Chapter 8: Creating the Constitution

1. Chapter 8: Creating the Constitution

2. Articles of Confederation • Loose union of the 13 states • Each had 1 vote • Congress could: • Declare war • Raise an army/navy • Print money • Setup postal system • Could NOT impose taxes

3. Trying to Divide the Lands • States argued over… • Boundaries • Taxes (goods from other colonies being taxed) • Land Ordinance of 1875 • New lands of west divided up • Divided into townships sold to settlers • Called the Northwest Territory

4. Trying to Divide the Lands • Northwest Ordinance of 1787 • Divided territory into smaller territories • 5,000 free adult males=own legislature • 60,000 population=apply for statehood • Each settler had rights like other citizens • No slavery in territory

5. Shays’s Rebellion • Problems with money: printed money worthless • Farmers could not pay back debt; forced to sell land • In Massachusetts, Daniel Shays leads upset farmers to seize national arsenal at Springfield • Stopped by state Militia

6. Constitutional Convention • People were shocked after Shay’s Rebellion • Call for members from each state to meet and fix problems country has • Held in Philadelphia • Pro strong national government vs. State Rights • First action: elect George Washington president

7. Constitutional Convention • Father of Constitution: James Madison • Enlightenment thinkers • “Life, Liberty, the pursuit of Happiness” • “Laws of nature” • Liberty and equality • Republic: country governed by elected representatives • Biggest question to answer: How much power should the national government have?

8. Check • Why did Shays’s Rebellion lead to the Constitutional Convention? • Why was Washington elected to lead the Constitutional Convention? • Why did people like Patrick Henry not attend the Convention? • What was the Enlightenment and how did it effect debate at the Convention? • What were two big issues facing delegates at the Convention?

9. The Virginia Plan • Drafted by James Madison • Called for three branches • Executive • Legislative • Judicial • Legislative branch broken into two houses • House of Representatives • Senate • Both would be determined by states’ population • Larger states would have more representatives

10. The New Jersey Plan • Response to Virginia Plan • Called for three branches • Legislative Branch would only have one house with equal representation • Protected smaller states

11. The Great Compromise • Huge arguments arose over which plan should be adopted • The Great Compromise • Keep two houses in the Legislative branch • House of Representatives: representatives determined by states’ population • Senate: equal representation (2 senators from each state) • Saved the Convention

12. Slavery Issue • 90% of Slaves lived in South • Southerners wanted slaves to be counted as people in representation • Northerners argued they were property and should not count • If slaves were counted, must be citizens • First division noted on slavery in the states

13. Slavery Compromise • 3/5ths Compromise • Count each slave as 3/5ths of a person • Other Issues: • Tax on southern crops • Ending slave trade • Compromise: • Congress cannot place tax on goods exported to other countries • Could not ban slave trade until 1808 (20 years)

14. Check • What states supported the Virginia Plan? Why? • What states supported the New Jersey Plan? Why? • Why was the Great Compromise so important? • How did the idea of slavery change with victory in the Revolutionary War? • What was the greatest issue regarding slaves and trade?

15. How to vote for the Chief Executive? • 3 member executive vs. 1 single executive • Voted for 1 single executive along with Vice President • Congress electing president vs. the people • Some argued that this power should not solely lay with the “unintelligence of the regular person”

16. Electoral College • How it works • People vote for president in their state • State elects group of people to vote for president • Number of people determined by amount of representatives and senators each state has (Wisconsin 8 representatives, 2 senators = 10 electoral votes) • When a candidate reaches 270 electoral votes they win

17. Ratifying the Constitution • Ratify: to approve • 9 states had to approve • Brought to states to be voted on by delegates of the state • Two groups emerge • Federalists: those in favor of Constitution and strong national government • Anti-Federalists: those opposed to Constitution. Feared a powerful president and too much tax • Federalists Papers: written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay to convince people to adopt Constitution

18. Anti-Federalists vs. Federalists • Anti-Federalists • Feared strong national government • Thought Congress would abuse taxing • Thought strong federal government would restrict individual rights • Federalists • Pro strong central government • Thought central government could regulate taxes better • Believed that central government would actually secure individual rights

19. Check • Do you feel that there should have been 3 executives or just 1? • Do you feel the Electoral College system is fair? • How has choosing vice-president changed since the 1800’s? • How did federalists argue that a strong central government helped the people? • What do you think a “perfect” system of government is? Why?