From Confederation to
Federal Union
State Constitutions
Restricted the power of the governor
Many states restricted terms to 1 year
They could not overturn laws
Reduced the influence of the church on the
government
Republican Motherhood
Women could influence politics and society by their
work in the home
Offer morale guidance
It weakened women’s chances to gain political power,
but gave them a chance to expand their education
Articles of Confederation
Presented on July 12, 1776 (during the revolution)
Adopted on November 15, 1777
The Articles created a confederation of states while
guaranteeing each state its “sovereignty, freedom, and
independence”
First attempt at government
Articles of Confederation had
many Weaknesses
Weak national government
The national government could not force the states to obey
its laws.
It did not have the power to tax
It did not have the power to enforce laws
Congress lacked strong and steady leadership
There was no national army or navy
There was no system of national courts
Articles of Confederation
Weaknesses
Changes needed the approval of all 13 states
Major legislation needed the approval of 9 states
Some states avoided paying war debt
No common currency, each state could issue its own
paper money
No president or court system
Shays’ Rebellion
Massachusetts legislature passed a law that imposed
heavy taxes on land to pay war debt
If land owners did not pay the courts would seize their
land
“taxation without representation”
Daniel Shays led a rebellion and shut down debtor
courts and stopped property auctions
Shays’ Rebellion
December 26, 1786 Shays and 1,200 farmers set out for
Springfield, Massachusetts to seize the federal arsenal
The governor called for 4,000 recruits
Shays men attacked in late January
4 farmers were killed by artillery and Shays men fled
Result of Shays’ Rebellion
The rebellion raised doubts about the central
government’s power
Many people called for the government to have more
power
Drafting and Ratifying the
Constitution
1. What document needed to be amended at the
Constitutional Convention?
2. What were the 2 key things that needed to be changed?
3. Why were the windows in Independence Hall closed?
4. Who were the leading thinkers of the convention?
5. Were all different people represented?
Pages 142-143
Federal Power vs.
States Rights
The Virginia Plan was drafted by
James Madison (page 146)
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
What are Representatives
based on?
Judiciary Branch
Federal Power vs.
States Rights
States with large population supported the plan
Small states objected to the Virginia Plan and called for
an equal amount of representatives for each state
Federal Power vs.
States Rights
The New Jersey Plan written by William Paterson
offered an alternative (page 145)
Legislative Branch
What are Representatives
based on?
The Great Compromise
Proposed by Roger Sherman of Connecticut (page 146)
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
How are states
represented?
Judiciary Branch
The Three-Fifths
Compromise
Another problem arose in the convention
Should Slaves be counted as part of the population?
Southerners wanted slaves to be counted
The final agreement was only three-fifths of the slave
population would be counted to determine
representation
Completing the Constitution
July 26, 1787 five delegates began drafting the
Constitution
The final copy was drafted on September 17, 1787
39 delegates signed it then it went to congress and the
states for ratification
Federalists
Favored the ratification of the Constitution
Typically wealthy planters, merchants, and lawyers
Supported a strong central government who could
ensure a strong currency
Antifederalists
Feared a powerful national government
Offered 3 objections to the Constitution
1.
2.
3.
