ORIGINS of AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

Early Settlers to America

Jamestown 1607

Plymouth 1620

Knew they needed an

Orderly Government!

What type of Government???

Section 1 : Our Political Beginnings

*2) Limited= government is NOT all powerful

*3) Representative= government should serve the

will of the people

Who did we get our Government

ideas from?

ENGLISH

-we are English Settlers!

Although the Constitution was a first for the world, it drew upon many sources

The Magna Carta 1215 was the * basis for LIMITED government.

The Petition of Right 1628* English Parliament helped

serve as an example of representative government.

The English Bill of Rights served as a basis for

* protecting individual rights.

Landmark English Documents

BILL OF RIGHTS 1688 (60 years after Petition of Right)

William and Mary get the Crown after giving up a lot of Power.

“Glorious Revolution”

• In 1688, Parliament overthrew King James who escaped to France.• This became known as the Glorious Revolution.• Parliament invited King William and Queen Mary of the Netherlands to take the throne.

The 3) English Bill of Rights guaranteed several things

including:

•1) * Trial by jury•2)*Protection from cruel and

unusual punishment.• Ensured that the King could not raise taxes or an army without Parliament’s approval.• Colonists, being English subjects, were protected by the Bill.

3) freedom of religious worship to all Christians, except Catholics, and persons denying the Trinity (Jews, etc.).

John Locke The theories of political philosophers were also

incorporated

English philosopher John Locke published the Two Treatises

of GovernmentAnd the ideas of

*LIFE, *LIBERTY

and *PROPERTY

ENGLISH COLONIES

ENGLISH COLONIES

1) * Royal- 8 of them are this and are controlled the most by the King

2) * Proprietary

3 of them were organized by a proprietor whom the king had

given a large track of land Example: William Penn

3) * Charter- 2- Connecticut and Rhode Island

Largely Self Governing!!!!

WHAT leads us to INDEPENDENCE?

• 3,000 miles away and 2 months to sail to the colonies

• Colonists used to a large measure of self government

• 1760 King George III comes to power and deals more firmly with the colonies

The British government found itself in serious debt after the French & Indian War- £133,000,000!!!

• Taxes in Great Britain

rose tremendously!

BRITAIN’S Colonial Policies

* 1) Initially Britain allows a large amount of self rule for the colonists due to the 3,000 mile difference

* 2) George III deals more firmly with the colonists

*3) Many Taxes are imposed on the colonists due to the cost of the French & Indian War

* 4) Either the Colonists Submit or Revolt

WHAT leads us to INDEPENDENCE?

Growing Colonial Unity

Albany Plan

*Franklin proposes the formation of an annual Congress of Delegates from each of the 13 Colonies.

The colonists can *raise an army, make war and peace with the Native Americans, regulate trade, TAX and collect customs duties.

*Turned down by the colonies

STAMP ACTS

**Stamp Act Congress:

9 Colonies sent delegates to NY to protest the Stamp Acts imposed on colonists. This was “Taxation Without Representation”

Here they prepared a “Declaration of Rights and Grievances”

Stamp Act Congress

“Taxation without Representation”

They prepare a Declaration of Rights and Grievancesto send to the King

The purpose of the Stamp Act was to help pay for the large number of British troops in the colonies

WHAT leads us to INDEPENDENCE?

Boycotts lead to the Boston Massacre Video clip

In the end, the ***Boston Massacre resulted in the deaths of 5 colonists. 6 were wounded.

1. Crispus Attucks - shot twice in the chest

(considered the first martyr for American Independence) 2. Samuel Grey - shot in the head 3. James Caldwell - shot twice in the back 4. Samuel Maverick - 17 years old, shot in the abdomen 5. Patrick Carr - shot in the hip, exited side

Boston Massacre, Mar. 5, 1770. Chromolithograph by John Bufford

National Archives and Records Administration

Organized resistance leads to the

Boston Tea PartyVideo Clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=_ijb8kaOyjo

• The Sons of Liberty rowed quietly out to the three ships in the darkness of night and boarded them on Dec. 16, 1773The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor." 1773. Copy of lithograph by Sarony &

Major, 1846. Credit: National Archives and Records Administration NOTE THE INACCURACY! Public domain image

The men ***dumped 342 crates of tea into Boston

Harbor which was valued at

about $90,000.

When they were finished, they quietly rowed back to shore.

