The Evolution of the Constitution The Chapter 3 walk –a round

1. The Evolution of the ConstitutionThe Chapter 3 walk –a round

2. Station #1 • In 1776, the Declaration of Independence created a new nation made up of 13 independent states. The states faced a long uphill battle against Britain. The struggle was made even harder because the states had little experience in working together. In the past, Britain made decisions for the colonizes as a whole. Now, the new states had to set up not only their own government but also a national government.

3. Station 2 State Governments In forming its government, each state wrote a constitution. A constitution is a document that sets out the laws and principles of a government. Some states, such as Connecticut and Rhode Island, revised the charters they had before the Revolution. Others, such as Massachusetts, wrote new constitution, which voters approved. Americans wanted written constitutions for two reasons. First, a written constitution would clearly spell out the rights of all citizens. Second, it would limit the power of the government

4. Station #3 • The new state governments were similar to colonial governments. All the states had a legislature elected by voters. Most legislatures had an upper house, called a senate, and a lower house . Every state except Pennsylvania had a governor, who executed, or carried out laws

5. Station # 4 • Virginia included a bill of rights in its new constitution. A bill of rights lists freedoms the government has to protect . In Virginia, the bill of rights protected freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press. Citizens also had the right to a trial by jury. Other states followed Virginia’s lead and included bills of rights in their constitutions.

6. Station # 5 • The new state constitutions expanded the number of citizens who had the right to vote. To vote, a citizen had to be male and over the age of 21. He had to own a certain amount of property or pay a certain amount of taxes. For a time, women in New Jersey could vote. In a few states, free black men could vote. Slaves could not vote in any state.

7. Station 6 • The Articles of Confederation While the states were bickering, the Continental Congress wrote a constitution for the nation as a whole. Writing a constitution that all the states would approve was a difficult job. In 1776, few Americans thought of themselves as citizens of one nation. Instead, they felt loyal to their own states.

8. Station 7 • A weak national government the new states were unwilling to give too much power to a national government. They were already fighting Britain. They did not want to replace one harsh ruler with another. After much debate, the first American constitution called the Articles of Confederation was completed in 1777. Under the Articles, the 13 states agreed to send delegates to Congress. The Articles gave Congress the power to declare war., Appoint military officers, and to coin money.

9. Station #8 • The Articles of Confederation limited the powers of Congress by giving the state final authority. Although Congress could pass laws, at least 9 of the 13 states had to approve it before it went into effect. Congress couldn’t regulate trade between states. Congress couldn’t pass any laws regarding taxes. To get money Congress had to ask each state for it. No state could be forced to pay.

10. Station # 9 • The Articles created a loose alliance among the 13 states. The national government was weak, in part because it had no president to carry out the laws passed by Congress. Still, the articles might have worked if the states had been able to get along with each other. But many disputes arose, and there was no way of settling them because the Articles did not set up a system of courts.

11. Station #11 • At first Virginia and the other states refused to give up their claims. But Thomas Jefferson and other leading Virginians saw a need for a national government. So they convinced the Virginia legislature to give up its claims . Other states followed Virginias lead. Finally in 1781, Maryland ratified the Articles of Confederation, and the first American government went into effect.

12. Station # 12 • Many Troubles The new government faced many troubles. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York all claimed Vermont. The states had no way of settling their disputes. Foreign countries took of the new governments weaknesses. For example, Britain refused to withdraw its troops from the Ohio valley. Spain too challenged the new nation. It closed it the port of New Orleans to American farmers. The port was important to Americans because they used it to ship goods to the east.

13. Station # 13 The most difficult problem for the new government was raising money. Congress did not have the power to pass tax laws., and the states did not contribute enough money to meet the government's expenses

14. Station # 14 • During the Revolution, the Continental Congress tried to raise money simply by printing paper money. Paper money is valuable only if it is backed by gold or silver or by confidence in the government. The Continental dollars Congress printed had no gold or silver backing. Also, few people believed that the government could pay its debts. So the Continental bills became worthless

15. Station #15 When Continental dollars became worthless, states printed their own paper money. This caused a great deal of confusion. How much was North Carolina dollar worth? Was a Virginia dollar just as valuable? Most states refused to accept money from other states. As a result, trade between states became difficult. Congress tried to pass a law taxing imported goods. But every state had to approve the tax before it could become a law.

