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Each of the 13 states created their own governments.
 they all limited the power of the governor
 they wanted to keep the power in the hands of the people.

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Americans won their independence, but not respect .
Other countries viewed the new gov’t as weak .
America needed to establish their own political institutions.
Constitution – plan of gov’t.
Republic – a gov’t in which citizens rule through elected representatives .

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Americas 1 st constitution provided a central government, but states did not give up their power.
Failures
Not strong enough to handle
America’s problems
Could not pass laws easily.
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Accomplishments
America won independence.
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Expanded foreign trade.
Overall - Articles of
Confederation did not work.

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Thomas Jefferson proposed a plan for the new territories to become states.
Ordinance – law that established a procedure for surveying and selling the western lands north of the
Ohio River.
Northwest Ordinance –created a single northwest territory – eventually added 5 new states

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Depression – a period when economic activity slows and unemployment increases.
The Revolutionary War brought a depression. Southern farms were damaged. Serious currency shortage.

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1786 – Angry farmers lashed out.
Daniel Shay led more than 1000 farmers in Mass. to the state arsenal before being stopped by state militia.
Shays Rebellion frightened
Americans - they saw it as a government that could not control its people.

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Questions were raised because of the American
Revolution for freedom.
Quakers - first antislavery society 1774.
Many slaves found freedom by fighting during the war.
States in the North began to make slavery illegal.
States in the South clung to slavery – would not give it up.

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The leaders of the new nation saw that the Articles of
Confederation was not working and something needed to be done.
James Madison and
Alexander Hamilton proposed a Constitutional Convention with Washington as presiding officer.

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Virginia Plan – called for a two-house legislature, a chief executive, a court system, and a proportional vote.
New Jersey Plan – called for a one–house legislature with one vote for each state
There were problems with both plans, a compromise was called for.

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Roger Sherman of
Connecticut proposed a two-house legislature that consisted of a lower house – the House of
Representatives, elected according to the state’s population, - and an upper house – the Senate, each state would have 2 members.

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The question was how to count slaves – the answer was to count each slave as 3/5 of a free person. (Out of 5 slaves, they would only count as 3 votes)

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Was adopted on September 17, 1787
Known as the Supreme Law of the Land

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Magna Carta – 1215 – limited the power of the king
English Bill of Rights – 1689 – gave the people the right to a fair trial
John Locke – English philosopher that believed all men have natural rights
Baron de Montesquieu – French writer that said the powers of gov’t should be separate and equal

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The first three articles of the
Constitution describe the powers and responsibilities of each branch of gov’t
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Legislative Branch –makes the lawscomposed of the House of Representatives and the Senate
Executive Branch – president – carries out the laws
Judicial Branch – court system of the U.S. – established the Supreme Court and all other courts
System of Checks and Balances – limits the gov’t

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Constitution had to be ratified by the states
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Federalists – supported the
Constitution
 Benjamin Franklin and George
Washington
Anti-Federalists – against the
Constitution
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Insisted on a bill of rights
Patrick Henry
The Federalist Papers – essays written to encourage the acceptance of the constitution