Articles of Confederation

Do Now

• How is power divided in our country today?

SWBAT • Analyze government problems under

the Articles of Confederation

Activity

• Review the “Articles of Confederation” chart and answer questions on your own

• With a partner read each case study and complete each question

• We will discuss your responses as a class

Articles of Confederation

• During the Revolutionary War and the 2nd Continental Congress, the first constitution was drafted Articles of Confederation

Food for Thought

• What weaknesses can you identify in the Articles of Confederation?

• If you could change the Articles of Confederation to make the national government stronger, what changes would you make?

Weaknesses 1. 1 vote per state regardless of size 2. Congress couldn’t collect or levy taxes 3. Congress powerless to regulate foreign trade & interstate commerce 4. No executive to enforce laws 5. No national court system to interpret laws 6. Could only amend with consent of all states 7. 9/13 majority required to pass laws

“a firm league of friendship”, nothing more…

Weaknesses • Therefore: Articles

of Confederation were only an alliance—they did not give Congress any real power to govern

• Why????

Wrap Up

• What was the structure of the new government under the Articles of Confederation?

• Why did the national government under the articles face bankruptcy?

Homework

• Read History Might Not Have Happened This Way

• Answer questions on a separate piece of paper

Opposition to the Articles

SWBAT

• Explain the significance of Shay’s Rebellion

Articles of Confederation

• Written in 1777 (not approved until 1781)- a set of laws adopted by Congress to govern the U.S.

• Provided a limited (weak) national government - states had most power

Terms to Know • Confederation – an alliance of states

formed to coordinate their defense and relations with foreign governments

• Congress – gathering of representatives from 13 states who met to conduct business

- combined the functions of executive and legislative branches

Opposition to the Articles

1. Wealthy people feared it gave too much power to the people

2. Created debt problems (states created economic chaos because printing too much $$$)

3. States began to tax each other which led to disputes between states

Opposition to the Articles

• By early 1780’s—wealthy elitists began to call for a stronger, national government to confine the behavior of the states

Nationalists • Worked to make National Government

stronger

• Military Officers, Congressmen, Merchants, Planters, and Lawyers

• Feared U.S would not get respect abroad

• 1783- 1789: “The Critical Period”

- Why do you think this period was given this term?

Shay’s Rebellion

Shays Rebellion - 1786

• Cause: MA raised its taxes, farmers couldn’t pay, attacked tax collectors they lost their land to the bank

• Daniel Shay led a revolt of farmers against the state of Massachusetts

Shay’s Rebellion

• Neither the state nor the national government (Congress) had $ or an Army to stop it

Shay’s Rebellion • Result of Rebellion: - Example of what would happen if we

continued to use the Articles of Confederation

- People defy the government when the government goes against peoples’ wishes - Americans would sacrifice social order for individual freedoms - Leaders were urged by the event to go to

Philadelphia to write a new constitution

Constitutional Convention • Held in Philadelphia – 1787

• 55 delegates attended (James Madison, Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton)

• Not there: Thomas Jefferson and John Adams (out of the country- diplomats in Europe); women, Native Americans, African Americans, and poor white men

• Independence Hall- Declaration of Independence, Continental Congress, Constitutional Convention, the Constitution

Constitutional Convention • Goal: To amend the Articles

• What really happened:

- Decided to write a new constitution

Task • Read, “The Constitution & the Idea of

Compromise” and review questions with a partner

• Crash Course: The Articles, The Constitution (8 min)

• America Gets a Constitution

Discussion

• Would a dictatorship-the very government Washington was afraid of creating-be able to solve the problems of the United States today more easily than a democracy? Explain.

Constitutional Convention

Constitutional Convention • Group Activity:

- Class will be divided into two groups

1. Small States

2. Large States

- Read the Plan for the new Constitution that your group has come up with and

complete the questions as a group

- What are the major differences between the groups?

