Creating the Constitution - anderson1.k12.sc.us€¦ · What form of national government did the Patriots create initially, ... events revealed that a new government was necessary?

Chapter 25 Section 1

The Cold War Begins

Section 1

A Confederation of States

Chapter 5

Creating the Constitution


The Cold War Begins A Confederation of States

Section 1

• Explain how the states’ new constitutions reflected republican ideals.

• Describe the structure and powers of the

national government under the Articles of Confederation.

• Summarize the Congress’s plan for the

settlement and governance of western lands. • List the main weaknesses of the Articles.

Objectives


The Cold War Begins

Section 1


Terms and People

• republic – a government in which the people

elect their representatives

• unicameral legislature – a lawmaking body

with a single house whose representatives are

elected by the people

• bicameral legislature – a lawmaking body with

two houses, a Senate and a House of

Representatives

• Articles of Confederation – the original federal

constitution drafted by the Continental Congress


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Terms and People (continued)

• John Dickinson – a member of the Continental

Congress and leader of the committee that wrote

The Articles of Confederation

• federal – national

• Northwest Territory – vast territory north of

Ohio and west of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi

River, which was key to expanding the republic

• Land Ordinance of 1785 – plan to dispense and

distribute public land in the Northwest Territory


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• Northwest Ordinance of 1787 – plan for

governing and creating new states carved out of

the Northwest Territory

• Shays’ Rebellion – an uprising of armed farmers

marching on a federal arsenal in Springfield,

Massachusetts, in protest against higher taxes


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Section 1


What form of national government did the Patriots create initially, and what events revealed that a new government was necessary?

After the Revolutionary War, the Patriots feared entrusting the Congress with too much power. Most authority remained with the states.

But strong state governments and a weak national government led to problems.


The Cold War Begins

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Congress encouraged the former colonies to create state constitutions.

• Patriots disagreed over the design of these republics, especially over how much power to give the common people.

• Although state constitutions varied, each provided for a republic where people voted for their representatives.


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• weak state governments with most of their power in a popularly elected legislature.

• unicameral or one house legislature with either a weak governor or none at all.

• a large House of Representatives with small districts so that the people had more control.

Democratic Patriots like Thomas Paine wanted more power for common people.

They favored:


The Cold War Begins

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• a governor with broad powers.

• bicameral legislature, with two houses.

• an upper house or senate made up of wealthy, well-educated gentlemen who would balance a lower house elected by the common people.

Conservative Patriots like John Adams feared giving power to the common people.

They favored:


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• Democratic states like Pennsylvania allowed all male taxpayers over age 21 to vote.

• Conservative states preserved colonial requirements of property ownership for voting.

• None gave the vote to women or to slaves.

• In time, most grew more democratic with the lower house gaining more power.

There was also debate over who should vote.


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Most new state constitutions guaranteed freedom of religion.

Previously, colonies collected taxes for religious institutions.

Now, religious freedom and pluralism became the norm.

The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom set the example. It allowed for religious liberty free of state influence.


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Section 1


• This first national

constitution created a

loose confederation or

league of states in 1777.

• Congress drafted the

Articles under John

Dickinson of

Pennsylvania.

• Congress’s power was

limited to prevent the

problems experienced

under Britain.

The Articles of Confederation was created by the Continental Congress.


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• Congress implemented and enforced laws.

• Executive power was shared by committees.

• Each state had one vote in Congress.

• Minor issues were passed by a simple majority. Major issues, like declaring war, required 9 states.

• Amendments to the Articles required the agreement of all 13 states.

With the Articles, government power was limited.


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Congress had a limited role.

There was also no federal court system.

Congress could: Congress could not:

Declare war or conduct foreign policy.

Tax

Administer relations with Indian nations.

Regulate commerce between states or states and foreign nations


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The Articles created a method to settle and govern the Northwest Territory.


The Cold War Begins

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• Surveyors divided the territory into a N-S and E-W grid to establish hundreds of townships.

• Each township was subdivided into one square mile (640 acre) squares to sell at $1 each.

• Many farmers couldn’t afford the $1 an acre, and some land speculators got special deals.

The Land Ordinance of 1785 established a method to distribute public land.


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The Land Ordinance of 1785 grid system is still evident today.


The Cold War Begins

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Northwest Ordinance of 1787 set up a system to govern territories and create states.

Congress established a territorial government and appointed a governor.

Settlers were guaranteed freedom of religion, trial by jury, and rights of common law.

Once there were 5,000 men, an assembly could be elected. The appointed governor retained veto power.

Once there were 60,000 residents, a territory could apply for statehood.