16. Station # 16 • During the revolution, the demand for farm products was high. Farmers borrowed money for land , seed , animals , and tools. But after the war, the nation suffered an economic depression. An economic depression is period when business activity slows, prices and wages fall, and unemployment rises. When prices for farm goods fell, farmers could not repay their loans.

17. Station # 17 • Farmers in Western Massachusetts were hard hit by falling farm prices. To make matters worse, Massachusetts raised taxes. The courts threatened to seize the farms of people who did not pay their loans and taxes. • Captain Daniel Shays’ was a Massachusetts farmer who had fought hard in the Revolutionary War. In 1786, Shays’ gathered a force of about 1,000 angry farmers. They attached courthouses and tries to take a warehouse full of guns and gunpowder. Wealthy Massachusetts businessmen quickly raised an army and ended the Rebellion.

18. Station # 18 • Shays’ Rebellion worried many Americans. It was a sign that the Articles of Confederation were not working. Leaders of several states called for a convention to discuss ways of reforming the Articles. They decided to meet in Philadelphia. In May 1787. When they met, however, they took a more drastic measure.

19. Station 19 • Organizing the Northwest Territory Despite its troubles, Congress did pass two important laws. Both concerned the Northwest Territory, lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi. (see the map on this page) Many settlers lived in this region. Every year more headed west to clear land for farms.

20. Station # 20 • To set up a system for settling the Northwest Territory, Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785. The ordinance called for land to be surveyed and divided into townships. Each township would have 36 sections. A section was one square mile and contained 360 acres. Congress planned to sell sections to settlers for $640 each. One section in each section was set aside to support public schools.

21. Station # 21 • Two years later, in 1787, Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance. This ordinance set up a government for the Northwest Territory and outlawed slavery there. It allowed the region to be divided into separate territories. Once a territory had a population of 60,000 free citizens, it could ask Congress to be admitted as a new state. The new state would then be on equal footing with all the original in all respects whatsoever.

22. Station # 22 • The Northwest Ordinance was important because it set up a way for new states to be admitted to the United States. It guaranteed that new states would be treated just the same as the original 13 states. Eventually, the Northwest Territory was carved into five states: • Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin

23. Station # 23 • The delegates who went to Philadelphia in May 1787, had their work cut out for them. Soon after the meeting began, they decided to do more that revise the Articles of Confederation. They chose to write a new constitution for the United States. Between May and September, they forged a document that has been the basis of American government ever since.

24. Station # 24 • The Convention Opens The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia. Every state was suppose to send delegate, but Rhode Island refused. Thus, only 12 of the 13 states were represented. The meeting took place in the Pennsylvania State House, the same place where the Declaration of Independence had been signed 11 years before.

25. Station # 25 Who was there? The 55 delegates included many leaders form the Revolution. Benjamin Franklin at age 81, was the senior statesmen. George Washington traveled north form his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia. Washington was so well respected by delegates in Philadelphia, that he was at once elected President.

26. Station # 26 • Quite as few delegates were young men in their 20’s and 30’s. Among them was Alexander Hamilton of New York. Hamilton did not like the Articles of Confederation. The nation he wrote “is sick and wants powerful remedies.” The powerful remedy he prescribe was a strong national government.

27. Station # 27 • Another member of the Constitution C0nvention was James Madison of Virginia. At first glance, Madison did not impress people. He was short and thin and spoke so softly that he was often asked to speak up. But Madison had much worth saying. He had served in Congress and in the Virginia House of Legislature. A herd worker, he was always eager to learn. Before going to Philadelphia he collected all his books on government and politics. Madison arrived a week early so that he would have time to read and organize his thoughts.

