Authority
D) Implied Powers = The 18th power listed in Article
I, Section 8 states that the national Congress can
do all things “necessary and proper” in order to
carry out its expressed powers. National
authority has been greatly expanded through
“implied powers” that have been interpreted to
fall under the Necessary and Proper Clause.
(a.k.a. – the Elastic Clause)
E) State vs. National Authority
6) The Supremacy Clause - despite the
establishment of a federal system that shared
powers with the states, the Constitution also
clearly declares that national law is supreme
over state law.
E) State vs. National Authority
7) However, the 10th Amendment to the
Constitution, passed as a part of the Bill of
Rights, states that all powers not specifically
granted to the national government are
reserved for the states.
E) State vs. National Authority
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8) The Constitution is not entirely clear concerning
conflicting laws between the national and state
governments. The authority of the national
government over the states comes from very
vague portions of the Constitution.
E) State vs. National Authority
9) The “Union” created by the Constitution
undeniably created a powerful national
government, but its supremacy over the
states remained untested.
Groups
Brooke Showalter
Nicole Kyger
B. Adams
Lauren Prieur
Ally Brimmer
Huma Afridi
Morgan Lowe
Dylan May
Lauren Johnson
Zach Huffman
Allison Carpenter
Michael Michtich
Ayu Yifru
Rachel Clatterbuck
Jack Darrah
Makalyn Nesselrodt
Brianna Shoemaker
Morgan Nutter
Brittany Comer
Groups
• Avianna Terschueren
• McKenzie Jenkins
• Hunter Garrison
Hannah Fowler
Adam Duncan
Reed Miller
• Wes Eichlin
• Matt Weston
• Jose Vargas
Nic Halvorsen
Rema Dixon
Will Houff
• Irene Hamilton
• Derek Elliot
• Mitch Kincaid
Partners
Claire Sheikl
David Hinkle
Jenna Price
Sierra Hepner
Elizabeth Dofflemyer
Hannah Bailey
Christian Lucas
Eli Haag
Grace King
Katie Watson
Luke Camper
Addy Fitzgerald
Brandon Liskey
Sydney Robb
Greg Guntharp
Zac Labua
Andrew Coffman
Christiane Mushagasha
David Holsinger
Madeline High
Allyse Dillard
Eric Thompson
Abby Hall
Zach Reese
Madison Cruey
Sierra Motsinger
Yesley Lim
Jessie Arnold
Ian Benson
Ratification
1) After nearly five months of debate and
compromise, the Constitution was adopted by
the delegates of the Philadelphia Convention.
Only forty-two of the original fifty-five delegates
remained to sign the Constitution. The new
system of government was adopted by a vote of
39 with three refusing to sign.
Ratification
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2) Despite the requirement for a unanimous vote to
amend the Articles of Confederation, the
Convention delegates mandated that the
Constitution would become the supreme law of
the land when nine states voted to ratify it
through specially elected conventions. (a 2/3rds
majority)
Ratification
3) State conventions required that each state
had to elect delegates to debate the
Constitution and decide if that state would
ratify the new system of government.
Ratification
THE FEDERALISTS
THE ANTI-FEDERALISTS
4) Heated debates flared throughout America and
many leaders were reluctant to sacrifice so much
state sovereignty to the new national
government. Two key factions emerged over the
Constitutional debate, the pro-ratification
Federalists and the Anti-Federalist opposition.
The Federalists
1) Leaders: James Madison, Alexander
Hamilton, George Washington, and Ben
Franklin.
The Federalists
2) The Federalists supported the ratification of
the Constitution and took their name from
the new “federal” system that it sought to
establish.
The Federalists
3) The Federalists tended to be wealthier and
were concentrated along the eastern
seaboard because of their involvement in
trade, commerce, and industry.
The Federalists
4) In addition to the
advantage of wealth
and influence, they
also controlled a
great majority of the
newspapers and
were better
organized than their
Anti-Federalist
opposition.
The Anti-Federalists
1) Leaders: Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee,
George Mason, and Samuel Adams.
The Anti-Federalists
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2) The Anti-Federalists opposed the
ratification of the Constitution because
they feared a strong central government
and favored greater states’ rights.
The Anti-Federalists
3) Anti-Federalists
tended to be rural
farmers concentrated
in western areas and
they were less
educated and poorer
than the average
Federalist.
The Anti-Federalists
VS.
1787
1776
4) They saw the Constitution as a backlash of
wealthy conservatives against the
egalitarian spirit of the Revolution. They
feared that the Constitution would create a
more aristocratic government that favored
wealth.
The Anti-Federalists
5) Without the protection of a Bill of Rights,
the Anti-Federalists also worried that the
new central government would easily
suppress the rights and liberties of the
people.
The National Debate
1) After state conventions were elected, a
fierce debate over the Constitution began
in the fall of 1787. Four small states
almost immediately ratified the new
government.
The National Debate
6) When New Hampshire became the ninth
state to ratify, and the Constitution was
adopted, many undecided Virginians now
tipped the scales in favor ratification in a
close vote of 89 to 79.
The National Debate
Madison
Hamilton
Jay
7) To overcome the strong Anti-Federalists odds in
New York, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison,
and John Jay secretly authored a series of
essays known as the “Federalist Papers” to
make stirring arguments in support of the
Constitution.
The National Debate
8) Over 85 Federalist Papers were published
in New York newspapers and many
believed that this helped to narrowly win
ratification in the slim vote of 30 to 27.
The National Debate
9) In 1789, George
Washington was
elected as the first
President with the
new Constitution
firmly in place. This
new system had
fundamentally
redefined the role of
American
government.