Protests broke out in New York City, Newport, RI, Boston, MA

Hartford, CT and Charleston, SC.

Mobs burned effigies (likenesses) of tax

collectors and some were tarred and

feathered.

The Bostonians paying the exciseman or tarring & feathering. (Cartoon). Lithograph by

Pendleton, 1830, after print published in London in 1774. Colorized. Public domain image

King George III was outraged!

He asked Parliament to pass a series of

very harsh laws designed to punish

the people of Boston.

King George III

Intolerable Acts—

Passed by England in response to the ****Boston Tea Party

FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS September 5, 1774

The Congress wascreated in response to: ****Intolerable Acts

Did several things:1. closed Boston Harbor2. limited power of MA

legislature, made the governor more powerful.

3. local officials were to be appointed by the royal governor.

4. Town meetings could only be held once per year.

5. British officials charged with major crimes were to be tried in England.

6. Quartering Act was extended to include private homes.

What were the Intolerable Acts (or Coercive Acts), as they were nicknamed by the colonists

• The First Continental Congress met on September 5, 1774

and accomplished a great deal, including the ******Boycott of all British goods.

• Moderates who wanted to work out problems fought against radicals who wanted to take strong action.

On April 19, 1775, the first battle of the Revolution ensued with 70 men standing

on

Lexington Green against 400 British

troops on their way to Concord.

In the end, 8 colonists were killed with no British fatalities.

Courtesy of the Army National Guard

Word of the Battles of Lexington and Concord

spread quickly.

Many colonists realized that war was now inevitable.

There was no possibility of resolving the differences between the colonies and Great Britain peacefully.

2ND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS1775 after the start of the Revolution

**John Hancock-President

**George Washington

Commander in Chief

OLIVE BRANCH PETITION

• By July 1775, the Second Continental Congress was readying for war, though still hoping for peace

• Most delegates deeply loyal to King George III

***July 8 – Olive Branch Petition sent to

King who flatly refused it

Many of those in positions of power were

also impressed by Thomas Paine’s

Common Sense

Virginia delegate to Second Continental Congress, Richard

Henry Lee, was moved to say, “I am now

convinced… of the necessity for separation.” Richard Henry Lee

By Charles Wilson Peale, 1784.

Thomas Paine

On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee

of Virginia resolved before the

Congress, “That these United States are, and of

right ought to be, free and independent states… and

that all political connection between them

and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be

totally dissolved.”Richard Henry Lee

Voting in favor of Lee’s resolution was dangerous

The delegates realized that Great Britain would treat a vote in favor of

independence as treason.

They realized that a conviction as a traitor would result in their

execution

After a day of debate, and 2 colonies

(PA and SC) changing their votes in favor of

independence, the delegates decided to appoint a committee to write a

Declaration of Independence.

**Thomas Jefferson was chosen to

actually write the Declaration of

Independence. Video Clip

He was considered an incredibly

eloquent writer, but his earlier writings

were much too radical for most

Americans

On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted that

the 13 colonies were “free and independent

states.”On July 4, 1776, delegates signed (but not all) the

Declaration of Independence.

Part I

***Explains the basic rights on which the

nation was founded.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,

Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Public domain image

The Second part of the Declaration of Independence

**lists the wrongs committed by King George III.

It lists a variety of abuses of power SUCH AS:

•dismissal of legislatures,•sending corrupt customs agents•sending troops to America during

peace time•imposing taxes without consent•requiring the quartering troops•depriving colonists of a trial by

jury… (pg.154-156)

Part II

The third part of the Declaration of Independence

**officially announced that the 13 British

Colonies were now the United States of America.

It stated that the United States could make

alliances and trade as it pleased.

Part III

Too Late to Apologize

The Declaration of Independence

Turn to page 40 in your textbook.

Read along with the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETroXvRFoKY&feature=related

During the Revolutionary War, State governments

began to dissolve.

As a result, in May of 1776, the Second

Continental Congress began to ask States to

form their own governments.

In July of 1776, the Congress began to organize a national

government.

