Transcript Chapter 2: Our Political Beginnings

Chapter 2: Our Political
Beginnings
Concepts of government

Colonists brought
the English
political system
with them to
North America,
including three
key ideas:
3 key ideas
1) Ordered Government: Means o
government's rules should help
people get along.
 2) Limited Government:
Government has restricted powers
 3) Representative government:
Government should serve the
people

Landmark (important) English
Documents
Magna Carta
Signed in 1215
 Declared that the
king did not have
total power
 Protected the
rights of trial by
jury
 Protected due
process

Petition of Right
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1628
Said the king could
not use the military
to rule during
peacetime
Soldiers could not
live in people's
homes during
peacetime
English Bill of Rights
Forbade keeping
an army during
peacetime
 Guaranteed a fair
and speedy trial
 Parliamentary
elections were
free

How the colonies were ruled
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Each colony was
based on a charter.
A charter was a
written grant of
authority from the
king to form a colony.
Royal colonies were
ruled directly by the
Crown.
Proprietary colonies
were organized by an
owner to whom the
king had granted
land.
Most colonies
bicameral (2-house)
or unicameral (onehouse) legislatures.
Articles of Confederation
Governmental structure

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Government was unicameral (one branch
of government).
Congressional committees would handle
executive and judicial functions.
Congress would choose the the president
of the legislature.
This title was not the same as the
President.
Powers under the Articles of
Confederation
1) Make war and peace

2)Send and receive
ambassadors

3) Make treaties

4) Borrow money

5) set up monetary
system
Powers under the Articles of
Confederation
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6) establish post
offices
7) Build navy
8) Raising army by
asking states for
troops
9) Fix uniform weights
and measures
10) Settle disputes
between states
State Obligations
Permit open
travel and trade
 Submit disputes
to congress
 Surrender
fugitives
 Treat citizens
equally

State obligation to citizens

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To protect life and
property of the
citizens of the state
To promote general
welfare of the people
of that state.
Problems with Articles
Virginia Plan
1) 3 Branches
~States that benefited
2) Bicameral legislature
3) Representation
based on population/
wealth
4) Congress chooses
Judiciary & Executive
5) Veto over Congress
~Large states
~Wealthy states
New Jersey plan
1) Unicameral legislature
2) States equally
represented
3) limited power to tax &
trade
4) more than one executive
chosen by legislature
5) judiciary chosen by
executive
~States that benefited:
~Small states
Connecticut Plan
1) Bicameral congress
~States that benefited:
2) Membership in House
based on population
~All states
3)Membership in Senate
based on equal
numbers for each
state
Three-Fifths Compromise
1) Northern States: Both ~States that benefited:
taxes and
representation were
~Southern states for
based on population
population count
2) Southern states could
~Northern states for
add 3/5 of the
taxation
enslaved toward
representation (had to
count them toward
taxes)
Commerce and Slave Trade
Compromise
~Congress was
forbidden to tax
exports and to pass
laws against slave
trade for at least 20
years
~States who benefited:
~Southern states
Federalists
~Federalists
were the ones
who favoured
ratification of
the
Constitution
Anti-Federalists
~ Anti-
Federalists
opposed the
ratification of
the
Constitution
5 issues involved in Ratification
1) Weakness of
government under
Articles of
confederation
2) Ratification process
itself
3) Absence of mention
of God in the
Constitution
Ratification debate
4) Denial of
states of the
right to print
money
5) lack of a Bill of
Rights
2 states that were being difficult
Inaugurating the Government
~The first capital was
located in New York
City
~First President:
George Washington
~First Vice President:
John Adams