Chapter 2

1. Word. Chapter 2 Historical Roots of American Government

2. Leading Up to the Declaration • The Magna Carta (1215)

4. Leading Up to the Declaration • The Magna Carta (1215) • First document to ever limit the power of a king • Guaranteed some rights of citizens – king could not punish someone without jury trial

5. Leading Up to the Declaration • John Locke’s 2nd Treatise on Government • Natural Rights – men had rights given to them by God before governments were ever created. Mack Daddy John Locke

7. Leading Up to the Declaration • Man’s natural rights are: • LIFE • LIBERTY • PROPERTY • Government’s purpose is to protect these, not take them away! Mack Daddy John Locke

8. Britain Messes with the Colonies • The Stamp Act 1765 • Required every published piece of paper to receive a British stamp of approval, and pay a tax with it • True intention was likely to stop colonists from publishing essays and newspapers critical of Britain’s government

9. Colonial Unity • Stamp Act Congress (1765) • 9 colonies joined together to protest England’s Stamp Act, and England repealed it

10. Colonial Unity • First Continental Congress (1774) • Trying to repair relationship with Britain • Sent a “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” to the king, boycotted trade with England

12. Colonial Unity • Second Continental Congress (1775-1781) • Trying to defeat Britain • Convened in the middle of the Revolutionary War

13. Colonial Unity • Second Continental Congress (1775) • Elected George Washington Commander-in-Chief of the Army

14. The Declaration of Independence July 4th, 1776

15. Jefferson Explains the Trouble With Writing This Thing:

16. Fundamentals of the Declaration • Men have inalienable natural rights • Governments exist by the consent of the governed • Abusive governments can be replaced

17. Our First Government • The Articles of Confederation • A huge mistake, but a good learning experience

18. The Articles of Confederation

19. The Articles of Confederation • Was not a strong national government • Rather, it was a “firm league of friendship” between 13 independent states

20. Problems with the Articles • National Government could not: • Collect Taxes • Regulate Trade Between States • Create a Court System • Use Troops Without Permission from the States

21. Problems with the Articles • As a result: • States never sent the government any money • States boycotted each other’s goods and currency • States made trade agreements with foreign countries

22. Features of the Articles Government • Legislative Branch (Congress) • Unicameral (One House) • States could send as many or as few Reps. as they wanted • Each state gets 1 vote regardless of number of Reps. • Any change to the Articles required approval of all 13 states

23. Features of the Articles Government • Executive Branch • No national executive branch • All executive and judicial powers were given to the states

24. Problems Lead to the Need for a Change:

25. The Constitutional Convention May 25th to September 17th, 1787

26. The Constitutional Convention • Original purpose was to slightly edit the Articles of Confederation • What ended up happening was a secret meeting where the Founding Fathers created a brand new government

28. Washington: Okay, any suggestions on how to fix this thing?

30. Madison: Ain’t gonna happen, Georgie.

32. Hamilton: Yeah, it’s time to smack it up, ballaz!

34. Washington: You know, I really like the Articles, guys.

36. Washington: j/k, dawgs.

37. lol :)

38. lol ;-> lol :) Ben Franklin: Holla!

39. The Framers • Who were the Framers (Writers)? • A gathering of 55 of the most brilliant minds in history? • Most were in their 30’s and 40’s • All upper class, well educated, white males • Middle and lower classes, women and racial minorities were not given the opportunity to participate • Most famous names : George Washington, James Madison, Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton

40. The Framers: Demi-Gods? • The Framers are really just men – or “politicians,” even • They are fighting with one another on every issue, and forming compromises to resolve the fights

41. The Framers • James Madison becomes known as the “Father of the Constitution,” as he became the leader of the convention, and did much of the writing Mack Daddy James Madison

43. I think we all know who the true Mack Daddy is.

44. Two Competing Ideas • The Virginia Plan • The “Big State Plan” • 3 Branches – Legislative, Executive, Judicial, each with checks and balances against the others • Bicameral legislature with representation based on population alone

45. Two Competing Ideas • The New Jersey Plan • The “Small State Plan” • Unicameral legislature with all states represented equally • Executive would be three presidents, who chose the Judicial branch

46. Compromises • The Connecticut Compromise • “The Great Compromise” • Bicameral legislature, one house based on population, one on equality

47. How the Great Compromise Works

48. Compromises • The 3/5ths Compromise • Southern states wanted to count slaves as part of their populations to get more votes in Congress • Compromise allowed them to count slaves as 3/5ths of a person in the census • *Note* - slaves did NOT get 3/5ths of a vote!

49. Compromises • The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise • Southern states feared that slavery would be banned by more heavily populated Northern states in Congress • Compromise prevented Congress from acting on the matter of slave trade for at least 20 years

50. Sources of the Constitution • Framers pulled from a number of places to get the final product: • Ancient Greece’s Democracy and Rome’s Republic • John Locke’s 2nd Treatise on Government • Charles de Montesquieu’s ideas about separating the powers of government • Great Britain’s government