EARLY GOVERNMENT
BASIC VOCAB.
Articles of Confederation
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Governing document that came before the U.S.
Constitution
America’s 1st Constitution
Very weak central government…issues led to the
U.S. Constitution
U.S. Constitution
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Established 3 branches of government
Established “Separation of Powers” and “Checks
and Balances”
Our current laws are based on this document
Constitutional Convention of 1787
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Meeting held to rewrite the Articles of
Confederation and solve the problems of the
national government
Instead of rewriting the Articles, we wrote an entire
new document called the U.S. Constitution
Abraham Baldwin and William Few represented
Georgia
Abraham Baldwin
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Represented Georgia at the Constitutional
Convention of 1787
Signed the U.S. Constitution as a rep from Ga.
Instrumental in helping resolve the large state-small
state issue of representation
William Few
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Represented Georgia at the Constitutional
Convention of 1787
Signed the U.S. Constitution as a rep from Ga.
Bill of Rights
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1st 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution
Referred to as “Individual Freedoms”
Ex. Freedom of Speech, Religion, Press…Right to
bear arms, speedy trial…
The Great Compromise
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Argument about state representation in central
government.
Made of two main plans..
 New
Jersey Plan- Small State Plan
 Virginia Plan- Large State Plan
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This led to equal representation in the Senate and
proportional representation in the House of
Representatives.
3/5 Compromise
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Decision on representation based on slave
population.
Issue driven by the slave owning south to count slave
populations toward overall representation
Each slave would could as 3/5 of a person toward
overall population in the state (House of Reps)
“T” Chart
Georgia Constitution of 1777
Strengths
Weaknesses
• Still have Legislative Branch
• Legislature Unicameral (one house)
• Three Branches
• Not “Checks and Balances” – No
second house in Legislative Branch
• Three Branches had separate
powers
• Established counties – replaced
parishes
• Established local (county)
governments
• Governor served only 1 Year
• Executive Branch (Governor) was
weak – Couldn’t Veto Laws, grant
pardons, “Chief Executive” only by
name
• Legislative elected council – had
power to veto the Governor
• Three Branches, but the Legislative
was more powerful than the others
“T” Chart
Articles of Confederation
Strengths
• First written constitution – Articles
of Confederation (Nov. 1777)
• Had a Legislature
• Strong State governments
Weaknesses
• Weak central government
• No Executive or Judicial Branch – no
one to enforce laws or hear disputes
• Did not allow the central (federal)
government to levy (impose) taxes
• Weak Union, feared strong central
government
• No “Checks and Balances”
• Central Government did not have taxes,
so no military
• Central Government did not print money
•All power lied with the states
• Each state had an equal vote in
Congress – regardless of size or
population