CHAPTER 2
ORIGINS OF AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT
SECTION 1:
OUR POLITICAL BEGINNINGS
OUR POLITICAL BEGINNINGS
❖ Basic Concepts of Government
➢ Early settlers brought ideas of government or
political systems with them.
■ Most ideas came from England
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Rule of Law (Africa and Asia)
Law, Religion, and Customs (Ancient Rome)
◆ Brought the 3 major ideas of government
➢ Ordered Government
➢ Limited Government
➢ Representative Government
Ordered Government
Limited Government
Understood a need for
orderly regulation of
relationships between
colonies.
Understood the government
is not all-powerful.
(government must be
restricted).
Created local governments
based on what they knew in
England.
Individuals have rights that
government cannot take
away.
Sheriff --- Coroner
Deeply rooted in English
beliefs.
Assessor -Justice of the Peace -Grand Jury -- Counties
Townships
Around for 400 years before
Jamestown settled in 1607.
Representative Government
Government should serve the
will of the people.
People should have a voice in
governmental decisions.
Origination of “of the people, for the people.
and by the people.”
OUR POLITICAL BEGINNINGS (cont.)
❖ Landmark English Documents
➢ Magna Carta
■ Designed to protect against
arbitrary acts by the king.
■ Established such rights as:
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heavy-handed
Trial by Jury
Due process of the law
Private Property (life, liberty, property)
◆ Originally only done for privileged classes
OUR POLITICAL BEGINNINGS (cont.)
❖ The Petition of Right
■ Limited the king’s power
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●
unable to imprison without judgement by peers
or by law of the land
unable to impose martial law (peacetime)
◆ could not order people to house king’s troops
◆
“no man should be compelled to make or yield any
gift, loan, benevolence, tax, or such like charge,
without common consent by act of parliament.”
■ Challenged the divine right of kings
OUR POLITICAL BEGINNINGS (cont.)
❖ The Bill of Rights
■ Based on the English Bill of Rights
●
Developed in 1689 by Parliament
◆ King William and Mary of Orange forced to sign
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆
No standing army in peacetime (Parliament
consent)
Parliamentary elections be free
suspending laws, execution of laws without consent
(illegal)
levying money for crown without consent (illegal)
right of subjects to petition king
OUR POLITICAL BEGINNINGS (cont.)
❖ The English Colonies
➢ 13 schools of government
■ established separately over 125 years
●
●
areas began developing communities
based on area circumstances
■ colonies established on basis of a charter
■ Charter - a written grant of authority from the king.
●
3 types of colonies
◆ Royal
◆ Proprietary
◆ Charter
OUR POLITICAL BEGINNINGS (cont.)
❖ Royal Colonies ➢ Subject to direct control of the crown.
■ 1775 Eve of Revolution
●
NH - MA - NY - NJ - VA - NC - SC - GA
■ Came from quick success
●
Charters were revoked
■ Patterns developed
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Governors were appointed by king
Councils appointed by king
◆ Eventually became upper house of legislature
◆ Lower House - Bicameral legislature
➢ elected by property owners
OUR POLITICAL BEGINNINGS (cont.)
❖ The Charter Colonies ➢ Based on charters given directly to colonists
■ CT - RI
■ mainly self-governing
■ Governors were elected every year by
white, male property owners
■ King’s approval was needed
●
did not typically ask for permission
■ Laws from bicameral legislature was not
put before governor for approval or veto
CHAPTER 2
ORIGINS OF AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT
SECTION 2:
THE COMING OF INDEPENDENCE
THE COMING OF INDEPENDENCE
❖ Britain’s Colonial Policies
➢ Controlled under the king
■ Parliament had little to do with colonies
●
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Started taking interest in Trade
Left control of colonies to the crown
■ Colonies began self-government
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2 months or more to reach England
legislatures assumed lawmaking powers
forced governors to do their will or would not pay them
■ Became federal type colonies
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England had power defense and trade
George III forced more restrictive trade with colonies
THE COMING OF INDEPENDENCE (cont.)
