The Ideological Origins of the
American Revolution
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French and Indian War (1754-1763)
causes English debt, revenue enforcement
Admiralty Courts (No jury trials, trials at
sea)
Stamp Act of 1765 (Taxation
without representation)
The Writs of Assistance
Quartering Act (1766) and Army housing
Republicanism, home rule, and selfgovernment
The Articles of Confederation
(1781-1787)
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Negative government, fear of
centralized power
Unicameralism (single chamber)
Each state has one vote
Two-thirds vote to pass law
Unanimous vote to amend Articles
No tax power, Executive branch, judiciary
No navy, power to sign foreign treaties
Large national debt, fear of foreign
intervention
Toward the Constitution of 1787
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Shay’s Rebellion (1786)
The Annapolis Convention (1786)
The Philadelphia Convention
(1787)
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55 delegates in closed sessions
The Virginia and New Jersey Plans
The Connecticut Compromise
(Representation)
The Three-Fifths
Compromise (slavery)
Import taxes
Interstate commerce regulation
Representative democracy
The amendment process (living document)
An Ideological Party System
Develops
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Federalists (Loose interpretation,
national power, fear of democracy)
The Anti-Federalists (Strict
construction, states rights doctrines,
need for a bill of rights)
Limitations on Government
Power
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Federalism
Separation of powers
Bicameralism
Republican form of government
Reserved powers (9th and 10th
amendments)
The Ratification Struggle
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Submitted to state conventions for
approval
Three fourths of states necessary for
approval
The Federalist Papers