The Articles of Confederation show that the political leaders of the time felt that_______________
America replaced the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution because________________

(Our first national government)
• Reflected the two main fears of colonists…
• Fear of strong national government
• Fear that some states would dominate others
• Articles established a “league of friendship” among the states
• Each state retains sovereignty (power, authority)
But, there were numerous weaknesses…

Levying Taxes
Regulation of Trade
Raising an army
Interstate Commerce
Federal courts
Amending document
Passing laws
Sovereignty
Congress could request not demand them from states none
Dependent on states to contribute forces
No control of trade between states none
13/13 states needed
9/13 states needed
Resided with the states, each got one vote

• Weaknesses of Articles led to economic and political problems
• States in conflict (taxes, trade)
• States don’t support central gov’t
• States printed own money / made own laws
• Can’t pay off debt or get new loans
• Shay’s Rebellion
• Showed that to survive the United States needed a stronger national government
“We are one nation today and 13 tomorrow. Who will treat us on such terms?”

Summer of 1787 in Philadelphia
• 12 of 13 states (no Rhode Island)
• 55 delegates make up Framers of Constitution
• Worked in total secrecy
• Originally called to revise the Articles  then decided to create a new government

• Constitutional Convention
• Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
• Federalist Papers
• 85 essays
• Publius (“the people”)
• Hamilton, Madison, Jay

Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan
• Three separate branches
• Unicameral Congress
• Bicameral legislature
• Equal representation
• Representation based on population
• Federal executive of more than one person
• National government with expanded powers
Main Issue: How would states be represented in Congress?

• Connecticut Compromise
• Bicameral Congress
• Senate  states represented equally
• House of Representatives  represented based on population

Three-Fifths Compromise
• slaves counted as 3/5 for representation, but states paid federal taxes for 3/5 as well
• Congress can’t interfere with slave trade until 1808
• Congress could regulate commerce

• Written in 1787
• Took effect 1789
• New Hampshire 9 th state
• New York and Virginia (40% of population)
• North Carolina and Rhode Island (all 13 only with addition of Bill of Rights)
• “Supreme Law of the Land”
• Lays out basic framework and procedures of our government
Less than 7,000 words, but able to guide the country through two centuries!

How did the Constitution address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
Levying Taxes
Regulation of Trade
Raising an army
Interstate Commerce
Federal courts
Amending document
Passing laws
Sovereignty
Congress could levy on individuals
Yes yes yes yes
2/3 of both houses of Congress plus
¾ of state legislatures
50% + 1 of both houses plus Pres. approval
Const. supreme law of the land

• Preamble
• Article I
• Article II
• Article III
• Article IV
• Article V
• Article VI
• Article VII
• 27 Amendments
• Purpose
• Legislative Branch
• Executive Branch
• Judicial Branch
• Relations among Sts.
• Amending the Const.
• Nt. Debts, supremacy of national law, oaths
• Ratifying Constitution
• Changes to Constitution

Outlined in the Preamble
• Form a more perfect union
• Establish justice
• Insure domestic tranquility
• Provide for the common defense
• Promote the general welfare
• Secure the blessings of liberty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30OyU4O80i4

Which function from the preamble is evident in the scenario below?
• Transportation Department maintains the nation’s interstate highway system????
• Congress passes a law to make sure all students are educated to a certain standard???
• The National Guard is sent in to stop rioting and looting after an earthquake???
• The Justice Department charges a Chicago bank with refusing to provide services to minorities???
• US troops prepare for a raid on a town believed to harbor terrorists???
• The Supreme Court hears a case in which students can be required to take drug tests at school???

• The people are sovereign (have supreme authority)
• Government only with the ‘consent of the governed”
“We the People…”

• Government may do ONLY what the people give it power to do
• It is not all powerful
• Rule of Law /
Constitutionalism: Leaders are never above the law

• Power divided b/w national gov’t and state govt’s
• All powers not explicitly granted to the national gov’t are reserved to the states

• Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary powers separated into distinct branches
• Congress
• President
• Supreme Court
What powers does each branch hold?

“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.”
• Each branch subject to restraints by the other
branches; each branch may check the workings of the others
• makes compromise necessary
• intended to prevent tyranny of majority
What is an example of a check held by one branch over another?

• One of the checks and balances
• Courts may rule that a law or an action of an government is unconstitutional

• Directions:
• Take out your Amendment Graphic Organizer
• Clear all other materials off of your desk

• Rules and Guidelines:
• No words
• No numbers (or something that leads to counting)
• No acting out / dramatizations
• Other teams may not distract / disrupt the groups

• Rules and Guidelines:
• One artist from a team will be chosen to come up at a time to draw a representation of an amendment
• All Teams will use their amendment graphic organizers to guess the amendment
• Each team will get up to 1 minute to correctly ID an amendment
(once you have the answer quietly write it on your white board)
• Each team that gets it right gets 1 pt
• The artist’s team that gets it right gets 2 pts