Source: National Park Service

• Because Americans feared tyranny, the Congress created a very weak national government.• The first American constitution, completed in 1777, was the Articles of Confederation

Source: National Archives

The authors of the Articles of Confederation did not create a nation, but a

**1)“firm league of friendship” between the 13 states

The Articles of Confederation created a Congress with 2-7 delegates from each state-

**2) BUT each state only had one vote.

**3) did not create an executive branch** 4) did not create a judicial branch

The Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781. This was the format for the United States government until the Constitution

Under the Articles of ConfederationCongress could

1. maintain the military2. conduct foreign policy3. declare war4. make peace5. coin money

** 5) The Congress could NOT regulate trade between the states or between

states and foreign nations.

Congress had to ask States for money to keep the federal government going-

** 6) they could not force them to contribute (TAX).

**7) In order to pass laws, 9 of the 13 states had to vote in favor.

Summary of the Articles of Confederation:

1. created a loose alliance between states.2. did not provide for a president (no executive branch) and laws had

to be enforced by the states.3. did not create a court system (no judicial branch) and the

government could not resolve differences between the states.

CREDIT: Tholey, Augustus, artist. "Leaders of the Continental Congress." Wm. Finley & Co., copyright 1894. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

Maryland demanded that all of the land west of the

Appalachian Mountains be turned over to the Congress They rejected the demand.

The larger States rejected the demand.

Fortunately, Thomas Jefferson and other respected leaders

stepped forward and convinced lawmakers to give up their

claims to western lands

They were successful and Maryland ratified the Articles of

Confederation and they went into effect in 1781 Thomas Jefferson

**Shays’ Rebellion proved one thing:

The federal government was much too weak and a

stronger national government was needed!

Shays' Rebellion is considered one of the leading causes of the

formation of the United States Constitution.

Many Americans feared that Shays’ Rebellion was proof that the

Articles of Confederation were too weak.

1)a convention to improve the Articles of Confederation will be held in

ANNAPOLIS, MD but only 5/13 states show up.

2) They decided to meet in May of 1787 in Philadelphia, PA… but they ended up doing a lot more than just improving the Articles of Confederation!

CHAPTER 2--Section 4 Creating the Constitution

____12___ of the 13 states attended the Constitutional Convention in _Philadelphia_, PA.

74 delegates were chosen, but only ___55____ attended.

Of these delegates, 46 had been members of the Continental Congress

7 had been state governors

_8_ had signed the Declaration of Independence

34 had attended college

_2_ would become President of the United States

_42_ was the average age of the delegates and nearly half were in their 30's!

at 81 Ben Franklin was the oldest----G. Washington was 55

Soon after the Constitutional

Convention met in in Philadelphia, PA in May of 1787, it was

decided that the Articles of Confederation needed to be

set aside and a new, stronger document needed

to be created.

55 delegates, from 12 of the 13 states (all but Rhode Island), helped craft a document that is still

celebrated around the world as a great achievement.

These men became known as the “Framers” of the

Constitution.

These men were of a new generation in American Politics.

Other notable absentees: John Adams, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Richard Henry Lee

The Framers met at __Independence___ Hall on May 25, 1787 and immediately selected _G. Washington___ as president of the convention.

The convention had drawn much public attention and speculation, so the men adopted a rule of ___Secrecy___.

The convention was called to revise the Articles, but it was soon decided to create a new government.

***Many notable framers at the Constitutional Convention including:

Benjamin Franklin: 81 years old, (oldest delegate) wise, and well respected.

George Washington: elected president of the convention. Many thought that he would be able to best control the debate.

Alexander Hamilton: a staunch advocate for a stronger federal government. He had served as Washington’s personal secretary during the Revolution.

James Madison: highly intelligent, well prepared,36 year old. He was soft spoken but eloquent. He took excellent notes during the convention which have served historians well.

It was decided that the meetings during the

Constitutional Convention would be

kept secret so delegates could feel free to speak

their minds without outside pressure.

Guards were posted at the doors and all of the windows were closed.

Some resented the secret meetings, believing that government meetings should be open to the

public in a free society.

Independence HallPhiladelphia, PA

Edmund Randolph and James Madison

put together a plan for government early on

known as the **Virginia Plan

Edmund Randolph James Madison

The **Virginia Plan created a strong national government and called for the following:

1. **3_ branches of Government

Legislative – Executive—Judicial

2. Legislative Branch would be **“bicameral” or have 2 houses.

Both houses would base membership upon the population of States (House) and equality (Senate)

3. Creation of a FEDERALGovernment

Smaller states objected to the Virginia Plan, believing that it was unfair to States with smaller

populations.

As a result, William Paterson introduced the ***New Jersey plan to counter the Virginia Plan.

