Chapter 2: Origins of
American Government
Objectives
 The origins of the American governmental system.
 The development of that system through the colonial
period to the coming of Independence.
 The Critical Period and the governmental
arrangements set up by the Articles of Confederation.
 The events and processes involved in the creation and
adoption of the Constitution of the United States.
Background Info.
 The story of the United States began long before 1776.
 It started in the mid-1500’s when explorers, traders,
and settlers first made their way to North America.
 North America was dominated by Native Americans
and eventually the Europeans.
 English came in the largest numbers, soon controlled
the 13 Colonies that stretched along the Atlantic coast.
Chapter 2 Activity
 Select one of the historical documents mentioned
in this chapter. Choose a portion of it that is at
least 250 words in length. Then, rewrite that
portion of the document in your own words. Be
sure that you cover all of the points in the original
text and that you do not change the meaning of
the text.
Chapter 2 Vocabulary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Limited government
Representative
government
Magna Carta
Petition of Right
English Bill of Rights
Charter
Bicameral
Unicameral
9. Albany Plan of Union
10. Boycott
11. Constitution
12. Popular sovereignty
13. Ratification
14. Articles of
Confederation
15. Framers
16. Virginia Plan
Chapter 2 Vocabulary
17. New Jersey Plan
18. Connecticut
Compromise
19. Three-Fifths
Compromise
20. Commerce and Slave
Trade Compromise
21. Federalists
22. Anti-Federalists
23. Due process
24. Proprietary
25. Confederation
26. Delegate
Chapter 2 Section 1:
Our Political Beginnings
 Examine early English concepts of government.
 Analyze the influences of the Magna Carta, Petition of
Right, and English Bill of Rights on American ideas
about government and freedom.
 Compare the structure of royal colony governments to
our National Government.
 What were the basic ideas about government that
English colonists brought to America?
 How did governments first develop in the 13 Colonies?
Basic Concepts of Government
 English political system brought to the U.S. was from
the 17th century England. Settlers established customs,
laws, and practices.
 English law borrowed concepts from early river
civilizations of Africa and Asia, but the most
influential were the Romans.
 Romans left their direct legacy of laws, religion, and
customs to the people.
Basic Concepts of Government
 English brought 3 Ideas to help shape the United
States government: ordered government, limited
government, and representative government.
 1. Ordered Government – orderly regulation of
relationships with each other. Created local
governments based on those they had in England.
Many still found at the local level.
 Ex) sheriff, coroner, assessor, justice of the peace,
the grand jury, counties, townships, etc.
Basic Concepts of Government
 2. Limited Government – individual has certain
rights that the government cannot take away,
government has limited power.
 Began in England with the signing of the Magna
Carta in 1215 and will make its way to Jamestown in
1607.
3. Representative Government – government in
which public policies are made by officials who are
selected by voters. Government should serve the
will of the people.
Landmark English Documents
 Magna Carta: “The Great Charter”, signed by King John at
Runnymede in 1215.
 Barons were seeking protections from heavy taxes and skeptical
military campaigns.
 Established that the power of the monarchy was not absolute.
 Protected fundamental rights, such as trial by jury and due
process of law: protection against the arbitrary taking of life,
liberty, or property.
 Originally intended for the privileged, but over time became the
rights of all English people. It was respected by some monarchs.
Magna Carta
Landmark English Documents
 The Petition of Right: Parliament forced a
signing by Charles I.
 It declared that monarchs must obey the law of the
land and challenged idea of kings having divine
rights.
 Monarchs had to use lawful judgment, and could
not impose military rule in times of peace.
Landmark English Documents
 English Bill of Rights: drawn up by Parliament in 1689,
to prevent abuse of power by English monarchs (William
and Mary of Orange) and future monarchs.
 Prohibited a standing army in a time of peace and required
all parliamentary elections be free.
 Monarch needed support from parliament to do most
things.
 It formed the basis for much in the American government
and politics today.
 Guaranteed right to a speedy trial and freedom from
cruel and unusual punishment.
