Early Government

Vocabulary• bicameral – having two separate lawmaking chambers• compromise – a settlement of a dispute by each party giving

up some demands• legislative branch – lawmaking branch of the government• executive branch – branch of government that executes, or

carries out, the law; headed by the president• judicial branch – the branch of government that interprets the

law; made up of the Supreme Court and other inferior courts• amendment – a change, correction, or improvement added to

a document

Articles of Confederation• After achieving independence,

the states faced the challenge of governing themselves.• In 1776, the Second Continental

Congress appointed a committee to draw up a plan for a new government.• The result was the Articles of

Confederation, which was completed in 1777.• The Articles of Confederation became the country’s first constitution.

Articles of Confederation• The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government.• Under the Articles…• The states retained their

independence and most of their powers.

• Congress could not tax, regulate trade, or force citizens to join the army.

• If Congress needed to raise money or troops, it had to ask the states.

• There was no chief executive.• All states had to approve any

amendments to the Articles.

Confederation Achievements pg 186• Even with its weaknesses, the government under the Articles of Confederation did manage some key achievements.• The Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 opened up vast areas of land for settlers hoping to move west.• The Land Act of 1800 made it

easier for people to buy land in the newly-organized Northwest Territory.

Problems at Home and Abroad• After the war, the Confederation government was highly in debt.• Without the power to tax, Congress had to ask the states for money, but could not force the states to pay.• The states provided less than

half the money the government asked them to contribute.

Shays’s Rebellion pg 191• After the American Revolution, the United

States went through a depression.• States began seizing lands when individuals

were unable to pay for debts and taxes.• In 1786, Daniel Shays led a force of about 1,200 supporters to the federal arsenal to protest the seizing of farmers’ lands.• The state militia responded, and the

incident resulted in the death of 4 farmers.• Shays’s Rebellion made it clear that the new government was not equipped to handle unrest and prevent violence.

Slavery in the New Republic• When America achieved its

independence, slavery was legal in every state.

• 1777 - Slavery is banned in the Vermont Republic (future state of VT).

• 1780 - Pennsylvania becomes the first state to pass a law that provided for the gradual freeing of enslaved people.

• 1783 - Massachusetts Supreme Court rules slavery illegal.

• By 1804, all of the northern states had passed laws to at least gradually end slavery.

The Constitutional Convention• In the spring of 1787, delegates from the states met in Philadelphia to discuss the Articles and other issues related to trade. • This is known as the Constitutional Convention.• The convention, or meeting, took place in Independence Hall.• The delegates’ original job was to revise the Articles of Confederation.• They ultimately decided to create an entirely new plan of government – a new constitution.

The Virginia Plan pg 194• Edmund Randolph of Virginia opened

the convention with a surprise. He proposed the Virginia Plan, which called for a strong national government.

• The Virginia Plan was largely the work of James Madison.

• The Virginia Plan had a federal government with a president, courts, and a congress with two houses.

• The number of representatives in both houses of Congress would be based on each state’s population.

• This plan was favored by the larger states.

The New Jersey Plan• The New Jersey plan

offered a modified plan.• The plan was based on

the Articles of Confederation, with some changes.• It gave each state one

vote in Congress.• The New Jersey Plan was favored by the delegates from the smaller states.

The Great Compromise• Ultimately, the committee decided that Congress would have two houses – a Senate and a House of Representatives.• In the Senate, each state would have two members.• In the House, the number of seats would reflect each state’s population.• This is known as the Great Compromise.

The Three-Fifths Compromise• Southern states hoped to count

enslaved people in their populations so they would have more votes in the House of Representatives.• Northern states opposed this idea.• The delegates eventually decided

that every five enslaved persons would equal 3 free persons.• Thus, 3/5 of the enslaved population in each state would count for representation.

U.S. Constitution• Throughout the summer of 1787, the members

of the Constitutional Convention worked out the details of the new government.• On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was adopted and signed by the Constitutional Convention.• The next step was to win the Constitution’s

ratification, or approval. • At least 9 of the 13 states were required to ratify the Constitution.• Only then would it become the supreme law of

the land.

