ORIGINS of
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Early Settlers to America
Jamestown 1607
Plymouth 1620
Knew they needed an
Orderly Government!
What type of Government???
Section 1 : Our Political Beginnings
*2) Limited
= government is NOT all powerful
*3) Representative
= government should serve the
will of the people
Who did we get
our Government
ideas from?
ENGLISH
-we are English Settlers!
Although the Constitution
was a first for the world, it
drew upon many sources
The Magna Carta 1215 was the *
basis for LIMITED government.
The Petition of Right 1628
* English Parliament helped serve
as an example of representative
government.
The English Bill of Rights served
as a basis for
* protecting individual rights.
Landmark English Documents
BILL OF RIGHTS 1688
(60 years after Petition of Right)
William and Mary get the Crown after
giving up a lot of Power.
“Glorious Revolution”
• In 1688, Parliament
overthrew King James who
escaped to France.
• This became known as the
Glorious Revolution.
• Parliament invited King
William and Queen Mary of
the Netherlands to take the
throne.
The 3) English Bill of Rights
guaranteed several things
including:
•1) * Trial by jury
•2)*Protection from cruel and
unusual punishment.
• Ensured that the King could not
raise taxes or an army without
Parliament’s approval.
• Colonists, being English subjects,
were protected by the Bill.
3) freedom of religious worship to all
Christians, except Catholics, and
persons denying the Trinity (Jews,
etc.).
John Locke
The theories of political
philosophers were also
incorporated
English
philosopher John
Locke published
the Two Treatises
of Government
And the ideas of
*LIFE,
*LIBERTY
and *PROPERTY
ENGLISH COLONIES
ENGLISH COLONIES
1) * Royal8 of them are this and are controlled the most by the King
2) * Proprietary
3 of them were organized by a proprietor whom the king had
given a large track of land
3) * Charter-
Example: William Penn
2- Connecticut and Rhode Island
Largely Self Governing!!!!
WHAT leads us to INDEPENDENCE?
• 3,000 miles away and 2
months to sail to the
colonies
• Colonists used to a
large measure of self
government
• 1760 King George III
comes to power and
deals more firmly with
the colonies
The British government
found itself in serious debt
after the French & Indian
War- £133,000,000!!!
• Taxes in Great Britain
rose tremendously!
BRITAIN’S Colonial Policies
* 1) Initially Britain allows a large amount of self
rule for the colonists due to the 3,000 mile
difference
* 2) George III deals more firmly with the colonists
*3) Many Taxes are imposed on the colonists due
to the cost of the French & Indian War
* 4) Either the Colonists Submit or Revolt
WHAT leads us to INDEPENDENCE?
Growing Colonial Unity
Albany Plan
*Franklin proposes the
formation of an annual
Congress of Delegates from
each of the 13 Colonies.
The colonists can *raise an
army, make war and peace
with the Native Americans,
regulate trade, TAX and
collect customs duties.
*Turned down by the colonies
STAMP ACTS
**Stamp Act Congress:
9 Colonies sent delegates to NY to protest
the Stamp Acts imposed on colonists. This
was “Taxation Without Representation”
Here they prepared a “Declaration of Rights
and Grievances”
Stamp Act Congress
“Taxation without Representation”
They prepare a
Declaration of Rights and Grievances
to send to the King
The purpose of the Stamp Act was to help pay for the
large number of British troops in the colonies
WHAT leads us to INDEPENDENCE?
Boycotts
lead to the
Boston Massacre Video clip
In the end, the ***Boston Massacre resulted in the
deaths of 5 colonists.
6 were wounded.
1. Crispus Attucks - shot twice in the chest
(considered the first martyr for American Independence)
2. Samuel Grey - shot in the head
3. James Caldwell - shot twice in the back
4. Samuel Maverick - 17 years old, shot in the abdomen
5. Patrick Carr - shot in the hip, exited side
Boston Massacre, Mar. 5, 1770. Chromolithograph by John Bufford
National Archives and Records Administration
Organized resistance leads to the
Boston Tea Party
Video Clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=_ijb8kaOyjo
• The Sons of Liberty
rowed quietly out to
the three ships in
the darkness of
night and boarded
them on Dec. 16,
1773
The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor." 1773. Copy of lithograph by Sarony &
Major, 1846. Credit: National Archives and Records Administration NOTE THE
INACCURACY! Public domain image
The men
***dumped 342
crates of tea
into Boston
Harbor which
was valued at
about $90,000.
When they were
finished, they
quietly rowed
back to shore.
