Early Government

Early Government

Vocabulary • bicameral – having two separate lawmaking chambers • compromise – a settlement of a dispute by each party giving up some demands • legislative branch – lawmaking branch of the government • executive branch – branch of government that executes, or carries out, the law; headed by the president • judicial branch – the branch of government that interprets the law; made up of the Supreme Court and other inferior courts • amendment – a change, correction, or improvement added to a document

Articles of Confederation • After achieving independence, the states faced the challenge of governing themselves. • In 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed a committee to draw up a plan for a new government. • The result was the Articles of Confederation, which was completed in 1777. • The Articles of Confederation became the country’s first constitution.

Articles of Confederation • The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government. • Under the Articles… • The states retained their independence and most of their powers. • Congress could not tax, regulate trade, or force citizens to join the army. • If Congress needed to raise money or troops, it had to ask the states. • There was no chief executive. • All states had to approve any amendments to the Articles.

Confederation Achievements pg 186 • Even with its weaknesses, the government under the Articles of Confederation did manage some key achievements. • The Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 opened up vast areas of land for settlers hoping to move west. • The Land Act of 1800 made it easier for people to buy land in the newly-organized Northwest Territory.

Problems at Home and Abroad • After the war, the Confederation government was highly in debt. • Without the power to tax, Congress had to ask the states for money, but could not force the states to pay. • The states provided less than half the money the government asked them to contribute.

Shays’sRebellion pg 191 • After the American Revolution, the United States went through a depression. • States began seizing lands when individuals were unable to pay for debts and taxes. • In 1786, Daniel Shays led a force of about 1,200 supporters to the federal arsenal to protest the seizing of farmers’ lands. • The state militia responded, and the incident resulted in the death of 4 farmers. • Shays’s Rebellion made it clear that the new government was not equipped to handle unrest and prevent violence.

Slavery in the New Republic • When America achieved its independence, slavery was legal in every state. • 1777 - Slavery is banned in the Vermont Republic (future state of VT). • 1780 - Pennsylvania becomes the first state to pass a law that provided for the gradual freeing of enslaved people. • 1783- Massachusetts Supreme Court rules slavery illegal. • By 1804, all of the northern states had passed laws to at least gradually end slavery.

The Constitutional Convention • In the spring of 1787, delegates from the states met in Philadelphia to discuss the Articles and other issues related to trade. • This is known as the Constitutional Convention. • The convention, or meeting, took place in Independence Hall. • The delegates’ original job was to revise the Articles of Confederation. • They ultimately decided to create an entirely new plan of government – a new constitution.

The Virginia Plan pg 194 • Edmund Randolph of Virginia opened the convention with a surprise. He proposed the Virginia Plan, which called for a strong national government. • The Virginia Plan was largely the work of James Madison. • The Virginia Plan had a federal government with a president, courts, and a congress with two houses. • The number of representatives in both houses of Congress would be based on each state’s population. • This plan was favored by the larger states.

The New Jersey Plan • The New Jersey plan offered a modified plan. • The plan was based on the Articles of Confederation, with some changes. • It gave each state one vote in Congress. • The New Jersey Plan was favored by the delegates from the smaller states.

The Great Compromise • Ultimately, the committee decided that Congress would have two houses – a Senate and a House of Representatives. • In the Senate, each state would have two members. • In the House, the number of seats would reflect each state’s population. • This is known as the Great Compromise.

The Three-Fifths Compromise • Southern states hoped to count enslaved people in their populations so they would have more votes in the House of Representatives. • Northern states opposed this idea. • The delegates eventually decided that every five enslaved persons would equal 3 free persons. • Thus, 3/5 of the enslaved population in each state would count for representation.

