Chapter 1- Civics Text Roots of American Government

and SQ3R Chapter 8- American History Text

Confederation to Constitution

Practice #1 Time Line Discussion Text- Pages 232-233

1. What created the first national government in the United States? In what year did this happen?

2. What important event happened in 1788?

3. What event on the time line shows how the government was trying to safeguard the rights of individuals.

Practice #2- Connecting Geography to History

Text- Pages 233

1. Which region of the U.S. was the most densely populated?

2. Which region was the most sparsely populated?

Practice #3: The Northwest Territory Text- p 240-241

1) What was the land in the Northwest Territory like before the

American settlers moved there? 2) How did American settlers affect the landscape in the territory? 3) Why would geography have helped create an independent spirit in

the territory?

Practice #4: Comparing Perspectives Text- p. 250

1) What was Patrick Henry’s main concern

about the Constitution?

2) What was it about a strong federal government that frightened the Antifederalists?

Practice #5: Reading Primary Sources Federalist Paper #51 Text- Pages 255-256

1) Why does Madison believe the Constitution should be ratified (approved)? 2) According to Madison how could abuse of power by the majority be

prevented? 3) What does George Mason fear about the Federal government under the

new Constitution? 4) In what ways does Mason believe the new government will abuse its

power?

Articles of Confederation

What powers were given to Congress under the Articles of Confederation?

• Conduct Foreign Affairs- example: make treaties with other counties

• Declare war and make peace

• Make and borrow money- states could make their own money too.

• Control Western Territories- areas that had not become states yet

• Control Indian Affairs

• Run a postal service

Articles of Confederation, 1781

Articles of Confederation What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

• No executive branch, or judicial branch- No President, No Supreme Court

• Congress couldn’t

enforce laws

couldn’t collect taxes- only the states could

regulate interstate or foreign trade

establish any other federal(national) courts

amend(change) the Articles of Confederation.

Articles of Confederation

Shays’s Rebellion exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Shays’s rebellion showed people that a stronger national government was

needed in case other uprisings happened in the future.

1786- Daniel Shays led some Massachusetts farmers in a revolt against the State’s government because of unfair taxation.

Daniel Shays grave marker in Scottsburg, New York.

Historical Documents 1. Each person in your box group will take notes on one of the

following four documents: Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Mayflower Compact and Declaration of Independence.

2. After all member of the group are done each will share what they found with the rest of his/her box group.

3. Write down all of your information on p. 5 in the unit packet.

• A- Magna Carta p. 19 Civics Text

• B- English Bill of Rights p. 19-20 Civics Text

• C- Mayflower Compact p. 22 in the Civics Text

• D- Declaration of Independence p. 181-183 American History Text

Magna Carta

Took power away from the King John of England and gave it to the nobles/ barons.

CreatedParliament- only for the nobility (aristocracy- rich powerful people). Trial by

jury, due process of law- King could not put someone in jail or executed them

without a proper trial. Eventually these rights would be given to all English citizens.

Magna Carta, 1215

English Bill of Rights

Government could not:

• set excessive bail,

• punish someone who had been found not guilty in a trial,

• punishment for criminals could not be cruel or unusual,

• deny someone Habeas Corpus- tell an accused person

which law they had broken, and to be put on trial in a reasonable

time frame.

• Applied to all the people in England not just the Nobility.

English Bill of Rights, 1689

Mayflower Compact

The Framers (men who wrote the Constitution)of the Constitution looked at this

document as an example were their ancestors had created their own plan of

government (constitution). The Pilgrims, based the Mayflower Compact on the ideas

direct democracy from the Greeks and majority rule.

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was passed during the Second Continental

Congress. Thomas Jefferson was the main author. People are born with natural

rights (unalienable rights) that can’t be taken away by the government, all men are

created equal, and they have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

(property). Many of these ideas find there way into the U.S. Constitution.

Thomas Jefferson

Constitutional Convention

After the Annapolis Convention, it became clear that changes had to be made to

the Articles of Confederation. Alexander Hamilton and several other delegates to

that convention called for a new convention in Philadelphia, PA. In May of 1787,

twelve states attended (Rhode Island didn’t) the Constitutional Convention. At

first they only met to revise the Articles of Confederation. Soon the delegates

realized that a whole new constitution was needed to replace the Articles.

Alexander Hamilton

Painting of the Constitutional Convention

James Madison

Virginia delegate James Madison took notes of everything that was said at the

Convention. He also contributed many of the ideas that went in the

Constitution. Because of his work Madison is know as the “Father of the

Constitution”

James Madison stood only 5’2’’ in height and only weighted 100 pounds. He was nick named the “100 Pound Giant” because of his large impact at the Constitutional Convention.

N.J. and Virginia Plans.

The New Jersey or “small states” plan called for a single house in Congress

and that each state have an equal number of votes. Proposed by William Patterson of NJ.

The Virginia Plan called for three branches of government (executive, judicial and

legislative). Each branch could check or limit the power of the other branches. The main

thing it asked for was a two-house Congress (bicameral). The number of representatives a

state sent to both the upper and lower house would be based on a state’s population. This

plan favored the larger states. Proposed by James Madison and Edmund Randolph of VA.

Madison Randolph

= VA Plan

Large States

Patterson

= NJ Plan

Small States

Great Compromise

Also called the Connecticut Plan. Proposed by Roger Sherman of Connecticut.

Each state would have an equal number of votes (2) in the Senate (Upper House). In

the House of Representatives (Lower House) representation for each state would be

based on population. Every 30,000 people would give a state one more

representatives.

NJ Plan

VA Plan +

= Great Compromise

3/5th Compromise?

Because representation would be based on population in the House of

Representatives a question arose over counting slaves as a part of a state’s

population. The Southern slave states wanted to count slaves as part of the

total population for the state so they could get more representation. The

Northern, free states did not want the Southern states to count their slaves

because slaves were not considered citizens. It was decided to count each

slave as 3/5 of a person. It was also decided that Congress couldn’t ban the

slave trade until 1808.

A Slave Auction in New Orleans

Federalists and Antifederalists? There was a fear that the new Constitution would take too much power away from the states. The Federalists (support ratification) responded to this concern with the idea of Federalism. Powers would be shared between the states and the National(federal) government. They liked the idea of a stronger national government The Antifederalists (against ratification) thought the new Constitution took too much power away from the states, there was no bill of rights and they feared a strong President could become a king(executive branch) and the Senate could become an elite ruling class.

Patrick Henry Thomas Jefferson

Madison was a Federalist, but he later joins the Antifederalists

Washington John Adams

James Madison

Federalists

Antifederalists

Federalist Papers

Federalists James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, wrote a series of

newspaper articles that answered many of the questions that people had about the

new Constitution. The Federalist Papers help to convince many people to support

ratifying the new Constitution.

James Madison

How did the lack of a bill of rights endanger the Constitution?

The Antifederalist wanted written guarantees that basic rights would be protected under the new constitution. Without a Bill of Rights many states would not ratify the Constitution

This map shows where support for ratification of the Constitution was strong or weak.

Bill of Rights

Amendments 1-9 protect basic individual freedoms (The 10th Amendment deals with powers

between the states and federal government). For example, the 1st Amendment protects a

Citizen’s right to freedom of religion, speech, press, and to protests. Other amendments

protect peoples right to a fair trial.