The Bostonians paying the exciseman or tarring
& feathering. (Cartoon). Lithograph by
Pendleton, 1830, after print published in London
in 1774. Colorized. Public domain image
Protests broke out in
New York City,
Newport, RI,
Boston, MA
Hartford, CT and
Charleston, SC.
Mobs burned effigies
(likenesses) of tax
collectors and some
were tarred and
feathered.
King George III was
outraged!
He asked Parliament
to pass a series of
very harsh laws
designed to punish
the people of
Boston.
King George III
Intolerable Acts—
Passed by England in response to the
****Boston Tea Party
FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
September 5, 1774
The Congress wascreated in response to:
****Intolerable Acts
What were the Intolerable Acts (or Coercive Acts),
as they were nicknamed by the colonists
Did several things:
1. closed Boston Harbor
2. limited power of MA
legislature, made the
governor more powerful.
3. local officials were to be
appointed by the royal
governor.
4. Town meetings could only be
held once per year.
5. British officials charged with
major crimes were to be tried
in England.
6. Quartering Act was extended
to include private homes.
• The First Continental Congress met on September 5, 1774
and accomplished a great deal,
including the ******Boycott of all British goods.
• Moderates who wanted to work out problems fought
against radicals who wanted to take strong action.
Courtesy of the Army National Guard
On April 19, 1775, the
first battle of the
Revolution ensued with
70 men standing on
Lexington Green
against 400 British
troops on their way to
Concord.
In the end, 8 colonists
were killed with no
British fatalities.
Word of the Battles of
Lexington and Concord
spread quickly.
Many colonists realized that
war was now inevitable.
There was no possibility of
resolving the differences
between the colonies and
Great Britain peacefully.
2ND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
1775 after the start of the Revolution
**John Hancock-President
**George Washington
Commander in Chief
OLIVE BRANCH PETITION
• By July 1775, the Second
Continental Congress
was readying for war,
though still hoping for
peace
• Most delegates deeply
loyal to King George III
***July 8 – Olive Branch
Petition sent to King
who flatly refused it
Many of those in
positions of power were
also impressed
by Thomas Paine’s
Common Sense
Thomas Paine
Virginia delegate to
Second Continental
Congress, Richard
Henry Lee, was moved
to say, “I am now
convinced… of the
necessity for
separation.”
RichardBy Charles
Henry
Lee
Wilson Peale, 1784.
On June 7, 1776,
Richard Henry Lee
of Virginia resolved
before the Congress,
“That these United States
are, and of right ought to
be, free and independent
states… and that all
political connection
between them and the
State of Great Britain is,
and ought to be totally
dissolved.”
Richard Henry Lee
Voting in favor of Lee’s
resolution was dangerous
The delegates realized
that Great Britain would
treat a vote in favor of
independence as treason.
They realized that a
conviction as a traitor
would result in their
execution
After a day of debate, and 2
colonies
(PA and SC) changing their
votes in favor of
independence, the delegates
decided to appoint a
committee to write a
Declaration of
Independence.
**Thomas Jefferson
was chosen to
actually write the
Declaration of
Independence.
Video Clip
He was considered
an incredibly
eloquent writer, but
his earlier writings
were much too
radical for most
Americans
On July 2, 1776, the
Second Continental
Congress voted that
the 13 colonies
were “free and
independent
states.”
On July 4, 1776,
delegates signed
(but not all) the
Declaration of
Independence.
Part I
***Explains the
basic rights on which the
nation was founded.
“We hold these truths to
be self-evident, that all
men are created equal,
that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that
among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.”
Public domain image
Part II
The Second part of the
Declaration of Independence
**lists the wrongs committed by
King George III.
It lists a variety of abuses of power
SUCH AS:
•dismissal of legislatures,
•sending corrupt customs agents
•sending troops to America during
peace time
•imposing taxes without consent
•requiring the quartering troops
•depriving colonists of a trial by
jury… (pg.154-156)
Part III
The third part of the
Declaration of
Independence
**officially announced
that the 13 British
Colonies were now the
United States of America.
It stated that the United
States could make
alliances and trade as it
pleased.
Too Late to Apologize
The Declaration of Independence
Turn to page 40 in your textbook.
Read along with the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETroXvRFoKY&feature=related
During the Revolutionary
War, State governments
began to dissolve.
As a result, in May of
1776, the Second
Continental Congress
began to ask States to
form their own
governments.
In July of 1776, the
Congress began to
organize a national
government.
Source: National
Park Service
Source: National Archives
• Because Americans feared tyranny, the Congress
created a very weak national government.
