Review
Why was the French & Indian War fought?
 What were the primary causes of the
American Revolution?


What were the colonial responses to
British actions such as the Proclamation
Act of 1763, Stamp Act, & Intolerable
Acts?
 What
was the importance of Thomas
Paine’s Common Sense?
Standards

USHC-1.4 Analyze how dissatisfactions with the
government under the Articles of Confederation were
addressed with the writing of the Constitution of 1787,
including the debates and compromises reached at the
Philadelphia Convention and the ratification of the
Constitution.
SHAPING A NEW NATION
Articles of Confederation and
Constitution
Forming a Republic
Following the Revolutionary War, the
Second Continental Congress met to
form a government.
 However, the states were reluctant to
unite under a strong central
government.
 Most people’s allegiance was to the
state, not the national government

 The
delegates believed a
democracy placed too much power
in the hands of uneducated
masses, so they favored a Republic
– where citizens rule through
elected representatives.
Drafting a National Constitution


The members of the Second Continental
Congress had to answer three main questions:
 Representation by population or state?
 Can Supreme Power be divided?
 Who gets the Western Lands?
They answered these questions by drafting
the Articles of Confederation - 1781
Articles of Confederation
a “firm league of friendship”



The Articles of Confederation was formed and
became the 1st official government of the U.S.
The state governments would hold supreme
power in most cases granting power to the
national govt. in limited situations.
Representation determined by state, not
population. Therefore each state allowed was
allowed ONE vote!!
Articles of Confederation
Strengths of Articles of
Confederation:
-Land Ordinance of 1785- a system of
surveying land
-The Northwest Land Ordinance of 1787
–provided a system of dividing western
territories and set requirements for the
admission of new states
P. 138
Weaknesses of Articles of
Confederation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Weak national government
Nat’l govt. could not tax (weak economy)
No executive branch to enforce laws
No Judicial branch to interpret laws
States controlled trade
Articles could not be amended without
consent of every state
Unfair Representation (1 state = 1 vote)
Role of executive

“The United States in Congress assembled shall
have authority … to appoint such other
committees and civil officers as may be necessary
for managing the general affairs of the United
States under their direction -- to appoint one of
their members to preside, provided that no person
be allowed to serve in the office of president more
than one year in any term of three years;”
Shays’s Rebellion (proves the Articles
are too weak) (pg. 140)


1786-87 Daniel Shays and a group of 1200
angry farmers tried to revolt against the
government over unfair taxes. (they were
farmers who were going to lose their farms
to creditors for not being able to pay the
high taxes to the state)
The Rebellion showed the danger of the
weak national government not having the
power to stop a rebellion.
Shays’ Rebellion (1786) became a concern for
many national leaders because it:
(a) indicated there would be future conflicts over
the spread of slavery
(b) exposed fundamental weaknesses in government
under the Articles of Confederation
(c) pointed to the need for federal government
regulation of interstate commerce
(d) showed that frontier settlements were
vulnerable to raids by Native American Indians
Review Question
The Articles of Confederation proved ineffective as a
national body of laws for which of the following reasons?
A. It gave too much power to the Congress without
providing for a commander of the nation’s armed forces
B. It did not give the federal government enough power to
effectively lead
C. It imposed taxes that led to a rebellion of farmers in
New England
D. It prevented individual states from having their own
constitutions

In response, the delegates called a
meeting (in Philadelphia 1787) to
amend the Articles of Confederation.
At the meeting they rejected it all
together and began writing the
Constitution.
THE CONSTITUTION


1.
2.
3.
James Madison – “Father of the
Constitution.”
The main disputes were:
Over Representation (large states vs.
small states)
North vs. South over slavery
Division of powers
James Madison

Father of
the
Constitution
Fight Over Representation
Virginia Plan (Favored large states)
1. 3 Separate Branches
2. Bicameral Congress (2 houses)
3. **Representation based on
Population
4. Congress would legislate (make laws)
5. Executive Branch (1 person)

New Jersey Plan (Favored small
states)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Unicameral Congress (1 house)
**Equal Representation
Exec. Branch with more than one
person
Limit Congressional Power

Great Compromise- (The Connecticut
Compromise)
1.
2.



Bicameral Congress – 2 houses
Representation:
Senate – Equal Representation
House of Rep. – Based on the
population of the state
Executive branch would consist of one
person
North vs. South over Slavery
1.
2.
Three-Fifths (3/5) Compromise – all
Free people would be counted in the
population and 3/5 of all other
persons would be counted
Commerce and Slave trade –
Congress regulates trade, but would
not interfere with the slave trade for
20 years.
FEDERALISM
 Delegates
create a Federalist form
of government with three branches
 Federalism – power divided between
national and state governments
ENUMERATED or DELEGATED
POWERS
Powers granted to the National
Government by the Constitution
 These powers include:
 Control of Foreign Affairs
 Providing National Defense
 Regulating trade between states
 Coining money

RESERVED POWERS
 Powers
kept by the state.
 These powers include:
 Providing
and supervising education
 Establishing marriage laws
 Regulating trade within a state
CONCURRENT OR SHARED
POWERS
 Both
levels of government share
such powers as:
 The
right to tax
 Right to borrow money and pay
debts
 Power to establish courts
Division of Government Powers

1.
2.
3.
Separation of Powers - 3 Branches of
Government (each having powers the
others do not)
Legislative Branch – Makes the laws.
Executive Branch – Carries out and
enforces the laws.
Judicial Branch – Interprets the laws.
Checks and Balances – A system
established by the delegates to
prevent one branch from dominating
the others.
 Electoral College – chosen by the
state - officially elects the Pres.

Checks and Balances
Examples:
 – President has the power of veto but Congress can
override
 – Supreme Court declare laws of Congress
unconstitutional
 -President appoints federal judges with approval of
Congress
 -S. Court can declare executive orders
unconstitutional
 -Congress can refuse judicial appointments
 -Senate can refuse to ratify a foreign treaty
Ratification of the Constitution


Ratification – official approval (required 9 of the
13 states)
Federalists – supporters of the Constitution
(favored a strong central govt.)


Examples: George Washington, James Madison,
Alexander Hamilton
Anti-federalists – those that opposed the
Constitution (believed a central govt. would be too
powerful and take rights away from the people)
Wanted a BILL OF RIGHTS

Examples: Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, T. Jefferson
Ratification



The Federalist Papers– a series of essays
defending the Constitution
The Antifederalists also published essays
demanding the Constitution include a Bill Of
Rights protecting the rights of the people
The Federalists promised to add a Bill Of Rights
which led to the states ratification of the
Constitution

FEDERALIST
ANTI-FEDERALISTS
Bill of Rights (page 166)
st
1
Amendment





Freedom of religion
Freedom of speech
Freedom of the press
Freedom of assembly
Right of the people to
petition the government
nd
2
Amendment

Right to bear arms
rd
3
Amendment
 Quartering
troops
th
4
Amendment
 Search
seizure
and
th
5
Amendment
 Rights
of
accused persons
th
6
Amendment
 Right
to a
speedy, public
trial
th
7
Amendment
 Trial
by jury in
civil cases
th
8
Amendment
No excessive bail or
fines
No cruel or unusual
punishments
th
9
Amendment
 Rights
people
of the
th
10
Amendment
 Powers
of states
and people