Petition of
Right
English Bill of
Rights
Government in the Colonies
 13 Colonies were established separately over 125 years.
 First colony, Virginia, settlement of Jamestown in 1607.
 Last colony, Georgia, settlement of Savannah in 1733.
 Each colony was created out of a certain set of
circumstances. Ex) VA – employees of VA Company, MA –
religious freedom
 13 Colonies have many similarities because they were all
shaped by their English origins.
Government in the Colonies
 Colonies were established on the basis of a charter:
written grant of authority from the king.
 Charters gave colonists or companies a grant of land
and some governing rights, while the Crown retained a
certain amount of power over the colony.
 3 Kinds of colonies: royal, proprietary, and charter.
 1. Royal Colonies – subject to direct control of the
King.
 New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New
York, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
and Georgia.
Government in the Colonies
 King named a governor and a council in the colonies. The
governor was the colony’s chief executive. The council
served as an advisory body to the governor.
 Eventually royal colonies will have two houses (Upper
House – governor’s council, Lower House – elected by
property owners).
 Bicameral: two house legislature
 All laws had to be approved by the governor and King.
 Power of the purse – power to tax and power to spend.
Government in the Colonies
 2. Proprietary Colonies: organized by proprietors,
persons to whom the king had granted land.
 By charter the land could be settled and governed as much
as the proprietor chose.
 Governors were appointed by proprietors.
 3 Colonies: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware



Maryland – granted to Lord Baltimore
Pennsylvania and Delaware – granted to William Penn
Pennsylvania was unicameral: one house legislature
Government in the Colonies
 3. Charter Colonies – were largely self-governing and based on
charters granted in 1662 and 1663 to colonists themselves.
 2 Colonies: Connecticut and Rhode Island – founded by
religious dissidents of Massachusetts.
 Governors: elected each year by white, male property owners in
each colony. King’s approval was required, but not often asked.
 Bicameral legislature: not subject to governor’s veto or the king’s
approval.
 Historians state the Revolution might not have taken place
if the other colonies were allowed the same freedom and
self-government.
Chapter 2 Section 2:
The Coming of Independence
 How did the relationship between the colonies and Great
Britain change in the pre-Revolutionary period?
 For what reason is the Declaration of Independence
considered a revolutionary document?
 What was government like in the newly independent
United States?
 Examine events leading up to the Declaration of
Independence through political cartoons and a firsthand account from that era.
Royal Control
 Colonies separately established and separately controlled
through the Privy Council and the London Board of
Trade.
 Parliament had little to do with the colonies,
administration was left to the King.
 King was 3,000 miles away, colonial legislatures assumed
broad lawmaking powers.
 Mid-1700’s the relationship between Britain and the
colonies became federal. Britain responsible for defense,
foreign affairs, uniform system for money and credit, and
colonial trade.
Royal Control
 1760 under King George III, Britain begins to deal with
the colonies more firmly.
 “Taxation without representation”
 Restrictive trading acts expanded and enforced.
 New taxes imposed to support British troops in
North America.
 Colonists rejected Parliament’s claim that it had a
right to control the colonies’ local affairs.
 Colonists forced to submit or revolt.
King George III
Growing Colonial Unity
 Attempts made to promote cooperation among the colonies. If they
wanted to revolt, they would need each other.
 New England Confederation – “league of friendship”
 Created in 1643 for defense against Native American tribes
 Dangers passed and it lost importance and died out in 1684.
 The Albany Plan of Union – plan put forward by Ben Franklin in
1754.
 Aimed at uniting the 13 Colonies to discuss problems of colonial
trade and danger of attacks by the French and their Native
American allies. (Issues: Taxes, military, war, peace, trade)
 Wanted to create a congress of delegates: representatives from
each of the 13 colonies to discuss the matters stated above.
 It was never enacted.
Growing Colonial Unity
 The Stamp Act Congress – protest of stamp acts




enacted by the British on legal documents,
newspapers, and business agreements.
Delegates were sent to New York from 9 colonies,
prepared a protest called the Declaration of Rights and
Grievances.