• The first American constitution, completed in 1777, was
the Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781. This was
the format for the United States government until the
Constitution
The authors of the Articles of
Confederation did not create a nation,
but a
**1)“firm league of friendship” between
the 13 states
The Articles of Confederation created a
Congress with 2-7 delegates from each
state-
**2) BUT each state only had one vote.
**3) did not create an executive branch
** 4) did not create a judicial branch
Under the Articles of Confederation
Congress could
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
maintain the military
conduct foreign policy
declare war
make peace
coin money
** 5) The Congress could NOT regulate
trade between the states or between
states and foreign nations.
Congress had to ask States for money to
keep the federal government going** 6) they could not force them
to contribute (TAX).
**7) In order to pass laws,
9 of the 13 states had to vote in favor.
Summary of the Articles of Confederation:
1. created a loose alliance between states.
2. did not provide for a president (no executive branch) and laws had
to be enforced by the states.
3. did not create a court system (no judicial branch) and the
government could not resolve differences between the states.
CREDIT: Tholey, Augustus, artist. "Leaders of the Continental Congress." Wm. Finley
& Co., copyright 1894. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
Maryland demanded that all of
the land west of the
Appalachian Mountains be
turned over to the Congress
They rejected the demand.
The larger States rejected the
demand.
Fortunately, Thomas Jefferson
and other respected leaders
stepped forward and convinced
lawmakers to give up their
claims to western lands
They were successful and
Maryland ratified the Articles of
Confederation and they went
into effect in 1781
Thomas Jefferson
**Shays’ Rebellion proved
one thing:
The federal government
was much too weak and a
stronger national
government was needed!
Shays' Rebellion is
considered one of the
leading causes of the
formation of the United
States Constitution.
Many Americans feared that
Shays’ Rebellion was proof that the
Articles of Confederation were too weak.
1)a convention to improve the
Articles of Confederation will be held in
ANNAPOLIS, MD but only 5/13 states
show up.
2) They decided to meet in May of 1787 in
Philadelphia, PA… but they ended up
doing a lot more than just improving the
Articles of Confederation!
CHAPTER 2--Section 4
Creating the Constitution
____12___ of the 13 states attended the Constitutional Convention in
_Philadelphia_, PA.
74 delegates were chosen, but only ___55____ attended.
Of these delegates,
46 had been members of the Continental Congress
7 had been state governors
_8_ had signed the Declaration of Independence
34 had attended college
_2_ would become President of the United States
_42_ was the average age of the delegates
and nearly half were in their 30's!
at 81 Ben Franklin was the oldest----G. Washington was 55
Soon after the
Constitutional Convention
met in in Philadelphia, PA
in May of 1787, it was
decided that the Articles of
Confederation needed to be
set aside and a new,
stronger document needed
to be created.
55 delegates, from 12 of the
13 states (all but Rhode
Island), helped craft a
document that is still
celebrated around the world
as a great achievement.
These men became known
as the “Framers” of the
Constitution.
These men were of a new generation in American Politics.
Other notable absentees: John Adams, Patrick Henry,
Samuel Adams, John Hancock and
Richard Henry Lee
The Framers met at __Independence___ Hall on May 25,
1787 and immediately selected _G. Washington___ as
president of the convention.
The convention had drawn much public attention and
speculation, so the men adopted a rule of ___Secrecy___.
The convention was called to revise the Articles, but it was
soon decided to create a new government.
***Many notable framers at the
Constitutional Convention including:
Benjamin Franklin: 81 years old, (oldest delegate)
wise, and well respected.
George Washington: elected president of the
convention. Many thought that he would be able to
best control the debate.
Alexander Hamilton: a staunch advocate for a
stronger federal government. He had served as
Washington’s personal secretary during the
Revolution.
James Madison: highly intelligent, well prepared,36
year old. He was soft spoken but eloquent. He
took excellent notes during the convention which
have served historians well.
It was decided that the
meetings during the
Constitutional
Convention would be
kept secret so delegates
could feel free to speak
their minds without
outside pressure.
Guards were posted at
the doors and all of the
windows were closed.
Independence Hall
Philadelphia, PA
Some resented the secret
meetings, believing that
government meetings
should be open to the
public in a free society.
Edmund Randolph James Madison
Edmund Randolph
and James Madison
put together a plan for
government early on
known as the
**Virginia Plan
The **Virginia Plan created a strong national
government and called for the following:
1. **3_ branches of Government
Legislative – Executive—Judicial
2. Legislative Branch would be **“bicameral” or
have 2 houses.
Both houses would base membership upon the
population of States (House) and equality
(Senate)
3. Creation of a FEDERAL
Government
William Paterson
Smaller states objected to the Virginia Plan,
believing that it was unfair to States with smaller
populations.
As a result, William Paterson introduced
the ***New Jersey plan to counter the Virginia Plan.
