US History
Fort Burrows
Government, Citizenship, and the Constitution, 1787 - Present
8.1 -- Goals and Principles of the Constitution
READ pgs 246 - 251
Time Line:
1787
1789
1830
1870
1920
1951
1971
-
US Constitution written
George Washington becomes the 1st US President ( for two terms )
male land owners over 21 years old and white can vote
15th Amendment African American males can legally vote
19th Amendment allows women to vote
22nd Amendment limits Presidents to two terms
26th Amendment extends right to vote to 18 -21 years of age
George Washington, 1st President of the United States of America. Born at
Pope’s Creek, Virginia on February 22, 1732 and died December 14, 1799. He was
considered a Federalist. As our nation’s 1st President, GW is known as the ‘Father of
Our Country.” Through his leadership, the American colonies won independence
from Great Britain and became the United States of America.
Washington grew up on a farm in Virginia but inherited an estate, Mount
Vernon, from his half-brother. In his early 20s, GW joined the Virginia militia and
fought in the French & Indian War. His military skills earned him an appointment as
commander of the colony’s militia. After the war, Virginia’s voters elected GW to the
colony’s legislature, where he served for 15 years. When the American Revolution
broke out, GW was called to lead the Continental Army against the British troops.
As General Washington, he led the poorly equipped colonial soldiers through six
years of battle. The Continental Army was often short of ammunition, food, clothing,
and other supplies. GW’s courage inspired his men. He kept their spirits up through
his disciplined leadership and by sharing their hardships. The Continental Army
finally triumphed in 1781, when the British surrendered.
Main Idea:
The goals and principles of the Constitution have guided the United States for
more than 222 years.
Vocabulary:
( Gov’t - government )
preamble - introduction to a declaration, constitution, or official document
domestic tranquility - peace and order at home (from the Preamble)
civilian - nonmilitary
general welfare - well-being of all the citizens of a nation (from the Preamble)
liberty - freedom
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US History
Fort Burrows
Articles - the main body of the Constitution that establishes the framework for
the US government
popular sovereignty - principle of the US Constitution that states the people
have a right to create, alter, and abolish their gov’t
limited government - principle of the US Constitution that states the gov’t
has only the powers that the Constitution gives it
checks and balances - principle of the US Constitution that safeguards against
abuse of power by giving each branch of gov’t the power to
check the other branches
federalism - principle of the US Constitution that establishes the division
of power between the federal gov’t and the states
Setting the Scene:
On Election Day, 2000, some 100 million Americans went to the polls to elect a
new President. But they woke up the next morning to learn that the election was not
over. Across the nation, the vote was split almost down the middle. Neither the
Democratic candidate, Albert Gore, nor the Republican candidate, George W. Bush,
had the 270 electoral votes needed to become President. The result would depend on
the vote in Florida—a race that was too close to call!
For 36 days, Americans watched and argued as the candidates battled for
Florida’s 25 electoral votes. Teams of lawyers, local election officials, state legislators,
and state and federal judges all became involved in the battle. At last, a ruling by the
Supreme Court of the United States allowed Bush to claim victory. Gore offered his
opponent best wishes for a successful presidency.
The election of 2000 raised some troubling issues. In the end, though, the
election showed the strength of our constitutional system. The electoral battle was
fierce but not violent. The candidates fought bitterly to win, but they fought in courts
not in the streets. As in the past, Americans relied on the system established by their
Constitution.
The Preamble Sets Goals
 Constitution is divided into 3 main parts: Preamble, Articles and Amendments
 Preamble has 6 goals
“We the people of the United States , in order to form a more perfect Union, establish
justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the
general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Preamble of the Constitution
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Fort Burrows
 To Form a More Perfect Union
 when Constitution was written, states saw themselves as separate nations
 the framers wanted to work together as a unified nation
 To Establish Justice
 the framers knew the nation needed a unified system to settle legal disputes
 American justice system requires that the law be applied fairly to every
American regardless of race, religion, gender or country of origin
 To Insure Domestic Tranquillity
 National government has the power to insure domestic tranquillity
 Example: National Guard providing assistance in a disaster area
 To Provide for the Common Defense
 every country has a duty to protect its citizens against foreign attack
 the framers gave the national gov’t the power to raise armies and navies
 they also placed the military under civilian, or nonmilitary control
 To Promote the General Welfare
 Constitution set out to give the national gov’t the means to promote the
general welfare of its citizens
 Example: National Institutes of Health leads the fight against many diseases
 To Secure the Blessings of Liberty
 Colonists fought and died for liberty during Revolution
 the framers made liberty a major goal of the Constitution
 amendments have extended the “blessings of liberty” to more Americans
¿¿ What are the goals of the preamble of the Constitution ?
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Articles and Amendments
 The main body of the Constitution is a short document divided into 7 sections
called Articles that establish the framework for our gov’t
 The Articles
 Articles I, II and III describe the 3 branches: legislative, executive, and
judicial
 Article IV deals with relations between states – requires states to honor one
another’s laws and legal decisions and system for admitting new states
 Article V provides a process to amend the Constitution
 Article VI states the Constitution is the “supreme law of the land” – states
may not make laws that violate the Constitution
 Article VII sets up a procedure for the states to ratify the Constitution
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 Amendments
 Only 27 formal changes have been made to the Constitution in 220 years
 The 1st 10 amendments were the Bill of Rights added in 1791
 Amendments have changed the working of the gov’t or extended rights
Seven Basic Principles
 Popular Sovereignty
 Declaration of Independence asserted that people “are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights”
 They have the right to alter or abolish their gov’t
 Constitution reflects this principle of popular sovereignty: gov’t gets its
authority from the people
 Limited Government
 The framers made limited gov’t a principle of the Constitution
 In a limited gov’t, the gov’t has only the powers that the Constitution gives it
 Everyone from you to the President must obey the law
 Separation of Powers
 The framers provided for separation of powers to further limit the gov’t
 Constitution divides the gov’t into 3 branches
 Legislative, or Congress, makes the laws
 Executive, or President, carries out the laws
 Judicial, or Courts, interprets the laws
 Checks and Balances
 A system on checks and balances safeguards against abuse of power
 Each branch has the power to check, or limit, the actions of other 2 branches
¿¿ How does the US Constitution address the idea of limited gov’t?
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 Federalism
 Constitution establishes the principle of federalism, or division between the
federal gov’t and the states
 Federal gov’t can coin money, declare war, & regulate trade between states
 States regulate trade inside state borders, make rules for state elections and
establish schools
 Republicanism
 Constitution provides for a republican form of government
 Citizens elect representatives to carry out their will
 Representatives vote according to their own judgment but must remain open
to the opinions of the people they represent
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 Individual Rights
 Constitution protects individual rights
 Rights such as freedom of speech and religion and the right to trial by jury
“The character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done. The most [strict]
protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a
panic… The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are
of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the [real] evils that
Congress has a right to prevent.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Schenck v. United States, 1919
1. How does the Preamble define the basic goals of the Constitution ?
1. _______________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________________________
5. _______________________________________________________________
6. _______________________________________________________________
2. What framework of government is established by the articles of the Constitution ?
1. _________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________
3. What are the seven (7) principles of American government ?
a. _______________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________
d. _______________________________________________
e. _______________________________________________
f. _______________________________________________
g. _______________________________________________
4.
Constitution of the United States
Article I Section 1
“The House of Representatives shall be composed of
members chosen every second year by the people of
the several states…”
Which principle of the Constitution is primarily reflected in the passage above ?
A. Republicanism
B. Federalism
C. Checks and Balance
D. Individual Rights
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