Parliament repealed the Stamp Act
Boycott: refusal to buy or sell (English goods)
Protests multiplied:
 Boston Massacre – March 5, 1770
 Boston Tea Party – December 16, 1773
Boston Massacre
Boston Tea Party
First Continental Congress
 September 5, 1774, delegates from every colony
except Georgia met in Philadelphia to discuss the
Intolerable Acts and the worsening situation with
the British.
 Debated plans for action
 Sent a Declaration of Rights to King George III
 Urged colonies to refuse all trade with England
 All colonies, including Georgia gave their support
 Delegates would meet again in May
First Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
 May 10, 1775 – Delegates from all colonies met in
Philadelphia.
 British government continued to refuse to
compromise
 Revolution had already begun – Battles of Lexington
and Concord
 New delegate: Benjamin Franklin – Pennsylvania
 New delegate: John Hancock – Massachusetts
 Hancock chosen as president of the Congress,
continental army organized, George Washington
appointed as the commander in chief.
John Hancock George Washington
Second Continental Congress
 Became the nation’s first national government.
 Condemned by the British as an unlawful
assembly.
 Served as government of the U.S. for five years,
from Declaration to the Articles of Confederation.
 Fought a war, raised armies and a navy, borrowed
money, bought supplies, created a monetary
system, made treaties with foreign powers, etc.
 Unicameral Congress exercised both legislative
and executive powers.
Second Continental Congress
Declaration of Independence
 On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia,
proposed to Congress that the United Colonies should
be free and independent States.
 Committee of 5 chosen to prepare a proclamation of
independence: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger
Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson.
 July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence was adopted
and announced to the world.
Declaration of Independence
 Almost wholly the work of Thomas Jefferson, and
signed by 56 men.
 First paragraph announces the independence of the
United States, from this document the United States
of America was born.
 The 13 Colonies became free and independent States.
First State Governments
 New Hampshire was the first to adopt a constitution
to replace its royal charter.
 By 1777, most of the States adopted written
constitutions: bodies of fundamental laws setting
out the principles, structures, and processes of their
government.
 Assemblies and conventions used to draft and adopt
these documents.
 Massachusetts constitution of 1780 is the oldest of
the present-day State constitutions, and the oldest
written in force anywhere in the world today.
Common Features of New States
 1. Popular Sovereignty:
government can exist and function only with the
consent of the governed.
 People hold power, people are sovereign
 2. Limited Government
 powers delegated to government had many
restrictions.
Common Features of New States
 3. Civil Rights and Liberties
 sovereign people held certain rights that
government must respect at all times.
 4. Separation of Powers and Checks and
Balances
 powers divided among executive, legislative, and
judicial branches.
 Each branch was given the power to check other
branches of government.
 Most authority in the legislature, held elections.
Chapter 2 Section 3:
The Critical Period
 What were the basic provisions and major
weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
 For what reasons are the 1780’s known as the
Critical Period in American history?
 What steps led to the Constitutional Convention
in 1787?
 Analyze the issue of land claims by examining a
map.
The First National Constitution
 November 15, 1777 – Articles of Confederation
approved, written to unite the former colonies.
 Ratification: formal approval
 The last state to ratify was Maryland in February
of 1781.
 Articles went into effect on March 1, 1781.
 The Articles of Confederation established “a firm
league of friendship” among the States.
 Each state kept its sovereignty, freedom, and
independence
The First National Constitution
 The States came together for their common defense,
the security of liberties, and their mutual and
general welfare”
 A simple government was formed from the Articles –
Congress, unicameral, delegates chosen yearly.
 Each State had one vote in Congress regardless of
population or wealth.
 No executive or judicial branches
 Powers of Congress: make war and peace, send
and receive ambassadors, make treaties, borrow
money, raise an army by asking States for troops, etc.
The First National Constitution
 State pledged to obey the Articles and acts of
Congress, including: provide funds and troops, treat
everyone fairly and equally, surrender fugitives from
justice to each other, open and trade and travel
between and among the States.
 Weaknesses: one vote for each State regardless of
size, no power to tax, powerless to regulate trade
between the States, no national court system, no
executives to enforce the acts of Congress, all States
needed for amendments, 9/13 majority needed to
pass laws.