SWBAT

• Describe compromises made during the Constitutional Convention

• Do Now: Why didn’t all states agree on a structure for the new Constitution?

Constitutional Convention Virginia Plan

• Bicameral Legislature

• State representation depended on population

• Favored Large States

New Jersey Plan • Unicameral

Legislature

• Equal representation for all states

• Favored Small States

VS.

Great Compromise aka Connecticut Plan

• Issue of representation was solved

• Known as the Great Compromise

• Created Congress as we know it today!

• A bicameral legislature

Congress

Senate

• Upper House

• Each state gets 2 representatives

House of Representatives • Lower House

• # of representatives based on population of state

Three-Fifths Compromise

• Debate over slavery and power

• Who would want slaves to be counted in the population for representation reasons?

• Southern States

• Didn’t want slaves counted when it came to taxes though!

Three-Fifths Compromise • Northern States objected claimed if slaves could not vote, they should

not be counted in the population • Result: For every 5 enslaved people, 3

would be counted for representation and taxes

• Predict what would have happened if opponents of slavery at the Constitutional Convention had insisted on abolition?

Fugitive Slave Clause

• Applied to fugitive slaves who ran away from their slave owner

• The law required the slave be returned to their enslaver

• However, the law did not provide a way to carry out this plan

Activity!

• Review the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Arguments with a partner.

• Summarize the 6 arguments made by each side in the right-hand column.

The Great Debate Federalists

• Strong national government

• Bill of Rights unnecessary

• Gov’ts power limited by Constitution

Anti-Federalists • Weak national

government

• Bill of Rights necessary

• Felt gov would abuse it’s power and President King

The Great Debate Federalists

• G. Washington, J. Madison, A. Hamilton, John Jay, John Adams

• Feared people more than government

• Better organized

Anti-Federalists • Patrick Henry, George

Mason, Thomas Jefferson

• Felt Constitution was a betrayal of the Revolution

• Feared government more than people

The Great Debate

• Federalists favored ratification of the new constitution

• Anti-federalists opposed ratification

The Great Debate

The Great Debate • 9 states ratified the Constitution by

1788

• Virginia & New York were not included in those 9

• Success of the new government depended on ratification by NY & VA

Wrap Up

• What are some reasons the Federalists had more support than the Antifederalists?

Regents Review

• Complete the Regents Questions for a quick review

Ratifying the Constitution

SWBAT

• Explain Madison’s arguments in Federalist 51

Do Now

• What compromises were made to appease delegates at the Constitutional Convention?

Federalist Papers • The Federalist Papers were:

- A series of 85 essays written anonymously, and published in a New York newspaper

- GOAL: to convince New Yorkers of the need to ratify the Constitution

- Written by: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, & John Jay

Wordle

• Federalist 51

• Task: Analyze the Wordle for Federalist 51 and predict: What do you think Madison will write about in this essay?

• Think-Pair-Share

Federalist Papers

• Read the summary of Federalist 51 and answer reflective questions with a partner

• We’ll discuss as a class

Federalist Papers • FEDERALIST No. 51

• The structure of the government must provide the proper checks & balances between the different departments

• FEDERALIST No. 78

• The Judiciary Department

Write a Letter

• You are a passionate Federalist, campaigning for New York to ratify the new Constitution

• Write a letter to your neighbors in support of ratification, urging them to campaign with you and why

Bill of Rights

Do Now

• What was the major compromise to achieve ratification of the Constitution?

• THE BILL OF RIGHTS!

Bill of Rights Activity!

• Using “The Bill of Rights- Plain and Simple”, respond to the questions on your Bill of Rights Activity sheet with a partner.

• We will review and discuss as a class.

Bill of Rights Summary

SWBAT

• Explain the Bill of Rights in their own words.

Bill of Rights • Guarantees basic rights of the people

against the power of the federal government

• Analyze the Bill of Rights. Put them into your own words & come up with an example of where we “see” this in society today.

