1. Government of the United States

2. Government by the States
The USA started as 13 separate, independent states.
Articles of Confederation established the first government of the USA

3. Articles of Confederation
Established a “Firm League of Friendship” among the 13 states
Confederation - Association of independent states (nations)

4. Articles of Confederation
Written by the 2nd Continental Congress in 1776 but not ratified by the states until 1781
Americans avoided building a strong central government

5. Articles of Confederation
Each state had its own constitution
Several states had “Bills of Rights” in their constitutions to protect citizens from tyranny
PA’s constitution allowed all male taxpayers over 21 to vote
PA’s assembly had to be elected each year

6. Articles of Confederation
1 Branch – Congress
Each state received 1 vote
States could send as many delegates as they chose
Congress only met during the year as needed

7. Articles of Confederation
Congress had a list of areas that they had control over
The national government could only do the things specifically listed
In order to change the Articles, all 13 states had to agree
In order to pass new laws, 9 states had to agree

8. Articles of Confederation
Contents
Make peace and war
Send and receive ambassadors
Make treaties
Borrow money

9. Articles of Confederation
Contents
Set up a monetary system
Build an army and navy
Fix standard weights and measures
Settle disputes among the states

10. Articles of Confederation
What was it missing?
Why wasn’t it changed?
The Articles had many weaknesses, particularly after we won the war and no longer had a reason to cooperate

11. Articles of Confederation
Weaknesses
Need unanimous vote to amend Articles
Need 9/13 states to pass any law
1 vote for each state, regardless of size or contributions to the treasury

12. Articles of Confederation
Weaknesses
No power to collect taxes
No way to enforce laws
No way to regulate trade
No national courts

13. Shay’s Rebellion (1786) Wealthy v. States v. Farmers
Government promised money to soldiers when they signed up for the war. After the war they didn’t have the money to pay them
The state governments had no federal oversight.
Wealthy that lent money to the states demanded repayment

14. Shay’s Rebellion States raised taxes to try to get out of debt.
Farmers were borrowing money to pay their taxes and were unable to pay their loans.
Loans were owed to some of these same wealthy businessmen.

15. Shay’s Rebellion
Banks were foreclosing on the farmers properties, with the help of government officials
Daniel Shay and 1200 followers blocked the courthouse to prevent foreclosures from being processed in Massachusetts

16. January 25, 1787 Shots are fired as farmers riot in Massachusetts

17. Shay’s Rebellion State troops ended the uprising.
Shay and the leaders were eventually captured and arrested.
They were released with “time served” and a fine.

18. Shay’s Rebellion
‘Nationalists’ were convinced that the Articles needed to be strengthened.
George Washington asked representatives to meet at Mt. Vernon, and then at Annapolis, but hardly anyone showed up.
After Shay’s Rebellion, 12 of the 13 states sent representatives to Philadelphia

19. Achievements of the Articles of Confederation
Successfully ran the war and negotiated the peace
Held a brand new country together for over 10 years without a hostile takeover
Wrote the Northwest Ordinances of 1785 and 1787

20. Northwest Ordinance
Policy for incorporating new territories into the union
The federal government had the land surveyed and divided into territories and townships
Each township was 6 square miles and was required to set aside land for public schools

21. Minnesota
Wisconsin
Michigan
Ohio
Illinois
Indiana

22. Northwest Ordinance
A territory would be administered by the federal government until they had 5,000 free male inhabitants of voting age
The inhabitants would then elect a territorial legislature. They could then send representatives to Congress but they couldn’t vote

23. Northwest Ordinance
When they reached 60,000 inhabitants, they could write their own state constitution
If Congress approved the constitution, they became a state

24. Northwest Ordinance
Established organized, uniform requirements for entering the union
Established the principle that the new states would be equal to all other states
System is still used today, with slight modifications

25. USA’s Current Territories
Unincorporated
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands
Guam
Administered by the Department of the Interior
Wake island
Midway Island
American Somoa

26. The Constitutional Convention
Section 2

27. Constitutional Convention (1787)
55 delegates met in Philadelphia
All states except Rhode Island sent delegates

28. Constitutional Convention (1787)
They concluded that the Articles could not be changed so a new document was written
James Madison is ‘father of the Constitution’

29. Constitutional Convention
Virginia Plan
Bi-Cameral Legislature
Representation by population and wealth in lower house; lower house would choose upper house
3 separate branches of government

30. Constitutional Convention
Virginia Plan
Power to veto state legislation
Power to enforce laws in the states
Power to tax

