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Focus Question:

Focus Question:. Was the Constitution a fulfilment of their Revolutionary aspirations?. The Problems encountered with writing the Constitution. The public didn’t see a need to become one nation. The state leaders didn’t want to become one nation as they may lose their power.

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Focus Question:

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  1. Focus Question: Was the Constitution a fulfilment of their Revolutionary aspirations?

  2. The Problems encountered with writing the Constitution • The public didn’t see a need to become one nation. • The state leaders didn’t want to become one nation as they may lose their power. • There were still those who were loyal to Britain.

  3. Washington said "I do not conceive we can exist long as a nation without having lodged somewhere a power which will pervade the whole Union in as energetic manner as the authority of the state governments extends over the several states."

  4. Why was a National Constitution needed? • Some states were in great debt. • America’s economy was suffering • The Articles of Confederation created at best a loose government but were not enough to sustain the population.

  5. Three branch system of Government: • The Executive would head the government • The Legislative would be broken down into the House of Representatives and the Senate. • The Senate would be the smaller more coolheaded body • The House of Representatives would be elected directly by the people. • The Judicial would enforce the Constitution and laws.

  6. Some of the Questions that faced the Delegates: • Should there be a multi person executive or single head of state? • Should the executive be paid a salary? Or should they rely purely on patriotism? • If they were paid who would fund their salary? • How long should the executive be in office for? • Could the congress impeach him if he was guilty of misconduct? • Could they remove him from office? • What if he should die when in office? • Who would take his place? • If there was a vice president what would they do when the president was still living?

  7. Resolutions: • President would preside over the Executive branch • The President would be chosen by electors from each state • He would serve for four years • Should he die whilst in office a Vice president would take over • The Vice would preside over the senate whilst the President was living • Both would be paid out of the treasury of the new government

  8. Resolutions: The Great Compromise • Each state would have two members in the senate with equal vote • The House of Representatives would have one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants. (This was later changed to 30,000)

  9. Arguments against the Constitution: • There was no Bill of rights, were these not what they had been fighting for in the war? • It was argued that Confederation offered a more secure future for America.

  10. James Wilson: "We should consider that we are providing a Constitution for future generations and not merely for the circumstance of the moment."

  11. The Ratifications Began: • Delaware December 1787 • New Jersey December 1787 • Pennsylvania December 1787 • Georgia January 1788 • Connecticut January 1788 • Massachusetts February 1788 • Maryland April 1788 • South Carolina May 1788 • New Hampshire June 1788 • THE UNITED STATES WAS FORMED

  12. Delaware December 1787 • New Jersey December 1787 • Pennsylvania December 1787 • Georgia January 1788 • Connecticut January 1788 • Massachusetts February 1788 • Maryland April 1788 • South Carolina May 1788 • New Hampshire June 1788 • THE UNITED STATES WAS FORMED • Virginia June 1788 • New York July 1788 • North Carolina November 1789 • Rhode Island May 1790

  13. What were their revolutionary aspirations? Well, they changed…

  14. Thomas Paine wrote: "The same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues their descendants still."

  15. The Declaration of Independence and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense convey the revolutionary atmosphere of 1776. • What were they fighting for? • Human rights • Government representation • Independence / NO KING!

  16. The Constitution meant: • They were independent from Britain • They not only a set of rules written by their people for their people but it established a system of checks that made it difficult for one person to get too much power • The government could not become anything like Britain’s government. • Equal representation was provided for all men (and later slaves and women) • The rights of man were protected.

  17. Thankyou for listening!

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