THE CONSTITUTION:Revolutionary Roots of the Constitution

FREEDOM IN COLONIAL AMERICA

Though British subjects, the colonists enjoyed more freedom than those living in EuropeTraditions, feudalism, religious intoleranceColonists enjoyed near complete freedom

of speech, press and assembly By 1763, Britain & the colonies had a

reached a compromise between royal rule and self governmentKing & Parliament controlled foreign

affairs; domestic issues left to colonies

ROAD TO REVOLUTION

British government needed to pay for the French & Indian War. Led to taxes on the colonies TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION

A series of taxes were imposed and this led to a boycott of British goods in the colonies

ROAD TO REVOLUTION

Boston Tea Party (1773) Coercive (Intolerable) Acts (1774)

Closed Boston Harbor until the tea was paid for Gave royal governors the power to quarter

soldiers in private homes Battle became British demand for order vs.

American demand for liberty

REVOLUTIONARY ACTION

First Continental Congress (Sept. 1774) met to restore harmony between Britain & the colonies

Second Continental Congress convened after a military skirmish between British and colonial troops in Massachusetts Remained in session to serve as the government

for the colony-states

WHAT WAS AT STAKE??

Should the colonists prepare for war? Should they try to reconcile with Britain? Declaring their independence meant treason.

Failure to win independence would mean death by hanging, drawing and quartering

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Written by Thomas Jefferson, echoed many of the words spoken by John Adams in the Continental Congress

Underlying principles derived from John LockeConsent of the governedSocial contract theory – people agree to

establish rulers for certain purposes, but they have the right to resist or remove rulers who violate those purposes

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Jefferson found inspiration in the Virginia Declaration of Rights

He listed the grievances the colonists had against the KingSlavery was in the original draft, but later

omitted when South Carolina & Georgia objected

Signed by 55 delegates of the Second Continental Congress

DEMOCRACY IS BAD, M’KAY

The Framers feared a pure participatory systemDemocracy = mob rule and instability

The revolutionaries were more concerned with limiting government power

To ensure they had a government with strictly defined powers, they put everything in writing

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

Established a weak central government that could only coordinate, not control, the actions of the sovereign (independent) states

Articles reflected the delegates’ fear that a strong government would resemble British rule

FEATURES OF THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

Each state had one vote in the Congress, regardless of size

Voting on important issues required the consent of 9 of 13 states

No executive branch or court system

FAILURES OF THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION National government did not have the power

to tax Congress had to beg states for money

No leader to direct the government President simply presided over the powerless

Congress To the delegates, president = monarch

National government could not regulate foreign or interstate commerce (trade)

Amending the articles required consent of all states States could veto any proposed changes