From Revolution to Constitution

Creating our Government

First lets ReviewThe Articles of Confederation show that the political

leaders of the time felt that_______________

America replaced the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution because________________

Articles of Confederation• Reflected the two main fears of colonists…

• Fear of strong national government• Fear that some states would dominate others

• Articles established a “league of friendship” among the states

• Each state retains sovereignty (power, authority)

But, there were numerous weaknesses…

(Our first national government)

Levying Taxes Congress could request not demand them from states

Regulation of Trade noneRaising an army Dependent on states to contribute

forcesInterstate Commerce No control of trade between states

Federal courts noneAmending document 13/13 states needed Passing laws 9/13 states neededSovereignty Resided with the states, each got

one vote

Critical Period• Weaknesses of Articles led to economic and political

problems• States in conflict (taxes, trade)• States don’t support central gov’t• States printed own money / made own laws• Can’t pay off debt or get new loans• Shay’s Rebellion

• Showed that to survive the United States needed a stronger national government

“We are one nation today and 13 tomorrow. Who will treat us on such terms?”

Constitutional ConventionSummer of 1787 in Philadelphia

• 12 of 13 states (no Rhode Island)• 55 delegates make up Framers of Constitution

• Worked in total secrecy

• Originally called to revise the Articles then decided to create a new government

Federalist Papers Background• Constitutional Convention

• Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

• Federalist Papers• 85 essays • Publius (“the people”)• Hamilton, Madison, Jay

Plans for Constitution• Three separate branches• Bicameral legislature• Representation based

on population• National government

with expanded powers

• Unicameral Congress• Equal representation• Federal executive of

more than one person

Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan

Main Issue: How would states be represented in Congress?

Great Compromise• Connecticut Compromise

• Bicameral Congress• Senate states represented equally• House of Representatives represented based on

population

Slave QuestionThree-Fifths Compromise

• slaves counted as 3/5 for representation, but states paid federal taxes for 3/5 as well

• Congress can’t interfere with slave trade until 1808• Congress could regulate commerce

Constitution Information• Written in 1787• Took effect 1789

• New Hampshire 9th state• New York and Virginia (40% of population)• North Carolina and Rhode Island (all 13 only with

addition of Bill of Rights)

• “Supreme Law of the Land”• Lays out basic framework and procedures of our

government

Less than 7,000 words, but able to guide the country through two centuries!

Levying Taxes Congress could levy on individualsRegulation of Trade YesRaising an army yes

Interstate Commerce yes

Federal courts yesAmending document 2/3 of both houses of Congress plus

¾ of state legislaturesPassing laws 50% + 1 of both houses plus Pres.

approvalSovereignty Const. supreme law of the land

How did the Constitution address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

U.S. Constitution

Section Subject• Preamble• Article I• Article II• Article III• Article IV• Article V• Article VI

• Article VII• 27 Amendments

• Purpose• Legislative Branch• Executive Branch• Judicial Branch • Relations among Sts.• Amending the Const.• Nt. Debts, supremacy of

national law, oaths• Ratifying Constitution• Changes to Constitution

Purpose of Govt• Form a more perfect union• Establish justice• Insure domestic tranquility• Provide for the common defense• Promote the general welfare• Secure the blessings of liberty

Outlined in the Preamble

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30OyU4O80i4

Functions of Government• Transportation Department maintains the nation’s interstate

highway system????• Congress passes a law to make sure all students are educated

to a certain standard???• The National Guard is sent in to stop rioting and looting after

an earthquake???• The Justice Department charges a Chicago bank with refusing

to provide services to minorities???• US troops prepare for a raid on a town believed to harbor

terrorists???• The Supreme Court hears a case in which students can be

required to take drug tests at school???

Which function from the preamble is evident in the scenario below?

The Six Basic Principlesof the Constitution

Popular Sovereignty• The people are sovereign (have supreme authority)

• Government only with the ‘consent of the governed”

“We the People…”

Limited Government• Government may do ONLY

what the people give it power to do

• It is not all powerful

• Rule of Law / Constitutionalism: Leaders are never above the law

Federalism• Power divided b/w national gov’t and state govt’s • All powers not explicitly granted to the national

gov’t are reserved to the states

Separation of Powers• Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary powers

separated into distinct branches• Congress• President • Supreme Court

What powers does each branch hold?

Checks and Balances• Each branch subject to restraints by the other

branches; each branch may check the workings of the others

• makes compromise necessary

• intended to prevent tyranny of majority

What is an example of a check held by one branch over another?

“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.”

Judicial Review

• One of the checks and balances• Courts may rule that a law or an action of an

government is unconstitutional

Amendment Game• Directions:

• Take out your Amendment Graphic Organizer• Clear all other materials off of your desk

Amendment Pictionary• Rules and Guidelines:

• No words• No numbers (or something that leads to counting)• No acting out / dramatizations• Other teams may not distract / disrupt the groups

Amendment Pictionary• Rules and Guidelines:

• One artist from a team will be chosen to come up at a time to draw a representation of an amendment

• All Teams will use their amendment graphic organizers to guess the amendment

• Each team will get up to 1 minute to correctly ID an amendment (once you have the answer quietly write it on your white board)

• Each team that gets it right gets 1 pt• The artist’s team that gets it right gets 2 pts