The delegates of the Constitutional Convention
conspired did too much
A strong central government would destroy states rights
The new system of government resembled a monarchy
Antifederalists
Pointed out that under the constitution voters did not
directly elect the president
Electors who were delegates selected by the state
government chose the president
Voters only elected members of the lower house
They add the Bill of Rights
Ratifying the Constitution
New York and Virginia did not want to ratify the
constitution without a bill of rights
However, by June 21, 1788 enough states had ratified the
constitution for it to take effect
New York Federalists threatened to withdraw New York City
from the state if the state did not ratify the constitution
Washington and Madison urged Virginia to ratify the
constitution
Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the Constitution
The Constitution a Living
Document
Chap 5 sec 3
Delegated Powers
Held by the federal government
Coin money
Regulate trade with foreign nations and among the
states
Raise and support an army and a navy
Reserved Powers
Held by state government
Establishing local government
Overseeing schools
Concurrent Powers
Held jointly by state government and federal
government
Levying and collecting taxes
Borrowing money
Providing the public welfare
Establishing courts
Enforcing laws
Supremacy Clause
Found in article VI of the Constitution
“This Constitution, and the laws …and all treaties…of the
United States shall be supreme law of the land”
Separation of Powers
Legislative branch makes the laws
Executive branch enforces the laws
Judicial branch interprets the laws
Executive Branch
Executive Branch
Responsibilities
Head of the Government
Sets foreign policy
Commander and chief of the armed forces
Legislative Branch
The United States Congress consists of the Senate and
the House of Representatives
The House of Representatives
435 members
Its major power is to pass federal legislation
Democrat: 188
Republican 245
Vacant: 2
The House of Representatives
California 53
Texas 32
New York 29
New Jersey 13
Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Vermont, and Wyoming each have 1
Majority Leader
Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader
Nancy Polosi
Speaker of the House
John Boehner
Your Congressman
Congressman
Leonard Lance
The Senate
Upper house of the Legislative Branch
100 members
6 year terms
Powers include ratifying treaties and confirming the
appointment of Cabinet secretaries, federal judges,
ambassadors, and others
Democrats 53
Republicans 45
Independent 2
Your Senators
Cory Booker
Robert Menendez
Electoral College
538 electors
Elect president and vice president
Winner takes all except for Maine and Nebraska
270 votes are needed to become president
Electoral College
What is the smallest amount of states that will
win the 270 majority?
Presidential Powers to check
Congress
The president can Veto any bill passed by congress
Veto-official rejection of legislation
Congress can override a presidential veto with a twothirds majority vote
School House Rock
Executive and Legislative Branches
Checks and balances system set by the Constitution
that prevents any one branch of the government from
gaining more power than another
Impeachment
Impeachment -The House of Representatives may
charge a president who is thought to be guilty of
“treason, bribery, or other high crimes and
misdemeanors”
Which 2 Presidents have been
impeached?
Andrew Johnson
He illegally removed a
cabinet member
Bill Clinton
Perjury and obstruction of
justice
The Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court has the power to judge laws
unconstitutional
This allows them to check legislative power
The Judicial Branch
The executive and legislative branch can check the
power of the judicial branch
The president appoints judges and the senate must
approve them
Judges may also be impeached
Congress can propose Constitutional amendments to
overturn earlier court rulings
The president can also pardon or delay the punishment
of someone convicted of a federal crime
Flexibility
The Constitution has remained effective for over 200
years
Only 27 amendments have been made
The Elastic Clause allows Congress to exert its powers
in ways not specifically outlined in the Constitution
Laws relating to new technology, commerce, etc.
The End
Land Ordinance of 1785
Legislation that divided western lands into townships and
made provisions for public schools
Each township was 640-acre tracts, these tracts could be sold
for no less then one dollar per acre
Four sections in each town were reserved for Veterans of the
Revolutionary War
Northwest Ordinance
Also called the Land Ordinance of 1787
Established a system for governing the northwest
territory
Outlined the necessary steps for achieving statehood
Guarantied Civil rights and banned slavery in the
territory
The Call to Philadelphia
The Articles of Confederation needed improvement
Congressional leaders called for a Constitutional
Convention
It was held in Philadelphia May 14, 1787
Only delegates from Pennsylvania and Virginia arrived
on the 14th, but enough arrive by the 25th to begin
Constitutional Convention
Assembled in the Pennsylvania State House (Today
Independence Hall)
The delegates proceeded in secret
Washington was accompanied by 54 other delegates
Including Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and
Ben Franklin
Constitutional Convention
The original goal of the Constitutional Convention
was to revise the Articles of Confederation
Some delegates believed the Articles of Confederation
needed to be replaced