The Critical Period, the 1780’s
 Weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation, central




government unable to act, States bickered among
themselves and refused to support the new central
government.
Economic chaos spread throughout the colonies as
prices soared and credit vanished.
Debts went unpaid
Violence erupted: Ex) Shay’s Rebellion MA
Government created by the Articles was not able to
deal with the nation’s troubles.
The Critical Period, the 1780’s
 Demand grew for a stronger, more effective
national government.
 Threatened by economic instability: large
property owners, merchants, traders, and
creditors.
 These men began to lead the way for change in
1785.
The Critical Period, the 1780’s
“We are one nation
today and 13
tomorrow. Who
will treat with us on
such terms”
– G. Washington
The Meetings at Mount Vernon
and Annapolis
 Maryland and Virginia first to take steps for
change.
 Held conference for their trade problems in
Alexandria, VA in March 1785.
 George Washington invited them to meet at his
home in Mount Vernon.
 Negotiations were successful and called for “a joint
meeting of all States to recommend a federal plan
for regulating commerce”
The Meetings at Mount Vernon
and Annapolis
 Joint meeting opened in Annapolis, MD on
Sept. 11, 1786.
 Representative from 5 of the 13 States attended
and called for another meeting of the States in
Philadelphia.
 By February of 1787, 7 States had named
delegates for the Philadelphia meeting.
The Meetings at Mount Vernon
and Annapolis
 Congress called upon the other States to send
delegates, “for the sole and express purpose of
revising the Articles of Confederation….”
 Philadelphia meeting became known as the
Constitutional Convention.
Chapter 2 Section 4:
Creating the Constitution
 How was the Constitution written?
 For what reasons, where compromises necessary?
 What major compromises were involved?
 Use primary and secondary sources to evaluate the
major compromises made at the Constitutional
Convention.
The Framers
 12 of the 13 States sent delegates to Philadelphia.
Rhode Island was the exception.
 74 men were chosen as delegates, but only 55 were able
to attend the meeting in Philadelphia.
 These men came from an array backgrounds,
including: wealth and prestige, public experience, war
veterans of the Revolution, members of the
Continental Congress, signers of the Declaration of
Independence, etc.
 G. Washington, J. Madison, G. Mason, R. Morris, and
many more were the framers of the Constitution.
“The most
wonderful work
ever struck off at a
given time by the
brain and purpose
of man”
– William E.
Gladstone
The Framers
 The average age of the delegates was only 42, and
nearly half were only in their 30’s.
 Ben Franklin was the oldest at 81.
 George Washington, 55, was one of the few older
members who played a key role at the meetings.
 Several famous men of the Revolutionary Period did
not attend these meetings in Philadelphia: Patrick
Henry, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Richard Henry
Lee, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and John
Adams.
Organization and Procedure
 Delegates met in Independence Hall in
Philadelphia.
 Unanimously elected George Washington as
president.
 A majority of the States would be needed to
conduct business, each State delegate would have
one vote, and a majority would carry any proposal.
 Rule of secrecy needed by delegates because of
public attention and speculation.
 Convention’s Journal kept by secretary, William
Jackson, but not always accurate.
Organization and Procedure
 Several delegates kept their own records: James
Madison’s Notes were knowledgeable accurate
records, delegates held him in great respect.
 Madison contributed the most to the Constitution.
 Madison earned the title, “Father of the
Constitution”
 Delegates met on 89 of the 116 days, from May 25th
to September 17th.
 Almost all questions answered as a full body on the
floor.
The Decision to Write a New
Constitution
 Philadelphia Convention held to revise the Articles of
Confederation, but they ended up creating a new
document.
 Edmund Randolph of Virginia proposed, “that a
national Government ought to be established
consisting of supreme Legislative, Executive, and
Judiciary.”
Edmund
Randolph
The Virginia Plan
 Virginia Plan: called for a new government with
three separate branches, legislative, executive, and
judicial. Legislative branch would be bicameral.
 Representation based on population or amount of
money given for the support of the central
government.
