1. Origins of American Government
Chp. 2
Origins of American Government

2. Basic Concepts of Government
Section 2.1
Basic Concepts of Government

3. Governments Ordered Limited Representative
Based on English style: still around; sheriff, justice of the peace, grand juries and counties
Limited
Gov. is restricted in what it can do, every individual has certain rights Gov. can’t take away
Representative
Gov. Should serve the will of the people

4. Magna Carta The great charter. Runnymede 1215, England
Barons dissatisfied with King John’s heavy taxes and battles
Trial by Jury
Due process
Originally these were for upper class only, but over time became every English citizens rights

5. The petition of Right
Magna Carta Respected/disrespected by English Rule for 400 years
Charles the first wanted more $$ for taxes, Parliament wouldn’t give it until he signed
No wrongful imprisonment
Jury trial by peers
No martial law in peace
Effectively ended divine right

6. The English Bill of Rights, 1689
William and Mary of Orange offered the throne. Must agree to Bill of Rights
No standing army in peacetime
Right to fair trial
Freedom from excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment

7. The 13 Colonies Proprietary Colonies Royal Colonies
Direct Control of the crown
1775 there were 8: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia
Bi-cameral: there was approval for laws from a governor and the King
Proprietary Colonies
1775 there were 3: Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware
Land was “owned” by someone and governor was appointed by owner

8. The 13 Colonies The charter colonies
Massachusetts bay colony, Connecticut and Rhode island
Governors were elected by white male property owners
Laws made by legislature in these colonies were not subject to governor veto

9. The Coming of Independence
Section 2.2
The Coming of Independence

10. Events that led to the Revolution
1643: New England Confederation
1696: Penn offers Inter-colonial cooperation
1754: The Albany plan
1765: The Stamp Act Congress
1770, March 5: Boston Massacre
1772: Committees of Correspondence
1773, Dec. 12: Boston Tea party
1774, spring: The intolerable acts
1774, Sep. 5: First Continental Congress
1775, April 19: Battles of Lexington and Concord (Am. Rev.)
1775, May 10: Second Continental Congress
1776, June 7: Resolution of independence (Lee’s resolution)
1776, July 2: Agreed to Lee’s resolution
1776, July 4: Adopted Declaration of independence
1781, March 1: Articles of Confederation are ratified
Events that led to the Revolution
Britain became more involved in trying to govern the colonies in the 1760s.
Delegates joined the first Continental Congress to plan opposition to British policy.
The second Continental Congress proclaimed independence and served as the first US Gov.
After the Declaration of Independence, most of the 13 States adopted written constitutions, which later influenced the US constitution

11. Section 2.3
The Critical Period

12. Facts
The second continental congress adopted the Articles of Confederation to establish a more lasting form of government
Under the Articles of confederation, each state had one vote in congress; no executive or judicial branches existed
Congress did not have the power to tax, regulate commerce, or make the states obey the Articles
The Articles weaknesses led to bickering among the states
The growing need for a stronger National Gov. led to plans for a Constitutional Convention

13. Articles of Confederation
The Continental Congress wrote the Articles of Confederation during the Revolutionary War. The articles were written to give the colonies some sense of a unified government. Once the thirteen colonies became the thirteen states, however, each one began to act alone in its own best interest. A new governing document was needed in order for these new states to act together, to become a nation.
The Articles of Confederation became effective on March 1, 1781, after all thirteen states had ratified them. The Articles made the states and legislature supreme. There was no executive branch. Judicial functions were very limited.
The resulting government was weak. Efforts to make it stronger failed. A convention called in May 1787 to re-write the Articles decided to draft an entirely new Constitution.

14. Creating the Constitution
Section 2.4
Creating the Constitution

15. Facts
The constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of the Confederation
The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan each offered an approach to organizing a new government
Delegates accepted compromises that led to agreement on the configuration of Congress and other issues

16. The Framers 55 reps from 13 states went to Philadelphia for convention
famous and involved they were an impressive group
Elected George Washington President of the Convention
Decided to create an entirely new Gov. for the U.S.
Constitutional Compromises
Three-Fifths Compromise
3/5 of slaves counted for representation
3/5 of slaves counted for taxation
Connecticut Compromise
Bicameral Congress
Equal represenati-on in senate
Representat-ion by State population in house
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Congress forbidden to tax exports
Congress forbidden to interfere with slave trade until 1808
Congress could regulate commerce

17. The “Plans” New Jersey Plan Virginia Plan
Small state plan to get equal representation in the Gov.
Led to the Senate
New Jersey had the smallest amount of population, they knew that if the Virginia Plan succeeded that they would have no voice in government at all so they countered the plan with the New Jersey Plan that if there were equal amount of people from each state then no one state would rule the government.
Large state plan to get representation based on population in the Gov.
Led to the House of Representatives
Virginia was a big state at the time, they knew if they had a government based on population, then they would have the biggest voice in government

18. John Locke
John Locke FRS, widely known as the Father of Classical Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers.
Tabla Rasa
No Government without the governed

19. Montesquieu
Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French social commentator and political thinker who lived during the Age of Enlightenment.
Came up with Legislative, Judicial and Executive Branches
Wanted to reform Slavery

20. Jean- Jacques Rousseau
The social Contract
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of the 18th century. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological, and educational thought

21. William Blackstone
Sir William Blackstone KC SL was an English jurist, judge and Tory politician of the eighteenth century. He is most noted for writing the Commentaries on the Laws of England
(an overview of how British Law works)

22. Ratifying the Constitution
Section 5
Ratifying the Constitution

23. Comparison Federalists Anti-Federalists
The articles of Confederation are too weak
Only a stronger national Gov. can overcome the difficulties the Republic faces
Liberties that could be included in a bill of rights are covered in the state constitutions
The states would no longer have the power to print money
The national Gov. would be given too much power
There should be no bill of rights.

24. George Washington 1st President of the U.S.
New York was the last Key state to ratify the Constitution
11 of the 13 states were under “1 federal roof”
April 6, 1789 Elected as president of the U.S.A
New York was the first temporary capital