Read through the information on the
structure of the articles of Confederation.
As you read do the following:
* Highlight or underline the main
ideas in #’s 2-13.
* On the back write down some
ideas that you have about this
government’s strengths and weaknesses.
Read pages 132-137.
Create a list of features of our first government
that were good and those that were not so good.
I. Articles of Confederation (1777-1789)
A. First constitution
of USA
B. Written during
the
Revolutionary
War
(1777)
C. Created a “firm
league of
friendship” among
states
II. Government under the Confederation
A. Each state has ONE vote in Congress
B. Congress choose a presiding officer- 1
yr term
C. Congress has limited power
1. no power to enforce its own laws
2. no power to regulate trade
3. cannot collect taxes
4. no national court system
5. no army or navy
Confederation diagram
1. People
Vote for
State Reps.
2. States
make laws
and choose
National
Reps.
3. National
makes
unofficial
group
decisions
III. Problems under the Confederation
A. Territorial Expansion
1. How to organize land in west?
2. Northwest Ordinance (1785 & 1787)
a. divided land that later became
OH, IN, IL, MI & WI
b. set up a government for
these territories
3. Most important act under
Articles of Confederation
Indian Land Cessions:
1768-1799
State Claims to Western
Lands
Northwest Ordinance of
1787
The United States in 1787
B. Economic problems
1. dispute over the value of money
from different states
2. nation hit by an economic
depression
3. farmers begin to lose land
a. shay’s rebellion—MA farmers
try to attack arsenal
b. Can the new government
respond?
Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-7
There could be no stronger
evidence of the want of
energy in our governments
than these disorders.
-- George Washington
IV. Constitutional Convention
A. Philadelphia- May 1787
B. 55 delegates from 12 states
(RI—none)
C. GW presides over the
meeting
D. Sessions held in secret
E. James Madison (VA)
keeps detailed
notes & has many
ideas
“Father of the
Constitution”
Independence Hall
Philadelphia
Ben Franklin
John Hancock
You will be divided into 4 groups and be assigned a
topic to research using your book. (Your group will only
have 10 minutes to read and develop an answer.)
Your group will then present this information to the rest
of the class. Pages 141-143
The topics are:
1) Virginia Plan
2) New Jersey Plan
3) The Great Compromise
4) The 3/5 Compromise
V. How much power should the
national government have?
A. Two sides
1. strong National Government
(Virginia Plan)
2. strong STATE government
(New Jersey Plan)
VIRGINIA PLAN
James Madison (author)
3 branches
Executive
Judicial
Legislative (Congress)
Congress
Divided into two houses
Representation
based on
population
NEW JERSEY PLAN
William Paterson (author)
3 branches
Executive
Judicial
Legislative (Congress)
Congress
One house; equal
representation for
states
Connecticut Compromise
Roger Sherman (author)
3 Branches
Executive
Judicial
Legislative (2 houses)
Congress
Senate; 2 representatives
per state
House of Representatives;
based on population (at
least 1 per state)
B. Solution
1. strong central government
2. states retain some power
3. power in government divided
among three branches
a. Executive
b. Legislative (2 house Congress)
c. Judicial
federation diagram
1. People
Vote for
State and
National
Reps.
2. States
make state
laws and
follows
National laws
3. Nation
makes
official
Laws and
policies to
be followed
by all
citizens
VI. How should the states be
represented in the new Congress?
A. Two sides;
1. large states—base on population!
2. small states—equal per state
B. Solution-The Great Compromise
1. Senate—each state 2 reps.
2. House of Representatives--#
based on population (min. of 1
rep)
VII. Problem #2– How should slaves be
counted?
A. Two sides
1. Southern states—count all slaves
2. Northern states—do not count
ANY
B. Solution—3/5 COMPROMISE
3/5 of slaves would count to
determine eaCh state’s
representatives
1790 Census Information
on Population
Delaware
59,096
8,887
% of
Total
Population
15.04%
Rhode Island
68,825
948
1.38%
Georgia
82,548
29,264
35.45%
New Hampshire
141,885
158
0.11%
New Jersey
184,139
11,423
6.20%
Connecticut
237,946
2,764
1.16%
South Carolina
249,073
107,094
43%
Maryland
319,728
103,036
32.23%
New York
340,120
21,324
6.27%
Massachusetts
378,787
0
0%
North Carolina
393,751
100,572
25.54%
Pennsylvania
434,373
3,737
0.86%
Virginia
691,737
292,627
42.3%
Total for USA
3,582,008
681,834
19.04%
State
Slave
Total Population
Population
Preamble and
Article 1:
1) 2.2
2) 3.3
3) 3.4
4) 6.1
5) 6.2
6) 5.2
7) 7.3
8) 9.3
9) 10.2
10)5.1
11)7.2
12)10.3
Articles 4-7:
1) 4.1
2) 4.2.2
3) 4.3.1
4) 4.4
5) 5
6) 5
7) 6.2
8) 6.3
9) 6.3
10) 7
11) 7
VIII. How can the power of the
government be limited?
