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Constitutional Era

Constitutional Era. The Articles of Confederation- US form of government from 1777-1787. It was a weak league of independent states with very limited powers. It included: A one branch legislature (Representatives limited to a 3 yr term)

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Constitutional Era

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  1. Constitutional Era The Articles of Confederation- US form of government from 1777-1787. It was a weak league of independent states with very limited powers. It included: • A one branch legislature (Representatives limited to a 3 yr term) • A weak 3 person executive branch ( No real executive branch) • No power to levy taxes • One vote per state • No national currency • No real Judicial branch • 9/13 vote to make a law and an unanimous vote to amend the Articles • Yet, the Congress passed two important measures regarding westward expansion.

  2. How was the new nation to organize the western lands? Answers: Land Ordinance of 1785- Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Accomplishments under the Articles of Confederation

  3. Land Ordinance of 1785 • Western lands would be surveyed and divided into Townships- 36 sq. miles each, including 36 sections, 1 sq. mile per each section. Township

  4. Township-Land Ordinance of 1785 • Each square mile section encompassed 640 acres. Section 16 was set aside for a public school. • The federal government reserved sections eight, eleven, twenty-six, and twenty-nine for veterans of the Revolutionary War. • The government would sell the remaining sections at public auction. • The minimum bid was 640 dollars per section or one dollar for each acre of land in each section.

  5. The Land Ordinance of 1785 solved the problem of organizing new lands, but did not solve the problem of how to add new states to the Union. • The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 solved that problem.

  6. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 • Western lands would be divided into territories and eventually into 3 to 5 states. • Each territory would be governed by a governor and judges appointed by Congress. • Slavery would be outlawed in the territories. • When each territory reached a white male voting population of 5,000, it could create a legislature and select a non voting member to Congress. • When the population reached 60,000, it could submit a constitution to Congress for approval and apply for statehood.

  7. This allowed for equality of states as they entered the Union. • Therefore, the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 were two positive pieces of legislature passed during the period of Articles of Confederation.

  8. Problems under the Articles • Shays’s Rebellion- • 1781- Farmers in western Massachusetts had little gold currency and couldn’t pay their taxes. When their land was taken by the State of Massachusetts for non payment of taxes, the farmers led by Daniel Shays, marched on Boston. Militia captured 150 angry farmers, Shay escaped. • Soon, similar rebellions broke out in other states. • Question- was this tyranny, mob rule, or justice?

  9. The United States government under the Articles remained helpless to solve any problems regarding rebellion. • Another problem was rapid inflation. The currency ratio reached 75 to 1. The Congress had no authority to direct or solve economic problems. • Many felt continued problems would lead to tyranny, anarchy and chaos and a stronger national government was needed.

  10. Answer to Problems • September 1786- Annapolis Convention ( Annapolis, Md.) delegates decided to hold a Convention at Philadelphia the next year in order to revise the Articles. • Thomas Jefferson was in France as our Ambassador to France • Patrick Henry of Virginia did not attend the convention as he “smelled a rat”

  11. Philadelphia State House Independence Hall Constitutional Convention1787

  12. Constitutional Convention • When- May to September 1787 • Where- Philadelphia State House, Independence Hall • Who- delegates from 12 states. A young group as the average age was 43. • Examples: James Madison-36, Edmund Randolph 33, George Washington 55, Ben Franklin 81. • Federalist Papers published- to support a strong central government.

  13. Events at the Convention • Almost at first, the delegates voted to scrap the Articles and create a new government under a new Constitution. • This was a radical move, therefore the delegates voted to keep the events secret from the public until their work was done.

  14. Issues at the Convention Three issues dividing the convention: • 1.How to share power between the states and national government • 2. Large states vs. small states • 3. Slavery

  15. New Ideas Proposed Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan Great Compromise or Connecticut Plan

  16. Virginia Plan or Large State Plan Presented at the Convention by Edmund Randolph: Three Branch National Government 1. Strong executive 2. A national judiciary with a Supreme Court 3. A two house legislature The number of representatives from both houses based on proportional population. A system of separation of powers and checks and balances would be included

  17. New Jersey Plan- small state plan • Presented by William Patterson: • Same, except for a one house legislature, allowing one vote per state. • After heated debate, a compromise was reached between the large and small states- called the Connecticut Plan or the Great Compromise.

  18. Great Compromiseor Connecticut Compromise • A Two house legislature • Lower House- House of Representives –number of representatives based on population • Upper House- Senate- equal representation of two senators per state. • All money bills would originate in the House. • Approved July 1787.

  19. Issue of Slavery • 3/5 Compromise – Proportional representation would be based on the number of free citizens and 3/5 of all “other male persons” or slaves, i.e. each slave would count as 3/5 of a person.

  20. New Government- Three Branches: • Executive- 4 year term, chosen by an electoral College ( body of electors from each house of Congress) • Power to appoint Supreme Court Justices • Veto Power

  21. Legislative Branch- power to make laws • House had right to impeach • Senate had right to hold impeachment trial

  22. Judicial Branch- established a Supreme Court as head judiciary of the nation • Congress would establish lower courts • Supremacy Clause- laws of the US Government shall remain supreme over State laws.

  23. Created a System of Checks and Balances

  24. New Government • Constitution signed on September, 17, 1787 by 39 of the 42 delegates. • New form of government now had to be ratified by majority of the states ( 9/13). • Constitution ratified 1790. • Bill of Rights ( the first 10 Amendments) added in 1791. • A Federalist System- powers would be shared by a central form of government and state governments.

  25. Other Changes by custom • Creation of the President’s Cabinet • Creation of political parties • Executive Privilege- right of the President to refuse to appear before Congress • Senatorial Courtesy- president consults with Senators

  26. Political Parties • Federalists- those that supported a strong national government, supreme over state governments, a strong national defense, and a national treasury. • Anti- federalists- those that supported states rights and were opposed to an overwhelming powerful national government.

  27. Virginia • The Leading opponents of ratification were • Patrick Henry and George Mason. • The Leading proponents for ratification were George Washington and James Madison.

  28. US Constitution Preamble- goals of the new government Article I- Delineates the duties and authority of the legislative branch. Article II- Delineates the duties and authority of the executive branch Article III- Delineates the duties and authority of the judicial branch

  29. Article IV- Outlines the relationship between the federal government and the states. • Powers delegated to US • Powers reserved for States • Powers shared as concurrent powers • Article V- Outlines the process for amending the Constitution • Article VI- Establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land

  30. Article VII- Describes the ratification process • Amendments- 1- XXVII

  31. The “Father of the Constitution” was James Madison.

  32. What are the First Ten Amendments called? • The Bill of Rights 1st Amendment- freedom of religion, of speech, of assembly, to petition, of the press.

  33. Who wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights? • George Mason

  34. What was the basic idea of the Virginia Declaration of Rights? • That government should not violate basic human rights.

  35. Who wrote the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom? • Thomas Jefferson

  36. What did the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom do? • Outlawed the established church in Virginia • Supported the idea of freedom of religion

  37. What two documents did Madison consult when he was working on the Bill of Rights? • The Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom

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