• Review the first four amendments of the Bill of Rights & rank in order of importance to you:

Bill of Rights • 1st Amendment: Freedom of religion, speech,

press, to assemble peacefully, & to petition the government

• 2nd Amendment: Right to bear arms

• 3rd Amendment: Government may not require people to house soldiers during peacetime

• 4th Amendment: Protects people from unreasonable searches & seizures; warrants can be issued only if there is probable cause

Bill of Rights • 5th Amendment: If accused of a crime, right to

be formally accused in court; not to be tried twice for the same crime after acquittal or conviction (double jeopardy); not to be forced to give evidence against yourself; to receive a fair trial; receive fair compensation if gov. takes private property for public purpose

Bill of Rights • 6th Amendment: If accused of a crime,

right to be told of charges; receive speedy & public trial with impartial jury; face prosecution witness; have a lawyer; witness to testify on your behalf

Bill of Rights • 7th Amendment: Right to a jury trial

• 8th Amendment: Prohibits excessive bail & cruel and unusual punishment

Bill of Rights • 9th Amendment: Rights not mentioned in

the Constitution belong to the people

• 10th Amendment: Powers not delegated to the national government are reserved to the states or people (aka Federalism)

Bill of Rights Case Studies

SWBAT • Apply the Bill of

Rights to case studies

• ACTIVITY:

Bill of Rights Review!

3 Branches of Government

Do Now

• How did the Bill of Rights satisfy the Anti-Federalist argument?

• It provided for the protection of individual’s rights

Due Process • The Due Process Clause in the 5th

Amendment & the Right to an Attorney in the 6th Amendment ensure fair treatment for people accused of a crime

Cartoon Analysis

• What’s the meaning of this cartoon?

US Constitution: • Popular Sovereignty- source of

authority to govern is the people

democracy

• Limited Government- governmental power is defined & limited by the law

US Constitution: • Separation of Powers- power to govern

is divided: legislative, executive, judicial no branch is more powerful than another!

• Flexibility- The US Constitution is a “living document”

- continuously interpreted & able to change

Separation of Powers

3 Branches to Government • LEGISLATIVE (Congress): Makes Laws

1. Overrides presidential vetoes

2. Approves presidential appointments

3. Approves/ratifies treaties

4. Collects taxes to provide services

5. Declares war & provides defense

6. Regulates & coins money & trade

7. Impeaches officials

3 Branches to Government • EXECUTIVE (President): Enforces Laws &

Treaties 1. Can veto laws 2. Appoints high officials (ie. CJ of SC) 3. Conducts foreign policy 4. Enforces laws & treaties 5. Commander-in-Chief of the military 6. Recommends bills to Congress 7. Reports the state of the Union to

Congress

3 Branches to Government • JUDICIAL: Interprets & Explains Laws

(According to the Constitution) 1. Settles legal disputes between states 2. Settles state & federal disputes 3. Settles disputes between US & foreign

nations 4. Hears cases with foreign ambassadors 5. Settles disputes between Federal

government & individuals

“Unwritten Constitution”

1. Political Parties

2. Cabinet (President’s Advisors)

3. Judicial Review- Supreme Court’s right to declare laws unconstitutional

4. Committee System in Congress

5. Lobbyists- influence gov. views

Wrap Up

• Why did the founding fathers provide a Bill of Rights? 3 Branches of Government?

Checks & Balances

Do Now • Which Constitution principle is represented in this

cartoon? • What message is the cartoonist trying to get across? • What symbols does the cartoonist use?

SWBAT

• Apply the idea of Separation of Powers to explain the system of Checks and Balances

Checks and Balances • Checks and Balances- each branch

has ways to check/control the other branches

President

Supreme Court

Congress

Checks and Balances • Review “The Checks and Balances

System” diagrams carefully

• “Declare Your Powers” Group Activity: Please listen for directions!