Transcript Congress: Investigations and Oversight

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From the 1600s – English traditions of limited and representative government
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Monarchy – King or Queen
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Magna Carta – 1215 King John treated nobles harshly
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Rebelled and forced king to sign the Magna Carta protecting their privileges and authority
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Granted certain rights such as equal treatment under the law and trial by one’s peers (WHAT
AMENDMENTS DOES THAT SOUND LIKE?)
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First form of limiting government
Parliament – England’s law making body – legislature
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Relatives and noble families had power and were given land in exchange for loyalty, taxes, etc.
Common law – no written laws, judges determining right from wrong would look at precedents –
ruling in earlier cases
1600-1700s England established colonies in America.
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Colony-group of people in one place who are ruled by a parent country elsewhere
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Set up through Charter- written document granting land and authority to set up colonial
governments
First permanent settlement was Jamestown in Virginia in 1607
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Colonists chose 2 representatives and 22 of the governors council – House of burgesses.
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Little power but FIRST form of self governance.
1620 – Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth in Massachusetts
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Came in the Mayflower so their compact (Agreement among the people to govern) was called
the Mayflower Compact – 1620
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Set up a direct democracy
1733- all of the13 colonies established
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1760 – King George III took the throne and established a system called
mercantilism (selling more than you buy) to try to make as much money
from the colonies as possible using the colonies as a source for cheap and
raw materials.
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The unequal trade agreements of low priced exports and high priced
imports between the colonies and England led to economic problems
in the Colonies.
“No taxation without representation” – Colonists were upset because
they had no representatives in English Parliament
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Led to a boycott – refuse to buy English products.
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England repealed the taxes.
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Stamp Act; Declaratory Acts; Townshend Acts = MORE BOYCOTTS
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Tea Act – made tea from Britain the cheapest – British East India Company
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Colonists blocked the ships from the colonial ports, dressed as Native
Americans and dumped 342 chests of tea into the ocean = BOSTON TEA
PARTY
English response = Intolerable Acts AKA Coercive Acts restricting colonists
rights and allowing soldiers to search and move into colonists homes
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1774 – FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
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Colonists sent 12 delegates (Representatives) to Philadelphia to discuss
their concerns. They wanted to establish a sort of government in
America to stand up to Britain
Sent a document complaining to King George III and demanding
to get their rights back
 King George III responded violently
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May 1775 – SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
Some people didn’t think Colonists could win a battle against Britain.
Debated long for the best option. During this time Thomas Paine
came out with the “Common Sense” Pamphlet where he argued
breaking from England was common sense.
 Second Continental Congress = First form of Government in the
Colonies
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Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of independence
saying the English Crown was not looking out for the colonists’
best interests. In it they say the purpose of government is to
protect the rights of the people and that they had the right to
overthrow the government for not doing so.
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Influenced by John Locke’s “Second Treatise of Government” - It said
that a good government is based on a social contract where people
agree to give up some of their rights to establish a government and
they can overthrow it if it misuses its power.
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Confederation: group of individuals united together for a purpose
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Articles of Confederation
Good
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States kept power and independence = sovereign
 No government telling states what to do
 Congress can create military to protect the states
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Bad
No way to enforce laws
 States could ignore laws
 No power to collect taxes to pay government funded occupations
 Could only be changed with consent from ALL states
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Limited government? NO! absolutely no government, every man for
himself mentality
Branches of government? No branches but clearly needed some
Citizens rights? No, not defined in Articles
All or nothing? Not effective method for altering Articles
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The Virginia Plan:
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The New Jersey Plan:
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Established our 3 branches of government
two houses and each state would be represented based on
populations.
One house
The Great Compromise/Connecticut Compromise
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2 Houses: the Senate and the House of Representative
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The Senate would have 2 members per state which meant all states
had an equal representation
The House of Representatives would represent their states based
on population.
The Three-Fifths Compromise: every 5 ensalves
persons would count as 3 free persons.
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This way, slaves would count toward the population total to
gain more representation in the House for the southern
states.
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Constitution was drafted to implement a
Federalism
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a form of government in which power is divided
between the federal, or national, government and
the states.
Federalists: supported the document
 Anti-federalists: felt it gave too much power to
the national government; wanted a bill of rights.
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The promise of a bill of rights turned the tide and
Anti-federalists agreed to the proposed Constitution
Needed 9/13 states approval – In 1788, New
Hampshire was the 9th State
 The Constitution was now in effect and the 13
independent states were now one nation, the
United States of America.
 The bill of rights was adopted in 1791, soon after
the Ratification of the Constitution.
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