Chapter 2
Beginnings of American Government
English Influence
 Early Traditions
 Limited government- governments power are restricted and
individuals rights are protected
 Representative Government- system where policies are made
by officials accountable to the people who elect them.
 US government is like this
Magna Carta
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a
government document that
limited the power of the king of
England and protected the rights
of the nobility. It was written by the
English nobility in 1215.
Big Ideas:
• Limited Government
• Rights
• Rule of Law
• Due Process
Important Documents
 Petition of Right (1628)
 Like Magna Carta, but extended rights to commoners
 Could not imprison critics
 Could not declare military rule in time of peace
 Not levy taxes with out consent
English Bill of Rights
English Bill of Rights
Mayflower Compact
Magna Carta
The English Bill of Rights was a government
document that expanded the powers of the
English Parliament and expanded the rights of
the people, as well as further limited the rights
of the king. It was written by the members of
the English Parliament in 1689.
Big Ideas:
• Limited Government
• Rights
• Due Process
• Rule of Law
Early Colonial Governments
 Each colony had a written charter between king and colony
which set up rules for operation
Early Colonial Governments
 Royal Colonies
 Direct control of monarchy
 Governors and councils were appointed by king
 Bicameral- two legislative chamber of houses
 Lower house-elected by property owners
 Upper house- selected by king
 8 out of 13 colonies were ruled this way
 Proprietary Colonies
 3 out of 13 ruled this way
 Controlled by “proprietor” who were granted land by king
 Proprietors appointed governments
 Unicameral legislature- only one house
 Charter Colonies
 2 out of 13
 Convinced king to allow colonies to run colony by them selves
 Government positions were elected by land holders
Mayflower Compact
Mayflower Compact
Magna Carta
The Mayflower Compact was an agreement
between individuals that created a government
that would provide order and protect the rights
of the colonists. It was written by a group of
English Puritans as they traveled to
Massachusetts in 1620.
Big Ideas:
• Self Government
• Rule of Law
Growing Resentment and Colonial Unity
 Relationship between colonies and King was good in
beginning
 French and Indian War
 English victory was costly $$$$$$$$
 King decided colonists should help pay for defense and war
debts
 TAXES
 Colonial Boycotts
 1765-Stamp Act- tax on ALL printed materials
 Colonists were upset an were “Sons of Liberty” was formed to
pressure merchants to Honor a boycott of trade with England
 England repealed Stamp Act
Boston Massacre review
 Boston Massacre – March 5, 1770
 Was a result of the heated tension between the redcoats and
Bostonians
 What occurred?
 Fight broke out between soldiers and a mob of townspeople.
 Mob started throwing stones and snowballs at soldiers located at
customhouse.
 Five colonists were killed including Crispus Attucks, an African American
dockworker.
 Boston Tea Party – December 16, 1773
 Occurred in retaliation to Mass. royal governor’s order to unload
tea in the Boston Harbor
 The Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawks boarded the ships and
threw 342 chests of tea overboard. (90,000 pounds of tea worth
thousands of dollars)
Intolerable Acts
 Passed by Parliament in retaliation to the Tea Party; named
“intolerable” by the colonists
 Coercive Acts (1774)
 Closed Boston Harbor until the Mass. colonists paid for the ruined tea
 Banned town meetings in Mass.
 Forced Bostonians to shelter soldiers in their homes
 Colonists’ reaction  acts violated their rights as English citizens
 The Continental Congresses
 After Tea Party, England came up with more taxes called the
“intolerable Acts.
 First Continental Congress (1774)
 Decided to send a “Declaration of Rights to King George protesting
 Set date for Second Continental Congress (May, 1775)
Second Continental Congress
 The Declaration of Independence
 Written by Thomas Jefferson
 First part justified the declaration of independence
 Most of document was a list of complaints against the British Government
Influence of John Lock
 Enlightenment philosopher who wrote The Treatise of Government
 Natural rights – Life, Liberty, and property
 Consent of the Governed- People must agree on who rulers will be
 This creates a “social contract”
 If government betrays trust of people, people may abolish government
and create new one
The Confederation Period
 First government had 13 different constitutions, one for each
colony
 National constitution was known as the “Articles of
Confederation”
 Little more than an agreement among states
 Each state used own constitution to govern colonies
 Country as a whole had little order
 Each state had sovereignty
 Central government could not regulate trade
 No Federal tax power
 No Federal Judicial system
 States did not honor other states laws
 Many had own currency
The Articles of Confederation
America’s 1st Constitution 1781-1789
Congress was given the
power to:
Declare War &
Establish an
Army/Navy
No Power to
Draft Soldiers
The Articles of Confederation
America’s 1st Constitution 1781-1789
Congress was given the
power to:
Make Peace &
Sign Treaties
No Power to
Enforce Treaties
The Articles of Confederation
America’s 1st Constitution 1781-1789
Congress was given the
power to:
Borrow Money
No Power to
Collect Taxes
from the States
The Articles of Confederation
America’s 1st Constitution 1781-1789
Congress was given the
power to:
Organize a
Post Office
Couldn’t pay for
it
The Articles of Confederation
America’s 1st Constitution 1781-1789
Congress was given the
power to:
No Chief Executive
No national court system
No Power to Regulate
Interstate Commerce
No National Currency
Difficult to Pass laws
(2/3 vote)
The Articles of Confederation
 Congress given the






power to:
Declare War
Make Peace
Sign Treaties
Borrow Money
Establish an Army &
Navy
Organize a Post Office
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
No Chief Executive
No National Court System
No Power to Draft Soldiers
No Power to Control Interstate
Commerce
No Power to Enforce Treaties
No Power to Collect Taxes from
the States
Difficult to Pass Laws (2/3 vote)
No National Currency
Difficult to Amend
(Unanimous Vote Needed to
Change Articles)
 Liberty vs. Order
 Many felt the Articles of Confederation left the central
government to weak
 States angered over boundaries and tariffs
 States began to deal directly with foreign governments
 Constitutional Convention
 Delegates met in Philadelphia 1787 to produce a US Constitution
Creating and Ratifying the Constitution
 Constitutional Convention
 55 delegates from 12 colonies (FRAMERS of Constitution)
 James Madison is known as “father of Constitution”
Constitutional Ideas
Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
Legislature bicameral- lower house elected
and upper house selected by states
Legislative branch unicameral and selected
by states
Representation based on population or
money contributed to national government
by state
All states represented equally
Executive branch chosen by legislature and
serve one term- would have veto power
Executive branch made up of several persons
and no veto power
Judicial branch judges selected by legislature
Supreme court judges selected by executive
branch and serve for life
Constitutional Ideas
 Some though states should remain powerful and equal to all
other states
 Some though population should determine power
 Great Compromise- Congress would remain bi cameral with
equal representation of the states in the upper house and
representation by population in lower house
 Three-Fifths Compromise
 What about slaves- south wanted them counted as a member of
state population
 Answer- each slave would be counted as 3/5 of a person
 Ratification- the formal approval, or act of validation, a
constitution, a constitutional amendment, or a treaty
 Nine states had to approve
Federalist / Anti-Federalist
Federalist- supported constitution
 Federalists (those wanting a strong national government)
believed that power flowed from the people, through the
states, to the national government.
 Anti-federalists (opposed) believed that a strong national
government would limit or take away individual rights and
freedoms.
 Ratification
 Was completed after the agreement to create “bill of rights” to
protect individual liberties