Dictatorship
Guess?? (K) Actual (L)
Monarchy
Oligarchy
Representative Democracy
Direct Democracy

 Declaration of Independence
 Second Continental Congress
 Approved July 4, 1776
 The Articles of Confederation
 1777, our first constitution
 Weak federal government
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Shay’s Rebellion, 1786-1787

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1787 - Philadelphia
Delegates from all the states invited to a convention to improve the Articles of
Confederation, which were not working
Only RI didn’t attend
55 Delegates attended

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May 25, 1787 Independence Hall, Philadelphia
An extraordinary group of men
 55 men
 Well-educated
George Washington was asked to preside (lead) over the convention.
James Madison kept notes of the discussions and is often called “The Father of the Constitution.”
The men who wrote the Constitution are called the “Founding
Fathers.”
All the participants in the Convention were wealthy, white, males.

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Benjamin Franklin
 81, oldest delegate
George Washington & James Madison
 Both would become president
Thomas Jefferson & John Adams
 Both were in Europe
Patrick Henry
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Prominent Virginian
He was invited but did not attend; he was against the convention-“smelled a rat”
The Boss

 The power of the federal government. Would the states or the federal government have the most power?
 Representation in Congress (How many members on Congress would each state get? – small ( less populated )states wanted equal representation, large states (more populated) wanted it to be determined by population of the states
 Slavery – How would slaves be counted? Would the slave trade continue?

 Each state was only allowed one vote
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Majority votes from all states made decisions
All discussions were a secret! Why…?
 This way, delegates could speak freely, without worry about how the public would react
 Everyone knew that failure would mean disaster!

VS.

James Madison
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Called for a new national government. Threw out the Articles of Confederation
Three separate branches of government. – a legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch
 Bicameral legislature (2 houses), determined by population
 More populated states like the plan, small states don’t.

 William Patterson
 3 branches of government
 Legislature - has one house.
 Each state gets one vote.
 Small states like the plan, the large states hate it.
 There would have to be a compromise.

 What was the big issue?
 How representation in Congress would be decided
 Larger /more populated states wanted more power, smaller/less populated states wanted equal power

A way of resolving disagreements in which each side gives up something but gains something else
Roger Sherman of Connecticut came up with the answer…a compromise
 Legislature would have two houses (parts):
House of Representatives and a Senate
 Bi Cameral House - based on the population of state
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2 year terms
Favored more populated states
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 Senate - two senators per each state
Equal representation
6 year terms
Favored Less populated states

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The Southern states refused to approve the
Constitution unless slavery continued.
At this time, there were 550,000 enslaved African
Americans, mostly in the South
 It was a terrible compromise to make, but the
Northern states had no choice if they wanted a Constitution.
 3/5 Compromise - Made each slave worth
3/5 of a vote in deciding numbers in House of Representatives--Controversy over counting slaves as a part of the population…
 Congress can not ban the slave trade until 1808.

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The conflict was finally resolved…
 Three-Fifths Compromise
 Every 5 enslaved persons would count as 3 free people
 Used for representation in Congress & figuring taxes https://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=xBjMZ3u_
WeM

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How to elect a president?
Some say… “Let Congress pick!”
Others say… “Let the people choose!”
The compromise…
 Electoral College
 A group of people would be chosen by each state to choose the President
 Each state given a certain number of votes, determined by their representation in Congress

 September 17, 1787, finished up the Constitution
 Delegates signed it, said the Constitution would become the law of the land when…
 9 out of 13 states ratified (approved) it
 So everyone in the entire United States of America loved the Constitution and every state ratified it immediately and we all had a big party and we all lived happily ever after, right…?

 Some people liked the Constitution, others did not
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Federalists = supporters of the new constitution & a strong federal government – Federalist Papers
Who wrote ‘em?
 Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, & John Jay
 Anti-Federalists =those against the constitution and a strong federal govt.
– they wanted a Bill of Rights
 Federalism = A form of government in which power is divided between the federal (national) government and the states

 AntiFederalists wanted to add…
 The Bill of Rights
 The Federalists promised to do so, and did
 New Hampshire, 9th state to ratify
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June 21, 1788
The Constitution went into effect
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The last state to ratify…?
 Rhode Island, 1790

Who:
Central
Government
Interpretation
Bill of Rights
Supporters
Power of
President
Federalists
Hamilton,
Madison, Jay
Anti-Federalists
Patrick Henry
Strong: provide protection
Loose
Weak : focus on states
Strict
Eventually Without a doubt!!!!
Wealth/industrial common/farmers
Lots Little - no Kings!

1. What is a form of government in which power is divided between the federal (national) government and the states?
2. What did the Anti-Federalists want to add to the Constitution?
3. Who was the father of the Constitution?
4. The Anti-Federalists thought that the supremacy gives too much power to whom?
5. What was one argument against the Constitution by the
Anti-Federalists?
6. What was one argument for the Constitution by the Federalists?