❖ Growing Colonial Unity
➢ Early governments
■ Confederation
common purpose.
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■
- joining of several groups fo
New England - League of Friendship
◆ defense against Native Americans
Albany Plan of Union - formation of an annu
congress of Delegates (representatives) fro
each of the 13 colonies.
THE COMING OF INDEPENDENCE (cont.)
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raise military and naval forces
make war and peace with Native Americans
regulate trade with Native Americans
tax
collect customs duties
◆ Agreed upon at the meeting
◆ rejected by the colonies and Crown
THE COMING OF INDEPENDENCE (cont.)
➢ The Stamp Act of Congress
■ Law required the use
of tax stamps on al
documents, on certain business agreeme
and on newspapers
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were disliked
taxation without representation
◆ All but 4 colonies organized and formulated a protest
➢ Declaration of Rights and Grievances
■ sent to King
Parliament repealed tax
◆ tensions remained - new laws and policies passed
THE COMING OF INDEPENDENCE (cont.)
❖ Continental Congress
➢ First in September 5, 1774
■ Parliament passes new laws to punish colonists.
●
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Denounced in American
Intolerable Acts
◆ All colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia except GA
◆ Met and discussed actions for nearly 2 months
◆ Urged each colony to refuse trade until repealed - taken back
◆ Sent Declaration of Rights to King George III
➢ Ended October 26, 1774
■ A second was to be held in May 1775
THE COMING OF INDEPENDENCE (cont.)
❖ Continental Congress (cont.)
● 1774-1775 English government refused compromise
➢ Second met May 10, 1775
●
Revolution had already begun
■ Each colony sent representatives this time
■ Hancock chosen as president of Congress
■ Continental army created
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George Washington name as Commander-in-Chief
■ First national government
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Last 5 years
Declaration of Independence (1776)- Articles of Confederation (1781)
THE COMING OF INDEPENDENCE (cont.)
❖ The Declaration of Independence
➢ “Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right
ought to be, free and independent States, that they are
absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that
all political connection between them and the State of
Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”
■ Congress named 5 to create a proclamation of
independence.
Richard Henry Lee
●
Benjamin Franklin - John Adams - Roger Sherman - Robert Livingston
THE COMING OF INDEPENDENCE (cont.)
❖ The First State Constitutions
➢ between 1776 and 1777 most states adopted a written
constitution
➢ Massachusetts has oldest constitution in the world.
➢ Popular Sovereignty - government can exist
the consent of the governed.
on
CHAPTER 2
ORIGINS OF AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT
SECTION 3:
The Critical Period
THE CRITICAL PERIOD
❖ Articles of Confederation
➢ Richard Henry Lee’s resolution led to Declaration of
Independence. Also asked for a plan of
confederation.
■ After 17 months deliberating
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November 15, 1777 - Articles were approved.
■ Each state kept its sovereignty, freedom,
independence.
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Went into effect March 1, 1781.
◆ What was the delay?
THE CRITICAL PERIOD (cont.)
❖ Articles of Confederation
➢ Governmental Structure
■ Congress was sole body
■ Unicameral
●
Delegates chosen yearly
■ Congress would choose one delegate as the
presiding officer
THE CRITICAL PERIOD (cont.)
❖ Articles of Confederation
➢ Powers of Congress
■ It could make war and peace
■ send and receive ambassadors
■ make treaties
■ borrow money
■ establish money system
■ create post offices
■ build navy and raise army
■ settle disputes between the states
THE CRITICAL PERIOD (cont.)
❖ Articles of Confederation
➢ State Obligations
■ agreed to obey Articles and acts of Congress
■ fund and provide troops
■ treat citizens from other state fairly and equally
■ surrender fugitives from justice
■ submit disputes to Congress
■ allow open travel and trade
■ retained all other powers not given to Congress
THE CRITICAL PERIOD (cont.)