31. Constitutional Convention
New Jersey Plan
Unicameral Legislature
Equal representation for states
Power to tax

32. Constitutional Convention
New Jersey Plan
Power to regulate interstate trade
Executive & Judicial Branches appointed by the legislature

33. Constitutional Convention
Connecticut (Great) Compromise
Bicameral legislature
Lower house based on population and elected by popular vote
Upper house would have equal representation, appointed by state legislatures

34. Constitutional Convention
Three/Fifths Compromise
Southern states wanted to include the number of slaves in their population
Northern states said you could not have it both ways - people or property
Compromise counted every 5 slaves as 3 people, or every slave as 3/5’s of a person
Not repealed until 1865

35. Constitutional Convention
Final Agreement
Federalism – Authority is shared between the national and state governments
The national government would have the power to tax and enforce laws
3 separate, distinct branches of government

36. U.S. Constitution Final Notes
A system of checks and balances would be included to keep any one branch from becoming too powerful
National powers are enumerated, to keep them limited

37. U.S. Constitution Final Notes
The president would be elected indirectly by the people (electoral College)
A federal court system was created, with a Supreme Court and lesser courts
Ratification would take 9 of the 13 states

38. Essay Question:
Compare and Contrast the Articles of Confederation with the U.S. Constitution

39. Ratifying the Constitution
Section 3
Ratifying the Constitution

40. Ratifying the Constitution
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
In favor of the Constitution
Against the Constitution
Favored a strong national government
Favored strong state governments
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison,
John Jay
Thomas Jefferson,
Patrick Henry,
Sam Adams
The Federalist Papers
The Anti-Federalist Papers

41. Ratifying the Constitution
Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut 1st to ratify
Georgia and Pennsylvania followed
Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire (9th)
Without New York and Virginia, slim chance of being successful

42. Ratifying the Constitution
Pennsylvania Assembly approved the new Constitution after James Wilson eloquently spoke of its benefits

43. Ratifying the Constitution
Federalist papers and promise of Bill of Rights resulted in approval by VA & NY (1788)
North Carolina delayed but gave in, November 1789
Rhode Island was ‘convinced’ to approve it in May, 1790

44. The Constitution Was ratified on June 21, 1788
It has 7 articles that describe the basic framework of our government
Article 5 contains provisions for amending the Constitution, should it prove necessary

45. The Bill of Rights

46. 1st Amendment Freedom of religion Freedom of speech
Freedom to petition the government
Freedom of assembly
Freedom of the press

47. Critical Thinking
Why are the first amendment rights necessary in a democracy?

48. 2nd Amendment
A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
Note: A militia is a local, volunteer army.
Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Inc.

49. 3rd Amendment
Except in time of war, troops will not be quartered in civilian homes without the owners consent

50. 4th Amendment Protects people from unreasonable search and seizure
Search warrant needed – specific
Exceptions

51. 5th Amendment Prohibits double jeopardy
Indictment necessary before trial
Innocent until proven guilty
Protection against self-incrimination
Due process clause - People cannot be denied life, liberty, or property without the due process of law
Limits the government’s right to take your property (due process clause)

52. 6th Amendment Entitled to confront your accusers
Entitled to a lawyer
Entitled to a speedy, public trial
Accused criminals are:
Entitled to a trial by jury
Entitled to call witnesses in your defense

53. 7th Amendment
People have the right to a jury trial in civil cases when the amount of damages exceeds $20.

54. 8th Amendment Forbids excessive bail to accused criminals
Forbids cruel and unusual punishments for convicted criminals

55. Critical Thinking
One of the reasons the Federalists opposed a bill of rights was because it was impossible to make the list all-inclusive. If a right wasn’t included in the list, did that mean you didn’t have it?

56. 9th Amendment
Makes clear that rights not specifically included in the Constitution were not sacrificed

57. 10th Amendment The powers of the national government are enumerated
Those powers not specifically given to the national government are reserved for the states

58. Enumerated or Reserved?
Marriage and divorce
Regulate foreign trade
Pardon criminals
Create a fire department
Coin money
Build schools
Raise an army
Criminal laws

59. Proposal / Ratification
These amendments were proposed by the new Congress in 1789
There were originally 12 but were condensed to 10
They were ratified in 1791 and became known as the Bill of Rights

60. Supreme Court
Each year the Supreme Court is asked to interpret the Bill of Rights and its relevance to contemporary legal cases

61. American Civil Liberties Union
Commonly referred to as the ACLU
Founded in 1920 to assist people in protecting their civil rights

62. Section 4 Inauguration Precedent Planning D.C. NYC - 1789 Tradition
Many started by George Washington
Planning D.C.
Location – between 2 states (now 3)
Streets lettered and numbered

63. The End