28. Station # 28 • Need for Secrecy When the Constitutional meeting began in Philadelphia, the delegates decided to keep their talks secret. They wanted to be free to speak their minds without seeing their words printed in newspapers. Washington and others wanted to explore every issue without pressure from the outside. To ensure secrecy, guards stood at the door admitting only the delegates. The windows were kept closed to keep people from eavesdropping and overhearing the debates. But the closed windows kept the rooms terribly hot.

29. Station # 29 • Heated Debate On May 25th, George Washington took his place as President of the Convention. He sat in a High back chair at the front of the room. Everyone agreed on a need for action. By May 30th, the delegates had voted to write a new Constitution instead of revising the Articles of Confederation

30. Station # 30 • Virginia Plan Early on, Edmond Randolph and James Madison, both of Virginia Presented a plan for the new government. It became known as the Virginia Plan. In the end, much of the Virginia Plan was included in the new constitution. The Virginia Plan called for a strong national government with three branches: the legislative, the executive ,and the judicial. In general, the legislative branch writes and passes the laws. The Executive branch carries out and enforces the laws. The Judicial Branch, or system of courts, decides if the laws are fair and administers punishment

31. Station 31 • The Virginia Plan also called for a two-house legislature with a lower house and an upper house. Seats in both houses would be divided up according to the population of each state. • States with large populations would elect more representatives than states with small populations. This difference form the articles of Confederation. Under the Articles each state had one vote in Congress no matter what its population. • Small states at once protested this plan. They were afraid that large states would out vote them. Supporters of the Virginia Plan said that it was only fair for a state with more people to have more representatives

32. Station 32 • New Jersey Plan The debate over the Virginia Plan almost caused the Convention to fall apart. In June 1787, William Paterson, of New Jersey presented a plan that had the support of the small states. The New Jersey Plan also called for three branches of government. But it also called for a legislature with only one house. Each state would only have one vote, no matter what its population

33. Station 33 • The Great Debate The delegates argued to a standstill. The heat caused tempers to rise. Finally Rodger Sherman of Connecticut worked out a compromise between the large and the small states. A compromise is a settlement in which both sides gives up something in order to reach an agreement. Sherman's compromise called for a legislature with an upper and a lower house. Members of the lower house, known as the House of Representatives, would be chosen by all men who could vote. Members would be divided up according to the population of each state. The large states liked this part of the compromise because it was similar to the Virginia Plan

34. Station 34 • Members of the upper house, called the Senate, would be chosen by state legislatures. Each state would have two senators. Small states supported this part of the compromise. Together the two houses would be the Congress of the Unites States. • On July 16th, delegates narrowly accepted Sherman’s plan, which came t be known as the Great Compromise. Each side gave up some demands in favor of the nation as a whole

35. Station 35 • Compromise Over Slavery • After accepting the Great Compromise, the delegates faced a new question. Would slaves be counted as part of the population? The answer to this question was important because it affected the nu8mber of representatives a state would have in the House of Representatives. • The slavery question led to bitter arguments between the North and South. Southerners wanted to include slaves in the population count even though they would not let slaves vote. Northerners protested. They realized that if slaves counted, southerners would have more representation that the northern states. • The debate rages on until the delegates worked out a new compromise. They agreed that three fifths of the slaves in any state would be counted. This agreement was known as the Three-Fifths Compromise.

36. Station # 36 • Northerners and Southerners disagreed over another issue related to slavery. By 1787, some northern states had banned the slave trade within their borders. They wanted the new Congress to ban the slave trade in the entire nation. Southerners warned that their economy would be ruined in Congress outlawed the slave trade. • In the end the two sides compromised. Northerners agreed to let the slave trade continue for at least 20 years. After that Congress could regulate it if it wished

37. Station 39 John Locke, In 1690, the English philosopher Jo0hn Locke published Tw3o Treaties on Government. In it, he declared that people had natural rights to life, liberty and property. A government, Locke claimed is an agreement between the ruler and the ruled. The ruler must enforce the law and protect the people. If a ruler violated the people's rights, the people have a right to rebel. Locks ideas became popular among Americans. Thomas Jefferson included the idea of natural rights in the Declaration of Independence. The framers based the Constitution on the idea that government id a contract between the ruler and the ruled

38. Station # 37

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