BEGINNINGS OF
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
From Colonies to Constitution
English Influence
• Limited Government: the power of the
monarch was limited, not absolute
• Representative Government:
Parliament is divided into two houses:
House of Lords and House of Commons
• Documents: Magna Carta (1215);
Petition of Right (1628); English Bill of
Rights (1689)
The Thirteen Colonies
• Colonial gov’t: most colonies got a charter
from the king which allowed them to exist
– Royal Colonies: under direct control of the
king (GA, MA,NH,NJ,NY,NC,SC,VA)
– Proprietary Colonies: controlled by a
proprietor (owner), not the king (PA, DE,
MD)
– Charter Colonies: almost self-governing
(CT, RI)
Colonial Discontent
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After 1763, many colonists upset by
stricter laws passed by Parliament
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Stamp Act 1765
Townshend Acts 1767
First Continental Congress 1774
Second Continental Congress 1775-1776
Colonists BOYCOTTED
British goods as a form of
protest!!!
Colonial Discontent
• Declaration of Independence (1776):
– Listed the many grievances (complaints) the
colonists had against Britain
– Called themselves “The United States”
– “…all men are created equal….with
inalienable rights…life, liberty, pursuit of
happiness…”
– Revolutionary War fought until 1781
Ideas in the Declaration of
Independence
• Many ideas Jefferson included were
from the writings of Englishman John
Locke
• 1. Natural Rights: life, liberty, property
• 2. Consent of the Governed: people
must agree on who their rulers will be
• Jefferson also included the idea that all
men are “equal”
Articles of Confederation
• 1781-1789: first written plan of gov’t in the
United States
• Confederation: weak or loose union of more
powerful states
• The Confederation gov’t only had one branch
(legislative) and no successful way to either
raise money or enforce laws
• A special convention was held in 1787 to fix
these weaknesses …………
Why do you suppose the
Americans who created the
Articles of Confederation made
them so weak??????????
Constitutional Convention
• Philadelphia, 1787: Secret meetings of
55 delegates from 12 of the 13 states
• Delegates argued over many topics and
soon they decided to scrap the AOC and
write a new plan of gov’t
Issues and Compromises
• Virginia Plan vs. New Jersey Plan: big
states favored the Virginia Plan, which
said that the number of representatives
in Congress should be determined by a
state’s population -- -- -- small states
favored the New Jersey Plan, which said
each state should have an equal number
of reps. in Congress
Issues and Compromises
• “The Great Compromise” offered by
Roger Sherman of Connecticut:
– A bi-cameral (two-house) Congress
– House of Representatives: number of reps.
according to state population
– Senate: each state would have the same
number of reps. (2)
Issues and Compromises
• Three-Fifths Compromise: Southern
states wanted to count their slaves as
people to get more reps. in the House;
the Northern states disagreed
• The compromise: three-fifths of the
slaves would count as people
THE CONSTITUTION
• The Constitution was finally drafted and
it included a very strong central
(federal) gov’t
• It also included THREE branches of
gov’t:
– Legislative: to make the laws
– Executive: to enforce the laws
– Judicial: to interpret the laws
RAT I FI CAT I O N
• After the Constitution was written, each
state had to ratify it
• As soon as 9 out of 13 states ratified the
document, it could take effect
• Arguments erupted in some states
between those who favored the
Constitution (Federalists) and those who
opposed it (Anti-Federalists)
Federalists
• A strong central
(federal) gov’t is
necessary
• The new gov’t will
not abuse individual
rights and liberties
Anti-Federalists
• The states would
lose too much power
under the new gov’t
• A Bill of Rights
MUST be added to
insure people’s
rights are protected
Constitution Takes Effect
• The Constitution was finally ratified by
the 9th state (NH) in 1788
• George Washington was inaugurated
(sworn in) as the nation’s first President
in 1790
• A Bill of Rights was added (first ten
amendments) in 1791 in order to satisfy
the Anti-Federalists
S U M MARY
• The United States government evolved from
its English colonial heritage
• Colonial governments: practicing selfgovernment
• Declaration of Independence stated the birth
of the USA
• The Articles of Confederation: our first
government
• The Constitution: a strong federal gov’t with
three branches