A. Give each of the three branches
a different function
1. Executive Branch –
carry out laws
2. Judicial Branch –
interprets laws
3. Legislative Branch –
makes laws
SEPARATION
OF
POWERS
Delivery
Roads
Crime
Health
Branches of U.S. Constitution
Executive
Judicial
Legislative
President
Supreme
Court
Congress
Enforce the Laws
Agriculture
Commerce
Defense
Education
Energy
Health & Human Services
Homeland Security
Housing and Urban Development
Interior
Justice
Labor
State
Transportation
Treasury
Veteran’s Affairs
Interprets the Laws
Lower
Federal
Courts
Make the Laws
House
Of
Representatives
Senate
B. Set up a system of CHECKS AND
BALANCES so that each branch can
control what the other two
branches do
Checks and Balances of the Constitution
Executive Branch
Checks on Judicial
Grant Pardons
Appoint Judges
Checks on Legislative
Veto Bills
Propose Bills
Negotiate Treaties
Nominate
Officials
Checks and Balances of the Constitution
Legislative Branch
Checks on Judicial
Impeach Judges
Make
Amendments
Approve Judge
Nominees
Change # of
Supreme Court
Judges
Checks on Executive
Impeach President
Over Ride Veto
Reject Treaties
Reject Nominees
Appropriate
Money
Checks and Balances of the Constitution
Judicial Branch
Checks on Executive
Interpret Laws
and Treaties
Declare Acts and
Laws
Unconstitutional
Checks on Legislative
Interpret Laws
and Treaties
Declare Acts and
Laws
Unconstitutional
How a Law Gets Made
2
1
3
Requirements/Terms of Office
House of
Representatives
Senate
President
Minimum Age
25
30
35
Length of Term
2 Years
6 Years
4 Years
Maximum number
of terms
Unlimited
Unlimited
2 Terms
Number per state
Min. 1 per
State:
Pop. Based
2
Not
applicable
Total number
435
100
1
You need to search the internet or
newspapers for an article dealing with one
of the branches of the National
Government. You need to cut out the article
or post the web address into your edmodo
assignment, summarize the article in 1-2
sentences, tell what branch it deals with,
and why you think that.
Due Date: 3-25-11
Preamble:
We the people of the United States , in
order to form a more perfect Union,
establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general welfare, and
secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves
and our prosperity, do ordain and establish
this Constitution for the United States of
America.
IX. Ratifying the Constitution
A. Nine of the 13 states had to
approve before the Constitution
could go into effect
B. Federalists – support the
Constitution
1. a strong government is needed
to protect the people
2. James Madison & Alexander
hamilton write “the
federalist papers” to defend
the Constitution
C. Anti-Federalists – oppose the
Constitution
1. a strong government is a threat
to the people
2. Bill of Rights needed to protect
individual rights
Federalist vs. Anti-federalist
D. Constitution is ratified by all
thirteen states
Ratification of The Constitution
State
Date Ratified
votes votes
% in
for against favor
Delaware
Dec 7, 1787
30
0
100%
Pennsylvania
Dec 12, 1787
46
23
67%
New Jersey
Dec 18, 1787
38
0
100%
Georgia
Jan 2, 1788
26
0
100%
Connecticut
Jan 9, 1788
128
40
76%
Massachusetts
Feb 6, 1788
187
168
53%
Maryland
Apr 28, 1788
63
11
85%
South Carolina
May 23, 1788
149
73
67%
New Hampshire
June 21, 1788
57
47
55%
Virginia
June 25, 1788
89
79
53%
New York
July 26, 1788
30
27
53%
North Carolina
Nov 21, 1789
194
77
72%
Rhode Island
May 29, 1790
34
32
52%
E. The Bill of Rights (first ten
amendments to the Constitution)
is added quickly
What does The Bill of Rights protect?
Open you textbooks to pages 166-167.