Founding Documents of the United States of America

1. Founding Documents of the United States of America Michael L. Murphy ED 195 12/3/01

2. Documents to be Examined • Declaration of Independence • Constitution • Bill of Rights

3. Declaration of Independence • Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed idea in Continental Congress on June 7, 1776

4. Declaration of Independence • Committee of five chosen to draft the document

5. Committee Members • John Adams • Ben Franklin • Roger Sherman • Robert Livingstone • Thomas Jefferson Benjamin Franklin

6. Thomas Jefferson • Jefferson used his eloquent style to craft most of the famous document

7. Declaration of Independence • Approved by Congress on July 2, 1776 • 56 men from 13 colonies signed on July 4, 1776

8. Constitution • Constitutional Convention called to meet in Philadelphia during summer of 1787 to discuss remedies for the ailing Articles of Confederation Independence Hall, Philadelphia

9. Constitution • George Washington was elected president of the convention

10. Constitution • Delegates from 12 states decided early on to scrap the Articles and proceed with writing a new plan for government • Differences between delegates soon erupted

11. Crucial Compromises • Representation • Slavery • Trade

12. Virginia Plan • James Madison wrote this plan which based representation on population • Favored big states

13. New Jersey Plan • William Paterson crafted this plan which gave each state equal representation • Favored small states

14. Great Compromise • Roger Sherman gave idea of lower house based on population and upper house with equal representation

15. Slavery • Three-Fifths Compromise reached to solve slavery issue • Slaves would count as 3/5 of a person for purposes of taxation and of representation

16. Trade • Compromise reached that allowed Congress power to regulate foreign and interstate trade • Could not apply export taxes • Could not stop slave trade for 20 years

17. Constitutional Principles • Limited Government • Separation of Powers • Checks and Balances • Federalism • Popular Sovereignty

18. Limited Government • First and oldest written constitution in the world • Designed to prevent tyranny experienced under Britain which had an unwritten, open-ended constitution

19. Separation of Powers • Government divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial • Each branch has specific powers but must work with the others for government to function

20. Checks and Balances • Prevents one branch from becoming more powerful than the others • Branches have ways of checking and balancing the power of the others

21. Federalism • Divides power between national and state levels of government • States needed to sacrifice some sovereignty for the sake of national unity

22. Popular Sovereignty • Preamble of Constitution expresses idea that source of power rests with the people Constitution on Display, Washington, D. C.

23. Examples of Popular Sovereignty • Vote for representatives to national government • Indirect election of president through electoral college • Make changes in constitution through amendment process

24. Constitution • Signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787

25. Constitution • Rhode Island was 13th and last state to ratify on May 29, 1790 • New Congress convened in New York City on March 4, 1789

26. Constitution • Washington inaugurated as first president in New York City on April 30, 1789

27. Bill of Rights • James Madison finished Bill of Rights in 1789 • Fulfilled promise to Anti-federalist opponents

28. Bill of Rights • Approved by three-fourths of states in 1791 • Bill of Rights were first ten amendments to the Constitution

29. Key Rights Protected • Religion • Speech • Press • Security Rights • Judicial Rights Bill of Rights on Display, Washington, D. C.

30. Bill of Rights • Intended to limit national power • Designed to protect rights of individuals • States still had much freedom to govern as they pleased

31. Photo Credits • Horydczak, Theodor. “U.S. Capitol paintings. Signing of the Declaration of Independence, painting by John Trumbull in U.S. Capitol IV.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959. [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/thc.5a51230.jpg] [thc 5a51230] (December 1, 2001). • Pendleton's Lithography. “John Adams, second President of the United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present. [http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a53000/3a53200/3a53276v.jpg] [cph 3a53276] (December 1, 2001).

32. Photo Credits • “Benjamin Franklin.” c[between 1900 and 1920]. Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a20000/4a28000/4a28500/4a28534r.jpg] [det 4a28534] (December 1, 2001). • Pendleton's Lithography. “Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present. [http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c10000/3c17000/3c17100/3c17117v.jpg] [cph 3c17117] (December 1, 2001).

33. Photo Credits • Pendleton's Lithography. “James Madison, fourth President of the United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present. [http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a53000/3a53200/3a53278v.jpg] [cph 3a53278] (December 1, 2001). • Horydczak, Theodor. “Paintings. Signing of Constitution by Howard C. Cristy II.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a50000/5a50800/5a50829r.jpg] [thc 5a50829] (December 1, 2001).

34. Photo Credits • “Independence Hall [Assembly Room], Philadelphia, Pa.” c1905. Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a10000/4a12000/4a12500/4a12587r.jpg] [det 4a12587] (December 1, 2001). • Horydczak, Theodor. “Democratic Digest. Attorney General Tom Clark looking at Bill of Rights II.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a43000/5a43100/5a43174r.jpg] [thc 5a43174] (December 1, 2001).

35. Photo Credits • Horydczak, Theodor. “Library of Congress (Jefferson Building). Display of U.S. Constitution, Library of Congress.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959 [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a50000/5a50700/5a50785r.jpg] [thc 5a50785] (December 1, 2001). • “George Washington, head-and-shoulders portrait]. Stuart, Gilbert, 1755-1828, artist.” c[between 1900 and 1920]. Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a20000/4a26000/4a26500/4a26549r.jpg] [det 4a26549] (December 1, 2001). • Additional images and sounds courtesy Microsoft Office 2000.