U.S. Constitution • Throughout the summer of 1787, the members of the Constitutional Convention worked out the details of the new government. • On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was adopted and signed by the Constitutional Convention. • The next step was to win the Constitution’s ratification, or approval. • At least 9 of the 13 states were required to ratify the Constitution. • Only then would it become the supreme law of the land.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists Federalists Anti-Federalists Those who opposed the Constitution were called Anti-Federalists. Anti-Federalists did not like the idea of strong, national government. They feared it would ignore the rights of the states. They saw a key weakness in the new Constitution. It had no bill of rights to protect individual freedoms. Several state conventions declared they would not ratify the Constitution without a bill of rights. The main leaders of the Anti-Federalists were Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, and George Mason. Game • Those who supported the proposed Constitution were called Federalists. • They supported the idea of a federal system of government, where power is divided between the federal, or national, government, and the states. • They believed that the federal, or national, law should be the supreme law of the land. • The main leaders of the Federalists were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. • To defend the Constitution, they wrote a series of essays called the Federalist Papers.

A New Nation is Formed • The Federalists eventually vowed to create a bill of rights if the Constitution was adopted. • That promise helped win public support for the constitution. • New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify the Constitution on June 21, 1788. • On March 4, 1789, the new government under the Constitution began operations. • Clip • The 13 states in order of ratification: 1. Delaware – Dec. 7, 1787 2. Pennsylvania – Dec. 12, 1787 3. New Jersey – Dec. 18, 1787 4. Georgia – Jan. 2, 1788 5. Connecticut – Jan. 9, 1788 6. Massachusetts – Feb. 6, 1788 7. Maryland – Apr. 28, 1788 8. South Carolina – May 23, 1788 9. New Hampshire – June 21, 1788 10. Virginia – June 25, 1788 11. New York – July 26, 1788 12. North Carolina – Nov. 21, 1789 13. Rhode Island – May 29, 1790

Principles of the U.S. Constitution • The U.S Constitution is based on seven key principles: • Popular sovereignty • Republicanism • Limited government • Federalism • Separation of powers • Checks and balances • Individual rights

Principles of Government - Vocabulary • popular sovereignty – the belief that government is subject to the will of the people • republic - a government where citizens rule through elected representatives • limited government – government with limited powers strictly defined by law • federalism – a system of government where power is shared between the federal, or national, level and the states • separation of powers – the principle that powers should be divided among different branches of government • checks and balances – a system where each branch of government limits the power of the other branches

Types of Power • The writers of the Constitution divided the powers of the government into three types. • Enumerated powers are powers granted directly to the national government. • Reserved powers are powers that are reserved for the states. • Concurrent powers are powers that are shared by both the national and state governments.

Parts of the Constitution • The Constitution has three main parts: • The Preamble (or introduction) • The 7 Articles (or main parts) • The 27 Amendments (or changes)

Preamble Clips • Andy Griffith Clip • School House Rock Clip

U.S. Constitution - Branches of Government • Article I – Legislative branch • Senate • House of Representatives • Article II – Executive branch • President and Vice President • Cabinet, executive department, and agencies • Article III – Judicial branch • Supreme Court • Other federal courts

Legislative Branch • Congress is the legislative branch of the government. It has two houses – the House of Representatives and the Senate. • Congress makes the nation’s laws. • Congress imposes taxes, authorizes the spending of money, creates government programs, and has the power to declare war. • Both houses of Congress must agree on a bill, or proposed law. Once this happens, the bill goes to the president. If the president signs the bill, it becomes law.

Executive Branch • The executive branch is led by the president and vice president, who each serve 4-year terms. • It also includes the president’s cabinet, or top advisers, and many other offices, departments, and agencies. • The main job of the executive branch is to carry out laws passed by Congress. • The president also directs foreign policy, names ambassadors, negotiates treaties, and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Judicial Branch • The purpose of the judicial branch is to interpret the law. • It consists of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. • The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. It rules on only the most difficult legal questions, and its rulings are never appealed.

Bill of Rights • The first ten amendments, or Bill of Rights, became a part of the Constitution in 1791. They guarantee basic freedoms including: • Freedom of religion • Freedom of speech and press • Freedom of assembly • The right to bear arms • The right to trial by jury • The right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government • Freedom from cruel and unusual punishment

Early Government