Constitution Part 1: A New Government Outline
Format: 20 Multiple choice; 10 Fill in the Blank; 1 short answer
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Outline of your notes: Pages 1- of your packet
Key Influences (England & colonial experiences, John Locke, Montesquieu)
Problems with the Articles of Confederation 1777/ Shays Rebellion
Ideas used in construction of the Constitution: British & American experiences, state
governments, and key philosophers
New plans:
*Virginia Plan
*New Jersey Plan
*Great Compromise
*Slavery/foreign trade – 3/5 Compromise
Delegates/framers/ 55 men
Constitution – 1787 – father of the Constitution is James Madison
Federalists
Alexander Hamilton
John Jay
James Madison
versus (vs)
Anti-federalists
Thomas Jefferson
Samuel Adams
Richard Henry Lee
STUDY GUIDE: Cover Page
Outline-Importance/summary of each page of notes in your packet
Vocab & Key Influences: This page explains the key influences/ideas that the framers used to
help create a new government. For example, they took ideas from England, such as the Magna
Carta, to have a written document-constitution. Another example is their own colonial
experiences such as House of Burgesses in VA (idea to have a representative government). A
third example is English Bill of Rights and Parliament, which gave the delegates the idea of
protecting natural rights and to have a representative government. A fourth example they took
from Montesquieu, on how to organize government, such as separation of powers and checks
and balance system. This page of notes provides key vocabulary terms as well as values and
principles upon which our government is based.
Page 2: This page explains the distribution of power within state governments/constitutions.
For example, MA was the only state that tried to balance the power of government among
three branches. Most states gave more power to the Legislative Branch, known as Legislative
Supremacy. There are disadvantages and advantages to both system of government. For
example, under the Legislative Supremacy, they were more controlling and taxed more than
the British (abusing power). They also passed laws that interfered with citizens private lives.
State governments were not protecting the property rights of citizens. Despite these
disadvantages, the governments did limit the governor’s powers to not follow what happened
under English rule.
Page 5: This page explains how the problems under the Articles of Confederation (problems
outweigh its achievements. For example, despite, passing the Northwest Ordnance,
successfully waging war and making peace negations, this confederation was too weak. The
Articles strictly limited the powers of the central congress, where they had no economic power
over the states, could not enforce laws, and had no executive or judicial branch. Once Shay’s
rebellion (2000 farmers) revolted against MA government for heavy taxes and taking away
property, it proved that this new young national government had no power. The people called
upon the government to revise the Articles of Confederation. As Thomas Jefferson wrote in the
Declaration of Independence, the purpose of government is to protect its people, and if they
are unhappy, they have the right to change it.
Page 6: This page focuses on the Constitutional Convention and the need to meet again to
revise the powers under the Articles. Because there were too many problems and it created a
weak government, in which the people’s rights were not protected and national gov’t had no
power, the (55) delegates decided to create a new system rather than fix the old. They did
agree to keep it a secret at first. They also agreed that whatever they created must be good for
the whole, common- wealth, and it must be a form of a republic, with a separation of powers
and check & balance system, which people rule through the idea of popular sovereignty.
Page 7 & 8: This page focuses on the scences in the Consitutional Convention. There were two
main conflicts (between Large and small populated states; regions-North and South). The New
Jersey plan proposed 1 house legislature with one vote and the Virgina plan called for a 2 house
legislature based on proportional representation. The Great compromise: 3 branches of
government (executive: enforce; legislative: create; judicia: interpret). The legistaure would be
a 2 house congress (House of Reps based on proportional representation and Senate based on
equal. The compromises organized the system and Constitution we use today. The conflict
between North and South focued on taxation and slavery. The compromise provided congress
with the power to place protective tarrifs on imports and control trade, and the South was
given the 3/5ths compromise and the Fugitive Slave Clause.
Page 9: This page focuses on the Federalist and Anti Federalist arguments over the rafitification
(approve/sign) of this new government under Constitution. The Federalists supported a
stronger central government. The Anti Federalist argued against it. The Anti Federalists argued
that a large republic will not be able to agree on common welfare; the central government was
too strong through this constitution; a bill of rights was needed to protect and spell out basic
freedoms; and the President/executive branch is given too much power. In contrast to these
debates, the Federalists argued, as read in the Federalists Papers (that helped convice the
people to ratify) a large republic with checks and balance, separation of powers will help
protect common welfare; the Articles of Confederation had produced a weak central
government and individual states had too much power; the Constitution will protect rights of
individuals; a bill of rights is unnecessary because the powers of the government are limited;
and there is a need for a strong executive branch to help enforce the rules and laws of the
land. A compromise was reached that a Bill of Rights would be added to the consistution,
which helped get the Consitution ratified. The Bill of Rights are known as the first 10
Amendments to the Consitution which helps protect the basic freedoms of the people.