SHAPING A NATION
George Washington
James Madison
Ben Franklin
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
Alexander Hamilton
AMERICADemocracy or Republic?
State Constitutions States began drafting documents that
outlined how their governments should be run.
There were many similarities between the constitutions:
Popular Sovereignty Limited Government Checks and Balances
Articles of Confederation Debated on by the
Continental Congress Essentially the first
National Constitution for the United States
Virginia first to ratify AOC – Dec. 16, 1777
Maryland last to ratify AOC -- March 1, 1781
Articles of Confederation Debates:
How should representation be divided? Population vs. Equal Proportion
Decided that because they were each representing individual states that they would each be worth one vote.
Who has the power to tax states? Federal government, States, or no one
No taxes from federal government Who should have more power?
States or federal governments? States have supremacy over government
Land Ordinance of 1785 Established a plan for surveying the land
Made parcels of small land affordable to everyday folk.
Land divided into townships that were 36 square miles Land then divided into 36 pieces
Land then sold as whole or in sections All profit went to the federal government
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Congress provided procedure for dividing the land into territories
Set requirements for admission of new states
1. Congress would appoint a territorial governor and judges
2. When the territory had 5000 voting residents, the settlers could write a temporary constitution and elect their own government.
3. When the total population of a territory reached 60,000 free inhabitants, the settlers could write a state constitution, which had to be approved by Congress before it granted statehood.
Shay’s Rebellion Protest lead by impoverished Massachusetts
farmer Daniel Shay. Veteran of Bunker Hill and Saratoga, returned to
his land in grave debt. Faced debtors prison Believed he was unfairly taxed
Protested that the courts be closed so the farmers would not lose their land.
Led 1200 men militia toward an arsenal at Springfield 4 rebels were killed, but a call for a stronger
governemtn was sounded
Words from Washington “The consequences of.. [an] inefficient
government are too obvious to be dwelt upon. Thirteen sovereignties pulling against each other, and all tugging at the federal head will soon bring ruin on the whole… Let us have [government] by which our lives, liberty, and property will be secured or let us know the worst at once.”
Constitutional Convention Held May 1787 in Philadelphia State
House Independence Hall
Windows tightly closed from eaves droppers and outsiders
55 delegates in total, all but Rhode Island sent delegates
Rich, well-educated men such as Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington
Key Conflicts at the Constitutional Convention
Strong Central Government
Strong States
•Authority derives from the people.
•The central government should be stronger than the states.
•Authority derives from the states.
•The states should remain stronger than the central government.
Large States Small States•Congress should be composed of two houses.
•Delegates should be assigned according to population.
•A congress of one house should be preserved.
•Each state should have one vote.
North South•Slaves should not be counted when deciding the number of delegates.
•Slaves should be counted when levying taxes.
•Slaves should be counted when determining congressional representation.
•Slaves should not be counted when levying taxes.
Key Compromises at the Constitutional Convention
Madison Plan (VA Plan) Patterson Plan (NJ Plan)
Great Compromise
Representation
Slavery North South
3/5 Compromise
Division of Powers Federalism- divided power between the
national government and the state government.
How is this contradictory from the AOC?
Enumerated Powers (Federal )
Reserved Powers (State)
• Foreign affairs• Providing national defense• Regulating trade between states• Coining money
• Education• Marriage Laws• Regulating trade amongst states
Separation of Powers 3 Branches
Executive Legislative Judicial
Checks and Balances In order to make
sure no branch gets too strong, each branch “looks over the shoulder” of the other branches.
Electoral College The framers wanted to make sure that
only the smartest, most politically knowledgeable made the decisions in the country.
They set up a process in which the people do not vote for the president, instead they vote for a representative to vote for the president for them.
The electoral college is made up of the amount of Senators and Representatives per state.