Creating a Nation
Revolution to Constitution
After Lexington and Concord, the Second
Continental Congress meets in May 1775
They create a
Continental Army
and make George
Washington its
leader.
They issue the Olive
Branch Petition
asking for peace
with Britain. George
III refuses to read it.
On July 4, 1776 the 2nd Continental Congress
issues a Declaration of Independence.
Men possessed “inalienable” rights that could not be
taken away. “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”
King George had passed laws and taxes that treated the
colonies unfairly.
The American colonies had a right to break away from
Britain.
Major Battles of the Revolutionary War
Lexington and Concord
Starts the Revolutionary
War.
Defeat of British at Saratoga
convince France and Spain to
join America
The American army
emerges from Valley Forge
as a much more
professional army.
British are defeated at
Yorktown, which was the last
battle of the war.
America’s First Government –
Articles of Confederation
• After the Revolutionary War, the United States
continued to use the Articles of Confederation.
• It granted the central government the right to set
national policies and to carry on foreign relations.
• It could also borrow money, create post offices and an
army, and declare war.
• It creates a weak central government, giving most of
the power to the states.
•Poor economic
conditions and high
taxes causes a
rebellion of farmers
led by Daniel Shay.
•Shows the weakness
of the Articles of
Confederation as a
form of government.
Shay’s
Rebellion
Americans become frustrated over
Articles of Confederation
They meet in Philadelphia in 1787 to
write a new constitution.
George Washington is elected
president of the Constitutional
Convention.
Issues at the Constitutional Convention
•Representation in the government for
large states vs small states.
•Southern states vs. Northern States
•Strong national government vs. state’s
rights
Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
Central Government
with three branches
Central Government
similar to Articles.
Bicameral Legislature
Unicameral Legislature
(Two Houses)
(One House)
Representation
based on population
Equal
representation
The Great Compromise or Connecticut Plan
•Three Branches of Government
•Bicameral Legislature
•Lower House (House of Representatives)
representation determined by state’s
population.
•Upper House (Senate) representation equal
for all states (Two Senators per state)
Slavery and the Three Fifths Compromise
• Slaves make up 30% to 40% of population in Southern
states
• Southern states wanted to count slaves as population
for representation in Congress, but not for taxes.
• North and South agree that 3/5 of the slave
population could be counted for both representation
and taxation.
• Native Americans would not be counted.
The Preamble
• States the purpose of the Constitution.
–We, the people of the United States, in order to form
a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the
blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United
States of America.
Getting the Constitution passed
• People for the Constitution were Federalists.
–Believed in strong national government
–Mostly people living in cities and the wealthy
merchants
• People against the Constitution were Anti-Federalists.
–National government too much like a king
–Mostly farmers and wealthy planters
Federalist Papers
are written to gain
support for
Constitution
Constitution
ratified on
September 17,
1787.
Only after the
addition of a Bill of
Rights
Bill of Rights
First eight amendments guarantee individual rights
Ninth amendment stated that listing certain rights did not
mean that other rights did not exist
Tenth amendment defined delegated powers (central
government) and reserved powers (states and individuals)