 House of Representatives based on population, the
Senate chosen by the House from list of nominees.
 Smaller states: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, etc.
presented opposition to the Virginia Plan.
James
Madison
The New Jersey Plan
 New Jersey Plan: differed in how States should
be represented in Congress.
 Wanted a unicameral Congress with each of the
States equally represented.
 Congress would have a limited power to tax and
regulate trade in between states.
 Wanted several people to run the federal executive.
William
Paterson
The Connecticut Compromise
 Connecticut Compromise: compromise
suggested Congress should be composed of two
houses.
 Senate – states would be represented equally.
 House – representation based on population.
 Often called the “Great Compromise”
 Convention’s most serious dispute was
resolved.
The Three-Fifths Compromise
 Debate over whether or not slaves should count
in the population of the southern States.
 Three-Fifths Compromise: all “free persons”
should be counted, and “so should 3/5 of all
other persons”, meaning slaves counted as 3/5
of a person.
 3/5 Compromise disappeared from the
Constitution in 1865, along with slavery, with
the 13th Amendment.
The Commerce and Slave Trade
Compromise
 Convention agreed that Congress had the power to
regulate foreign and interstate trade.
 Southerners worried that this would be a problem,
especially export duties possibly on tobacco. Also,
feared that Congress would interfere with the slave
trade.
 Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise:
Congress forbidden to tax export goods from any State.
Also, could not act on the slave trade for at least 20
years.
Sources of the Constitution
 The Framers were well-educated.
 Ancient writings from Greece and Rome, and
contemporary Great Britain and Europe.
 Political writings: Commentaries on the Laws of
England (William Blackstone), The Spirit of the Law
(Baron de Montesquieu), Social Contract (Jean Jacque
Rousseau), The Treatises of Government (John Locke),
and many others.
 Also drew on own experiences, Second Continental
Congress, Articles of Confederation, and State govn’t.
The Convention Completes Its
Work
 September 17, 1787 – Delegates at the convention
approved the work and 39 names were placed on the
document.
 On Benjamin Franklin’s motion the United States
Constitution was signed.
 41 delegates were present that day, but 3 refused to
sign: Edmund Randolph and George Mason(VA),
Elbridge Gerry (MA).
 George Mason opposed the Constitution until his
death in 1792.
Chapter 2 Section 5: Ratifying the
Constitution
 What were the Anti-Federalists objections to the
ratification of the Constitution ?
 How was the Constitution ratified?
 Analyze the positions of the Federalists and the AntiFederalists, using primary sources.
Ratification
 9 of 13 States were needed to make changes to the





document.
The Constitution was sent to the States on September
28, 1787.
The Constitution was printed, circulated, and debated.
Two groups emerged: Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
Federalists: favored ratification.
Anti-Federalists: opposed ratification.
Ratification
 Federalists were led by those who attended the
Philadelphia Convention.
 Federalists - most active were James Madison and
Alexander Hamilton.
 Stressed the weaknesses of the Articles.
 Argued that difficulties could be overcome by a new
government based on the proposed Constitution.
Ratification
 Anti-Federalists – Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee,
John Hancock, and Samuel Adams.
 Objected to ratification process, absence of any mention
of God, denial to States to print money, greatly
increased powers of the central government, and the
lack of a bill of rights (freedom of speech, press, religion,
and rights to a fair trial).
Ratification
 Federalists eventually win, but Virginia and New York
ratification was needed if the new government would
have any success.
 Virginia held brilliant debates, George Washington’s
support to Madison proved vital in getting VA to ratify
the Constitution.
 New York ratified after a long battle, The Federalist
emerged as a remarkable campaign document. It was
composed of 85 essays written in favor of the
Constitution by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton,
and John Jay.
 Excellent commentary and among best political writings.
Inauguration of the New
Government
 11 of 13 States ratified the Constitution.
 New York chosen as the temporary capital.
 George Washington elected president by a
unanimous vote, John Adams elected vice
president with a substantial majority.
 April 30, 1789 after a historic trip from Mount
Vernon to New York, Washington took the oath of
office as the first President of the United States.
President
Vice President