It abandoned the British model of keeping colonies permanently subordinate.


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The Northwest Ordinance:

• barred slavery.

• required a republican constitution.

• promised settlers basic freedoms.

• ignored the rights of Native Americans.

• resulted in five new states: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota.


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European nations did not take the new nation seriously.

Spain forbade American trade with New Orleans.

Britain denied American ships access to the British West Indies and the right to export goods to Britain on American ships.

Britain kept soldiers in frontier forts located in the Northwest Territory.


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Growing

problems led

to calls for a

revision of the

Articles of

Confederation.

• The nation’s debt was mounting.

• The economic depression was deepening as debts, bankruptcies, and foreclosures grew.

• Shays’ Rebellion demonstrated the Federal government’s weakness.

• Foreign nations did not respect the United States.



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Section 1

Section 2



Section 1

• Understand the reasons leaders called for the Constitutional Convention.

• Summarize the rival plans of government

proposed at the convention. • Describe the compromises made in order to

reach agreement on the Constitution.

Objectives



Section 1

Terms and People

• Alexander Hamilton – New York delegate,

favored strong central government

• James Madison – “Father of the Constitution,”

proposed the Virginia Plan

• Virginia Plan – Madison’s proposal for a strong

federal government divided power between

executive, legislative, and judicial branches

• New Jersey Plan – William Paterson’s proposal

for a unicameral legislature gave each state one

vote and retained most features of the Articles of

Confederation



Section 1


• Great Compromise – Roger Sherman’s proposal,

which included a House based on population and a

Senate with two votes per state

• federalism – a system that divides power between

state governments and the federal government

• Three-Fifths Compromise – in return for Southern

support of the Constitution, northerners agreed to

count each slave as 3/5ths of a person for

determining electoral votes and seats in Congress



Section 1

What new system of national

government did the delegates agree

upon at the Constitutional Convention

of 1787?

After Shays’ Rebellion, Congress called for a

convention to revise the Articles of

Confederation.

Instead, they created an entirely new

constitution.



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By 1787 most citizens agreed that the Articles were flawed and needed at least two major changes:

In May, delegates from 12 states met in Philadelphia to propose Amendments to the Articles.

• The power to regulate interstate and international commerce

• The power to tax



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53 of the nation’s top leaders convened at the Pennsylvania State House.

• Most helped to write their state constitutions.

• Most were rich.

• All were white males.

• 21 fought in the Revolution.

• 8 were signers of the Declaration of Independence.



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• Missing: Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. They were serving as diplomats in Europe.

• George Washington was chosen as president of the Convention.

James Madison

Roger Sherman

George Mason

Elbridge Gerry

William Paterson

James Wilson

John Dickinson

Charles Pinckney

Benjamin Franklin

Alexander Hamilton

Edmund Randolph

Gouverneur Morris

Leaders present:

Who came?



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Alexander Hamilton advocated a powerful central government.

Ben Franklin contributed experience, wisdom, and prestige.

Framers of the Constitution



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Called the Father of the Constitution, James Madison already had a plan of government in mind.

Called the Father of our Country, George Washington attracted crowds when he arrived in Philadelphia.

Framers of the Constitution



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Hamilton and Madison emerged as leaders.

• Conservative; he

feared too much

democracy

• Favored a balance

of aristocracy,

monarchy, and

republicanism

Alexander Hamilton James Madison • Favored a large republic

with diverse interests to

preserve the common

good

• Favored a system where

different interests would

“check” each other’s

power to ensure liberty



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• A strong federal government with power to tax, regulate commerce, and veto state laws

• A Senate and a House of Representatives, both based on population

• A strong President to command the military and manage foreign relations

James Madison

proposed his

Virginia Plan:



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• An executive by committee rather than one leader

• A unicameral legislature with one vote per state regardless of population

• States retain sovereignty except for a few powers granted to the federal government

William Patterson proposed the New Jersey Plan:



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Roger Sherman proposed The Great Compromise to break the impasse:

• Two Houses in Congress: The lower house was based on a state’s population. In the upper house, each state had two senators.

• A system of federalism: Power would be divided between the federal government and the states. Certain powers, such as issuing money, were forbidden to states.



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• Southern states feared larger free states would dominate Congress and threaten slavery.

• They saw slavery as essential for their economy and demanded protections in the Constitution.

• Delegates from Georgia and South Carolina threatened to walk out.

Slavery proved to be a divisive issue.



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• A slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in Congress and electoral votes for presidential elections.

• Importation of slaves could not be forbidden for twenty years.

• Northern states could not pass laws to help runaway slaves.

