Roots of the Constitution
Al Jacobs
Wiregrass History
www.cpresa.org/sghp/sghp.htm
What are we doing?
• Events and Timeline
• People
• Trying to figure out how and
why the Constitution was
written
Major Events Timeline
• 1st Continental Congress – SEP-OCT 1774
• Lexington Concord – April 19, 1775
• 2d Continental Congress - May 75-Dec 76
Declaration of Independence–July 4, 1776
• 3rd Continental Congress
Articles Confederation – ratified Mar 1781
Yorktown Oct 1781, war ends Apr 1783
The People
Who were the framers?
• Aristocrats – large wealthy landowners,
merchants, educated, loyal British
subjects.
•
Lived along Eastern seaboard on the
best land.
•
Hamiltonians – class based society

Settlement
By
Ethnic
Groups
c1760
Who were the Scots-Irish?



Farmers – poor, uneducated,
frontiersmen
Other traits – independent, proud,
violent, heavy drinkers, armed, liked
to fight, anti-British, suspicious of
authority, prolific, religious –
Presbyterian/Baptist,
Valued land, family, the military and
honor.
The Patriot
Postwar Problems






Economy – Inflation
Property – Large landowners
Voting Rights
Monetary problems
Inadequate court systems
Inadequate military
Led to
Separatist attitudes
 Strong local governments
 Inability of the government to
protect against Indian attacks
 Refusal to pay taxes
Finally, armed confrontation – Shay’s
Rebellion

Major Events Timeline
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Shay’s Rebellion – Aug 1786-Jan 1787
Annapolis Convention – Sep 1786
Constitutional Convention opens – 5/25/87
Constitution signed – 9/17/87
Delaware ratifies – 12/7/87
Constitution ratified – 6/21/88
Washington inaugurated – April 30, 1789
Whiskey Rebellion – Aug 1794
Bill of Rights







Art 1 – Freedom of speech, press,
assembly, religion
Art 2 – Right to keep and bear arms
Art 3 – No quartering of troops
Art 4 – Illegal search and seizure
Art 5-8 – Legal due process
Art 9 – Other rights not denied
Art 10 – States’ rights
Conclusions



The Constitution was evolved over a
period of years.
Many internal pressures in the new
nation forced adoption of the
Constitution.
Attitudes and actions of the ScotsIrish settlers helped form the new
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Gettysburg
Scots-Irish….The Sequel