❖ Articles of Confederation
➢ Weaknesses
■ One vote for each State, regardless of size
■ Congress powerless to lay and collect taxes
■ Congress powerless to regulate foreign and interstate
commerce
■ No executive to enforce acts of Congress
■ No national court system
■ Amendment only with consent of all states
■ a 9/13 required to pass laws
■ Articles only a “firm league of friendship”
THE CRITICAL PERIOD (cont.)
❖ The Critical Period, the 1780s
➢ Revolutionary War ended in October 1781
■ Victory confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1783
■ Problems of economics and politics
●
Caused by the weakness of the Articles
◆ Why?
➢ bickering between states
➢ established trade with foreign governments
➢ refused to fund Congress
➢ own military forces
➢ taxed goods - banned others
THE CRITICAL PERIOD (cont.)
❖ The Critical Period, the 1780s
➢ Revolutionary War ended in October 1781
■ Victory confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1783
■ Problems of economics and politics
●
Caused by the weakness of the Articles
◆ Why?
➢ bickering between states
➢ established trade with foreign governments
➢ refused to fund Congress
➢ own military forces
➢ taxed goods - banned others
THE CRITICAL PERIOD (cont.)
❖ A Need for Stronger Government
➢ Wealthy paved the way
■ movement began in 1785
➢ Mount Vernon
■ Maryland and Virginia
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met to settle trade disputes
January 21, 1786 called for a meeting of all states
◆ because of the meeting called for a federal plan for
regulating commerce
➢ Annapolis
■ meeting took place 9/11/1786 - 5 states
CHAPTER 2
ORIGINS OF AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT
SECTION 4:
CREATING THE CONSTITUTION
CREATING THE CONSTITUTION
❖ The Framers - group of delegates who
attended the Philadelphia Convention
➢ Worked in secrecy
➢ Called to recommend changes to the Articles
■ Delegates agreed to create a new government
➢ Virginia Plan - new government with 3 separate
branches
➢ New Jersey Plan - maintained a unicameral
government with equal representation
CREATING THE CONSTITUTION
❖ The Framers - group of delegates who attended
the Philadelphia Convention
➢ Worked in secrecy
➢ Called to recommend changes to the Articles
■ Delegates agreed to create a new government
❖ Virginia Plan - new government with 3 separate
branches
❖ New Jersey Plan - maintained a unicameral
government with equal representation
➢ Federal executive chosen by Congress
CREATING THE CONSTITUTION
❖ Disagreements over representation
➢ The Connecticut Compromise - Congress
should be composed of two houses.
■ Senate equal representation by state
■ House representation based on population
➢ Three-Fifths Compromise - all free persons
should be counted and ⅗ of all other people.
CREATING THE CONSTITUTION
❖ Disagreements over representation
➢ The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise forbid Congress from taxing the export of
goods from any state.
➢ A Bundle of Compromises - the Constitution is
often referred to as this.
■ Based on the many differences of opinions
CREATING THE CONSTITUTION
❖ Sources of the Constitution
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Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
Contemporary Great Britain
Contemporary Europe
Commentaries on the Laws of England - William Blackstone
The Spirit of the Laws - Baron de Montesquieu
Social Contract - Jean Jacques Rousseau
Two Treatises of Government - John Locke
CREATING THE CONSTITUTION
❖ September 8, 1787
➢ Revision and styling
❖ September 17, 1787
➢ approved the work
➢ 39 names added
CHAPTER 2
ORIGINS OF AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT
SECTION 5:
RATIFYING THE CONSTITUTION
Federalists and Anti-Federalists
Federalists - favored ratification
Believed that the Articles should be changed
Anti-Federalists - opposed ratification
Opposed the new document
The Constitution was highly debated
Federalists and Anti-Federalists
September 13, 1787
11 of 13 states under the new government
New Congress convened on March 4, 1789
could not count votes of presidential elections
Lacked a QUORUM - a majority it could not
count electoral votes.
April 6, 1789 votes counted electing Washington