Chapter 2

Origins of American Government

Section 1

Our Political Beginnings

Basic Concepts of Government

English brought idea of political system to America Ordered Government Limited Government

Restrict Government

Representative Government For the People, By the People

Landmark English Documents

Magna Carta “Great Charter” In Britain in 1215, Nobles forced King John to sign

the Magna Carta Include rights:

Trial by Jury Due Process of Law

Protection from arbitrary arrest

Landmark English Documents (Con’t)

The Petition of Right Reinforced Due Process Required the King to obey the law of the land

English Bill of Rights Backbone for U.S. Constitution Contains many of the rights included in the U.S.

Bill of Rights

English Colonies

Each established separately as charters Written grant of authority from the king

Three kinds of colonies developed in U.S. Royal Proprietary Charter

Page 31 Map

English Colonies

Royal Colonies Became a bicameral legislature

Bicameral means “Two Houses”

Proprietary Colonies Governed by Proprietor

Charter Colonies Mainly Self-Governing

Section 2

The Coming of Independence

Britain’s Colonial Policies

In theory colonies were controlled by Britain, but colonies were relatively self-governing

Changed with King George III Began heavy trading restriction and taxation

Colonies were unhappy with the taxation Colonist began saying “No Taxation without

Representation” Colonist still considered themselves British

Growing Colonial Unity

New England Confederation Colonist in Northeastern America agreement

against Indians But dissolved in late 1600’s

The Albany Plan Benjamin Franklin Wanted to create a congress

with delegates from each colony Power to raise military and naval Forces, make

war and peace, regulate trade and tax Declined by Colonist and King

Growing Colonial Unity (Con’t)

Stamp Act Congress A reaction by the colonies to taxing on them by

the crown Created the Declaration of Rights and Grievances

Stamp Act repealed by the British Legislature, however other taxes were brought on

Protest by Colonist continue Included the famed “Boston Tea Party”

First Continental Congress

More laws passed by Britain’s Parliament, which prompted a meeting of delegates from each colony in the spring of 1774

Called for a boycott on British Goods until taxes and trade regulations were repealed

Called for a second meeting later Approved by all the colonies Legislature

Second Continental Congress

Began on May 10, 1775 Revolution had already begun… “Shot heard

round the world”

All 13 colonies sent a representative Created a continental army and put George

Washington as General

First U.S. Government However no written constitution held

Second Continental Congress (Con’t)

Declaration of Independence Created and signed Officially separated colonies from Britain

State Constitutions Continued to maintain there own constitutions Common Thread among Constitutions

Popular Sovereignty Government exists on the consent of the governed… AKA

people vote the government into existence

Section 3

The Critical Period

Articles of Confederation

Governmental Structures Unicameral Congress

Each state had one vote

No executive or judicial branches established

Power of Congress Make war and peace Settle disputes among states Etc.

Articles of Confederation (Con’t)

State Obligations Obey Articles of Confederation Pay taxes to Congress based on population

Weakness States bickered between one another

Taxed each others imports

Weak Government and Power Created separate form of money

Section 4

Creating the Constitution

Framers

The group of men who got together to frame the constitution in the summer of 1787

Each delegate had either: Served in the American Revolution Been state governors Signed the Declaration of Independence Attended College (Very Rare during that time)

Organization and Procedure

Conventions purpose was to fix the Articles of Confederation

James Madison was selected as the convention’s floor leader Later Madison was titled “The Father of the

Constitution”

A Momentous Decision

“Resolved… that a national Government ought to be established consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive and Judiciary.” Edmund Randolph Changed the purpose of the Convention from

fixing the Articles of Confederation, to replacing it

Virginia Plan

Called for 3 different branches of Government, with a bicameral Congress House of Representatives selected by popular

vote and Senate by amount of money paid Same powers to the Central Government as

given in the Articles of Confederation, but with more support

Select a “National Executive” and “National Judiciary”

New Jersey Plan

Wanted a unicameral Congress with each state equally represented Add Congress limited power to tax and regulate

trade between states

Called for more than one “Federal Executive” “Federal Judiciary” appointed by Executive

Compromise

Most of the fighting during the convention rotated around the power of the big states and representation of the small states

Connecticut Compromise “Great Compromise” Congress should be composed of two houses

House of Representation by population (Virginia Plan) Senate equal by State (New Jersey Plan)

Compromise (Con’t)

Three-Fifths Compromise Fight over counting slaves for House of

Representation Southerners wanted full count of slaves and Northerners

did not

Compromise decided that Slaves counted as 3/5 of a White, but Slaves must also be counted in tax proportions

Compromise (Con’t)

The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise Congress could not tax exports from states and

would not regulate slave trade for 20 years

Sources of the Constitution

Historical Governments Greece, Rome, Great Britain, and Europe

Enlightenment Writers Blackstone, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Locke

U.S. writings Second Continental Congress, Articles of

Confederation, and State Constitutions

Section 5

Ratifying the Constitution

The Fight for Ratification

Two groups emerged after the Constitution was printed and published for the public Federalist

Favored ratification of the Constitution Stressed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation

Anti-Federalist Opposed ratification of the Constitution

Did not like the increased central government powers The Constitution lacked a Bill of Rights

The Fight for Ratification (Con’t)

Virginia Ratification Swing vote in passing the Constitution was

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson New York, the last key state to ratify the

Constitution The Federalist was written to help encourage the

population about the Constitution Written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay Published as letters in newspapers

Inaugurating the Government

Finally all 13 colonies ratified the Constitution by early 1789

New York City was set as the temporary Capital

Capital then moved to Philadelphia in 1790 Finally the Capital was moved to “Federal

City” (Washington D.C.) in 1800 Completely designed by a French Architect