William Paterson

The New Jersey Plan created strong national government and called for the following:

3 branches of Government

Legislative – Executive—Judicial

**Unicameral Congress

2. Legislative Branch would be “***unicameral” Congress or have only one house. The single house would allow each State to have ****one vote only. Population was not an issue.

3. Chief Executive (President) would be elected

by legislature… could be multi-person.

New Jersey Plan

• The Constitutional Convention was at a deadlock, as neither side could sway the other.

• Many believed that the convention would fail.

Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy.

The question asked most in the convention:

**“How should the states be represented in Congress?”

The Connecticut Compromise:

Large States wanted to Dominate Congress and Small states wanted equality

The Compromise:

Each State would be equally represented in the Senate with 2 senators

Each state would be given a number of House members based on their state’s population

Each state would have as many “electors” as it had representatives and senators

OHIO 16 House Representatives 2 Senators18 Electoral College Votes

When we vote for president, we actually vote for electors to cast votes for a candidate

On July 16, 1787, the Great

Compromise was approved by 38 of the 55 delegates.

But other issues arose that would

require even further compromise.

The issue of slavery became a problem for Northerners and Southerners… not due

to moral differences, but because of questions of

representation.

Southerners wanted to count their entire population of

slaves to boost their numbers in Congress.

Northerners objected citing that slaves were not

considered citizens and could not vote.

Library of Congress

Now, the problem with population…..

The South obviously has many citizens, but many are unfortunately not considered to be important.

The Three-Fifth’s Compromise:

for every five slaves they would count as three people in the population count

The Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise:

Congress was forbidden the power to tax the export of goods from any state and forbidden to act on slave trade for a period of at least 20 years.

It was decided that three fifths of a slave population in a state

would be counted during a census.

This agreement was referred to as the

Three-Fifths Compromise.

For example, if a state had 5,000 slaves, 3,000

of them would be counted.

Southern States argued that a ban would ruin the

Southern economy.

Each side agreed to compromise and it was decided that the slave

trade would continue for at least 20 years… after

that, Congress could regulate the slave trade.

In 1808, the United States banned the

importation of slaves, but did not end slavery.

After resolving a series of important issues, the United States Constitution was completed on

September 17, 1787 and read to the convention for the last time

Section 5 Slide 75Ratifying the Constitution

In the Constitution, Article 7 states:

9 Out of the 13 colonies must agree to ratify the Constitution in order for it to be effective.

The Constitution in its ORIGINAL form contained:

The Preamble & the 7 Articles

Madison & Hamilton

What about a BILL OF RIGHTS?

• FEDERALISTS

Supporters of the original

Constitution with ONLY

the Preamble and 7 Articles

• ANTI-FEDERALISTS

**people Against the Constitution

**Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock,

Patrick Henry•

*felt the national government

had too much power•

*”State’s Rights”•

*Wanted a Bill of Rights

The Federalist Papers:

85 Essays written in newspapers all over the states in support of the Constitution without a Bill of Rights!

Writers included:

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison & John Jay

The Constitution becomes effective in 1789 without a Bill of Rights!

At the conclusion of the Constitutional

Conventiona woman approached Benjamin Franklin and asked, “Well, Doctor… what have we a got, a

republic or a monarchy?”

Franklin replied, “A republic. If you

can keep it.”Library of Congress

December 15, 1791 The Bill of Rights are ratified/added

to the Constitution

A REPUBLIC is a nation in which voters elect /VOTE

for representatives to govern them.

The Constitution begins “We the people…” which exemplifies the American

desire to have a government controlled by

the people

The Federal System gives Americans the ability to vote for both State and national officials.

The FEDERAL government acts for the nation as a whole.

The STATES have power over local matters.

We have limited government in that the government is restricted

in what it can doand each individual has certain

rights.

Federal Powers

State Powers

Shared Powers

Some Examples- Coin Money - Declare War- Regulate Trade (b/twn states and states and foreign nations) - Make Treaties- Regulate trade within borders- Decide who can vote in state elections- Control Education- All powers not delegated to federal government

- Raise taxes- Build roads- Decide penalties for crimes

Of course, disagreements between the States and the federal government were inevitable

To ensure that disagreements were resolved with greater ease, it was decided that the Constitution would serves as the “Supreme law of the land”.

In other words… the Constitution was the final word!