The New Jersey Plan created strong
national government and called for
the following:
3 branches of Government
Legislative – Executive—Judicial
**Unicameral Congress
2. Legislative Branch would be
“***unicameral” Congress or have only one
house.
The single house would allow
each State to have ****one vote only.
Population was not an issue.
3. Chief Executive (President) would be elected
by legislature… could be multi-person.
New Jersey
Plan
Scene at the Signing of the
Constitution of the United
States, by Howard Chandler
Christy.
• The Constitutional Convention was at a deadlock, as
neither side could sway the other.
• Many believed that the convention would fail.
The question asked most in the convention:
**“How should the states be represented in Congress?”
The Connecticut Compromise:
Large States wanted to Dominate Congress and
Small states wanted equality
The Compromise:
Each State would be equally represented in the Senate
with 2 senators
Each state would be given a number of House members
based on their state’s population
Each state would have as many
“electors” as it had representatives and
senators
OHIO
16 House Representatives
2 Senators
18 Electoral College Votes
When we vote for president, we actually
vote for electors to cast votes for a
candidate
On July 16, 1787,
the Great
Compromise was
approved by 38 of
the 55 delegates.
But other issues
arose that would
require even further
compromise.
Library of Congress
The issue of slavery became
a problem for Northerners
and Southerners… not due
to moral differences, but
because of questions of
representation.
Southerners wanted to count
their entire population of
slaves to boost their
numbers in Congress.
Northerners objected citing
that slaves were not
considered citizens and
could not vote.
Now, the problem with population…..
The South obviously has many citizens, but many are
unfortunately not considered to be important.
The Three-Fifth’s Compromise:
for every five slaves they would count as three people in the
population count
The Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise:
Congress was forbidden the power to tax the export of goods
from any state and forbidden to act on slave trade for a period of
at least 20 years.
It was decided that
three fifths of a slave
population in a state
would be counted
during a census.
This agreement was
referred to as the
Three-Fifths
Compromise.
For example, if a state
had 5,000 slaves, 3,000
of them would be
counted.
Southern States argued
that a ban would ruin the
Southern economy.
Each side agreed to
compromise and it was
decided that the slave
trade would continue for
at least 20 years… after
that, Congress could
regulate the slave trade.
In 1808, the United
States banned the
importation of slaves,
but did not end slavery.
After resolving a series of important issues, the
United States Constitution was completed on
September 17, 1787 and read to the convention for
the last time
Section 5
Ratifying the Constitution
Slide 75
In the Constitution, Article 7 states:
9 Out of the 13 colonies must agree to ratify the
Constitution in order for it to be effective.
The Constitution in its ORIGINAL form contained:
The Preamble & the 7 Articles
What about a BILL OF RIGHTS?
• FEDERALISTS
• ANTI-FEDERALISTS
**people Against the Constitution
Madison & Hamilton
Supporters of the original
Constitution with ONLY
the Preamble and 7 Articles
**Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry
Lee, John Hancock,
Patrick Henry
•
*felt the national government
had too much power
•
*”State’s Rights”
•
*Wanted a Bill of Rights
The Federalist Papers:
85 Essays written in newspapers
all over the states in support of
the Constitution without
a Bill of Rights!
Writers included:
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison & John Jay
The Constitution becomes effective in 1789
without a Bill of Rights!
At the conclusion of the
Constitutional
Convention
a woman approached
Benjamin Franklin and
asked, “Well, Doctor…
what have we a got, a
republic or a
monarchy?”
Franklin replied,
“A republic. If you
can keep it.”
Library of Congress
December 15, 1791
The Bill of Rights are ratified/added
to the Constitution
A REPUBLIC is a nation in
which voters elect /VOTE
for representatives to
govern them.
The Constitution begins
“We the people…” which
exemplifies the American
desire to have a
government controlled by
the people
The Federal System gives
Americans the ability to vote for
both State and national officials.
The FEDERAL government acts
for the nation as a whole.
The STATES have power over
local matters.
We have limited government in
that the government is restricted
in what it can do
and each individual has certain
rights.
Federal Powers
Some Examples
- Coin Money
- Declare War
- Regulate Trade (b/twn states
and states and foreign nations)
- Make Treaties
State Powers
Shared Powers
- Regulate trade within borders
- Decide who can vote in state
elections
- Control Education
- All powers not delegated to federal
government
- Raise taxes
- Build roads
- Decide penalties for crimes
Of course, disagreements between the States and
the federal government were inevitable
To ensure that disagreements were resolved with
greater ease, it was decided that the Constitution
would serves as the “Supreme law of the land”.
In other words… the Constitution was the final word!