Chapter 2
Origins of American Government
Section 1
Our Political Beginnings
Basic Concepts of Government
English brought idea of political system to America Ordered Government Limited Government
Restrict Government
Representative Government For the People, By the People
Landmark English Documents
Magna Carta “Great Charter” In Britain in 1215, Nobles forced King John to sign
the Magna Carta Include rights:
Trial by Jury Due Process of Law
Protection from arbitrary arrest
Landmark English Documents (Con’t)
The Petition of Right Reinforced Due Process Required the King to obey the law of the land
English Bill of Rights Backbone for U.S. Constitution Contains many of the rights included in the U.S.
Bill of Rights
English Colonies
Each established separately as charters Written grant of authority from the king
Three kinds of colonies developed in U.S. Royal Proprietary Charter
Page 31 Map
English Colonies
Royal Colonies Became a bicameral legislature
Bicameral means “Two Houses”
Proprietary Colonies Governed by Proprietor
Charter Colonies Mainly Self-Governing
Section 2
The Coming of Independence
Britain’s Colonial Policies
In theory colonies were controlled by Britain, but colonies were relatively self-governing
Changed with King George III Began heavy trading restriction and taxation
Colonies were unhappy with the taxation Colonist began saying “No Taxation without
Representation” Colonist still considered themselves British
Growing Colonial Unity
New England Confederation Colonist in Northeastern America agreement
against Indians But dissolved in late 1600’s
The Albany Plan Benjamin Franklin Wanted to create a congress
with delegates from each colony Power to raise military and naval Forces, make
war and peace, regulate trade and tax Declined by Colonist and King
Growing Colonial Unity (Con’t)
Stamp Act Congress A reaction by the colonies to taxing on them by
the crown Created the Declaration of Rights and Grievances
Stamp Act repealed by the British Legislature, however other taxes were brought on
Protest by Colonist continue Included the famed “Boston Tea Party”
First Continental Congress
More laws passed by Britain’s Parliament, which prompted a meeting of delegates from each colony in the spring of 1774
Called for a boycott on British Goods until taxes and trade regulations were repealed
Called for a second meeting later Approved by all the colonies Legislature
Second Continental Congress
Began on May 10, 1775 Revolution had already begun… “Shot heard
round the world”
All 13 colonies sent a representative Created a continental army and put George
Washington as General
First U.S. Government However no written constitution held
Second Continental Congress (Con’t)
Declaration of Independence Created and signed Officially separated colonies from Britain
State Constitutions Continued to maintain there own constitutions Common Thread among Constitutions
Popular Sovereignty Government exists on the consent of the governed… AKA
people vote the government into existence
Section 3
The Critical Period
Articles of Confederation
Governmental Structures Unicameral Congress
Each state had one vote
No executive or judicial branches established
Power of Congress Make war and peace Settle disputes among states Etc.
Articles of Confederation (Con’t)
State Obligations Obey Articles of Confederation Pay taxes to Congress based on population
Weakness States bickered between one another
Taxed each others imports
Weak Government and Power Created separate form of money
Section 4
Creating the Constitution
Framers
The group of men who got together to frame the constitution in the summer of 1787
Each delegate had either: Served in the American Revolution Been state governors Signed the Declaration of Independence Attended College (Very Rare during that time)
Organization and Procedure
Conventions purpose was to fix the Articles of Confederation
James Madison was selected as the convention’s floor leader Later Madison was titled “The Father of the
Constitution”
A Momentous Decision
“Resolved… that a national Government ought to be established consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive and Judiciary.” Edmund Randolph Changed the purpose of the Convention from
fixing the Articles of Confederation, to replacing it
Virginia Plan
Called for 3 different branches of Government, with a bicameral Congress House of Representatives selected by popular
vote and Senate by amount of money paid Same powers to the Central Government as
given in the Articles of Confederation, but with more support
Select a “National Executive” and “National Judiciary”
New Jersey Plan
Wanted a unicameral Congress with each state equally represented Add Congress limited power to tax and regulate
trade between states
Called for more than one “Federal Executive” “Federal Judiciary” appointed by Executive
Compromise
Most of the fighting during the convention rotated around the power of the big states and representation of the small states
Connecticut Compromise “Great Compromise” Congress should be composed of two houses
House of Representation by population (Virginia Plan) Senate equal by State (New Jersey Plan)
Compromise (Con’t)
Three-Fifths Compromise Fight over counting slaves for House of
Representation Southerners wanted full count of slaves and Northerners
did not
Compromise decided that Slaves counted as 3/5 of a White, but Slaves must also be counted in tax proportions
Compromise (Con’t)
The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise Congress could not tax exports from states and
would not regulate slave trade for 20 years
Sources of the Constitution
Historical Governments Greece, Rome, Great Britain, and Europe
Enlightenment Writers Blackstone, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Locke
U.S. writings Second Continental Congress, Articles of
Confederation, and State Constitutions
Section 5
Ratifying the Constitution
The Fight for Ratification
Two groups emerged after the Constitution was printed and published for the public Federalist
Favored ratification of the Constitution Stressed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation
Anti-Federalist Opposed ratification of the Constitution
Did not like the increased central government powers The Constitution lacked a Bill of Rights
The Fight for Ratification (Con’t)
Virginia Ratification Swing vote in passing the Constitution was
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson New York, the last key state to ratify the
Constitution The Federalist was written to help encourage the
population about the Constitution Written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay Published as letters in newspapers
Inaugurating the Government
Finally all 13 colonies ratified the Constitution by early 1789
New York City was set as the temporary Capital
Capital then moved to Philadelphia in 1790 Finally the Capital was moved to “Federal
City” (Washington D.C.) in 1800 Completely designed by a French Architect