Solution: Three-fifths Compromise



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Southerners such as Charles C. Pinckney feared the inclusion of anti-slavery phrases, such as “all men are by nature free.”

No Bill of Rights

• George Mason

• Edmund Randolph

• Elbridge Gerry, who called it “flawed”

Some delegates refused to sign in protest:



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39 delegates signed and the Constitution was sent to the states for ratification.

On September 17th; 42 delegates remained at the convention.

Alexander Hamilton accepted the Constitution as the only alternative to “anarchy and convulsion.”



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Section 1

Section 3



Section 1

• Summarize the arguments for and against

ratification of the Constitution.

• Describe how the Constitution was ratified.

• Explain the principles of the Constitution.

Objectives



Section 1

Terms and People

• ratification – official approval

• Federalist – a person who favored ratification of

the new Constitution of 1787

• Antifederalist – a person who opposed

ratification of the new Constitution

• The Federalist – a series of 85 essays, written

primarily by Alexander Hamilton and James

Madison, that supported ratification (The

Federalist Papers)



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• John Jay – contributed 5 essays to The Federalist

arguing for a strong federal government

• Bill of Rights – the first 10 amendments to the

Constitution guaranteeing individual rights

• popular sovereignty – the principle that all

government power comes from the people

• limited government – where the powers of the

government are specifically described and officials

may not act above the law



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• separation of powers – where political power is

specifically defined and divided between three

branches of government

• checks and balances – a system in which each

branch of government has the power to monitor

and limit the actions of the other two

• electoral college – a group of persons chosen

from each state who then indirectly elect the

president



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How did Americans ratify the Constitution, and what are its basic principles?

Although many delegates to the Constitutional Convention felt the Constitution was imperfect, all but three delegates signed it. Would the states accept the proposed plan? If not, what would become of the new nation?



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By drafting a new Constitution, the delegates had exceeded their mandate to amend the Articles.

Not expecting passage in all 13 states, they changed the rules for ratification:

• to be by special conventions in each state,

not by state legislatures

• required approval of only 9 states



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Federalists favored the Constitution.

• They stressed the weaknesses of the Articles.

• They argued that only the proposed Constitution could remedy these weaknesses.

• They were led by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton who, along with John Jay, published a series of essays called The Federalist.



Section 1

In Federalist No.10 and Federalist No. 51, Madison argued that a strong national government and the Constitution’s system of checks and balances would strengthen liberty.

In Federalist No. 78, Hamilton wrote of the importance of a judicial branch to protect liberty.

A copy of The Federalist signed by George Washington



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Frontiersmen felt a stronger government provided protection against the Native Americans and the British in the Northwest.

Artisans in the cities and most newspapers supported ratification as well.

The two most trusted Americans George Washington and Benjamin Franklin favored ratification.



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• They feared a loss of liberties and distrusted the absence of a bill of rights.

• They feared concentration of power in a distant elite, believing instead that power should remain in democratically elected state governments.

• Leading Antifederalists included Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Patrick Henry.

Antifederalists were opponents of ratification.



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Antifederalists included many farmers.

• They feared the Constitution threatened state debtor relief laws that rescued many from foreclosure.

• Farmers also distrusted lawyers, merchants, and the wealthy, who were largely Federalists.



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The Federalists pushed for fast approval.

By mid-January 1788, five states had ratified, but nine states were needed.

Federalists gained the support of Massachusetts Gov. John Hancock by hinting he may be picked as the first vice president.

When the Federalists agreed to add a bill of rights, four more states quickly ratified.



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While nine states were the minimum, the two largest states, Virginia and New York, were necessary for the nation to survive.

Virginia finally ratified, despite Patrick Henry’s opposition.

New York ratified after New York City threatened to secede from the state.

New York City celebrated ratification with a parade.



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The last two states, Rhode Island and North Carolina, now reconsidered earlier rejections and ratified as well, bringing the total to 13 states.

Congress convened in New York’s Federal Hall on March 4, 1789 to:

• Elect a first president (George Washington) and vice president (John Adams).

• Add a Bill of Rights.



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• He used Virginia’s Bill of Rights as a model.

• Madison avoided any statements about equality that might offend the slave states.

• Ten amendments guaranteed individual freedoms.

• To prevent future abuse or limitations on freedom, any unmentioned rights were retained by the people.

James Madison was assigned to create a Bill of Rights.



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The Bill of Rights



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The Constitution established a representative government based on six principles.



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Creating the Constitution - anderson1.k12.sc.us€¦ · What form of national government did the Patriots create initially, ... events revealed that a new government was necessary?