Federalists vs. Anti-FederalistsFederalists• Those who supported the proposed

Constitution were called Federalists. • They supported the idea of a federal

system of government, where power is divided between the federal, or national, government, and the states.

• They believed that the federal, or national, law should be the supreme law of the land.

• The main leaders of the Federalists were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.

• To defend the Constitution, they wrote a series of essays called the Federalist Papers.

Anti-Federalists• Those who opposed the Constitution

were called Anti-Federalists.• Anti-Federalists did not like the idea of

strong, national government. They feared it would ignore the rights of the states.

• They saw a key weakness in the new Constitution. It had no bill of rights to protect individual freedoms.

• Several state conventions declared they would not ratify the Constitution without a bill of rights.

• The main leaders of the Anti-Federalists were Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, and George Mason.

• Game

A New Nation is Formed• The Federalists eventually vowed to create a bill of rights if the Constitution was adopted.• That promise helped win

public support for the constitution.• New Hampshire became the

9th state to ratify the Constitution on June 21, 1788.• On March 4, 1789, the new

government under the Constitution began operations.• Clip

• The 13 states in order of ratification:

1. Delaware – Dec. 7, 17872. Pennsylvania – Dec. 12, 17873. New Jersey – Dec. 18, 17874. Georgia – Jan. 2, 17885. Connecticut – Jan. 9, 17886. Massachusetts – Feb. 6, 17887. Maryland – Apr. 28, 17888. South Carolina – May 23, 17889. New Hampshire – June 21, 178810. Virginia – June 25, 178811. New York – July 26, 178812. North Carolina – Nov. 21, 178913. Rhode Island – May 29, 1790

Principles of the U.S. Constitution• The U.S Constitution is

based on seven key principles:• Popular sovereignty• Republicanism• Limited government• Federalism• Separation of powers• Checks and balances• Individual rights

Principles of Government - Vocabulary• popular sovereignty – the belief that government is subject to the will

of the people• republic - a government where citizens rule through elected

representatives• limited government – government with limited powers strictly defined

by law• federalism – a system of government where power is shared between

the federal, or national, level and the states• separation of powers – the principle that powers should be divided

among different branches of government• checks and balances – a system where each branch of government

limits the power of the other branches

Types of Power• The writers of the Constitution divided the powers of the government into three types.• Enumerated powers are

powers granted directly to the national government.• Reserved powers are

powers that are reserved for the states.• Concurrent powers are

powers that are shared by both the national and state governments.

Parts of the Constitution• The Constitution has three main parts:

• The Preamble (or introduction)• The 7 Articles (or main

parts)• The 27 Amendments (or changes)

Preamble Clips • Andy Griffith Clip

• School House Rock Clip

U.S. Constitution - Branches of Government• Article I – Legislative branch

• Senate• House of Representatives

• Article II – Executive branch• President and Vice President• Cabinet, executive department,

and agencies• Article III – Judicial branch

• Supreme Court• Other federal courts

Legislative Branch• Congress is the legislative branch of

the government. It has two houses – the House of Representatives and the Senate.• Congress makes the nation’s laws.• Congress imposes taxes, authorizes

the spending of money, creates government programs, and has the power to declare war.• Both houses of Congress must agree on a

bill, or proposed law. Once this happens, the bill goes to the president. If the president signs the bill, it becomes law.

Executive Branch• The executive branch is led by the president and vice president, who each serve 4-year terms.• It also includes the president’s cabinet,

or top advisers, and many other offices, departments, and agencies.• The main job of the executive branch is to carry out laws passed by Congress.• The president also directs foreign policy, names ambassadors, negotiates treaties, and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Judicial Branch• The purpose of the judicial branch is to interpret the law.• It consists of the Supreme

Court and other federal courts.• The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. It rules on only the most difficult legal questions, and its rulings are never appealed.

Bill of Rights• The first ten amendments, or Bill of Rights, became a part of the Constitution in 1791. They guarantee basic freedoms including:• Freedom of religion• Freedom of speech and press• Freedom of assembly • The right to bear arms• The right to trial by jury• The right to be free from

unreasonable searches and seizures by the government

• Freedom from cruel and unusual punishment