1. Chapter 2 Origins of American Government

2. Our Political Beginnings
American system of government did not begin with Declaration of Independence or the US Constitution…
Goals of section:
Examine early English concepts of government that influenced American colonies (Ordered, Limited, Representative)
Analyze influence of Magna Carta, Petition of Right, and English Bill of Rights
Compare the structure of royal colony governments and our National Government

3. English Concepts of Government
Ordered Government
Orderly regulation
English colonists created local governments based on what they had known in England
Many of the governmental offices/units are still around today: offices of sheriff, justice of peace, grand jury, counties, etc.
Limited Government
Idea that government is restricted in what it may do
Individuals have certain rights government cannot take away
Representative Government
Idea that government should serve the will of the people
“government of, by, and for the people” (Abraham Lincoln)

4. Landmark English Documents
The Magna Carta (1215)
Group of barons were seeking protection against the heavy handed and arbitrary acts of King John
Included guarantees of rights such as trial by jury and due process of law (protection against arbitrariness)
Originally intended only for privileged classes
The Petition of Right (1628)
Limited the King’s power in several important ways
Demanded that king could not arbitrarily imprison an individual—trial or law was needed
Challenged divine right of kings—even monarchs had to obey law
The Bill of Rights (1688)
Further prevented abuse by kings and gave more power to parliament

5. The English Colonies
Royal Colonies
Proprietary Colonies
Charter Colonies

6. Thirteen Colonies Often described as “13 schools of government” Why?
Established separately over about 125 years
First colony: Virginia
Last colony: Georgia
Each colony came out of a particular set of circumstances
Similarity: each colony established by a charter
Gave colonists or companies a grant of land and some governing rights

7. Royal Colonies Subjected to the direct control of the Crown
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
These colonies were ones that had their charter revoked by King of England
King then appointed a governor to serve in each colony as well as a council (which later became the upper house of legislature and the colony’s highest court”
Lower house were elected property owners
Ruling with “stern hand”

8. Proprietary Colonies Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania
Organized by a proprietor—person whom the king had made a grant of land to
Governor appointed by proprietor
Maryland and Delaware had bicameral legislatures
Pennsylvania was a unicameral body
King still held significant power in these colonies

9. Charter Colonies
Massachusetts Bay Colony was first charter colony in 1629
Connecticut and Rhode Island were other charter colonies—founded by religious dissidents from Massachusetts
Were largely self governing
Governors elected each year and largely operated out of King’s control and approval
Connecticut and Rhode Island charters were so “liberal” that they were kept unchanged even after independence, finally changed in 1818 and 1843, respectively
Class discussion: Some historians believe that if Britain had allowed other colonies the same freedoms, the Revolution wouldn’t have occurred. Do you agree?

10. Chapter 2: Section 2
“We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately” (Ben Franklin; spoken to other members of Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776)

11. The Coming of Independence
British Colonial Policies
Controlled by King through the Board of Trade and the Privy Council
Parliament minimal involvement in management of colonies
Colonists became use to self rule
“Let us keep the dogges poore, and we’ll make them do as we please”
Taxes largely unenforced
Effectively operated like a federal system of government
King George III: 1760
Stern hand—taxes enforced, more restrictive trade acts

12. Events and Ideas Leading to American Independence
The Albany Plan
The Stamp Act
New Restrictive Laws
First Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
Declaration of Independence

13. Early Attempts & Albany Plan
New England Confederation (1643)
“League of friendship”
The Albany Plan
Albany Plan of Union (1754)
Benjamin Franklin
Delegates from each colony
Form a military, regulate trade, war/peace with Native Americans, and collect taxes

14. Stamp Act Congress
Britain’s tax and trade policies increased resentment among colonists, among them the Stamp Act of 1765
Colonists viewed the taxes as both severe but more importantly, “taxation without representation”
Stamp Act Congress of 1765
Declaration of Rights and Grievances
Eventually British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act—but other laws followed that restricted freedom of colonies further
Organized resistance began to grow in colonies
Boston Tea Party

15. The First Continental Congress
In response to “Intolerable Acts”
September 5, 1774 (no Georgia)
Philadelphia
Declaration of Rights
Results
Boycott trade
Local Committees

16. Second Continental Congress
Philadelphia 1775 (three weeks after Lexington and Concord)
First form of national government for the United States (July 1776 – March 1781)
Unicameral congress exercised both legislative and executive powers
John Hancock made President of the Congress
Named Washington the Commander and Chief of the Army

17. Declaration of Independence
Congress named a committee of five to prepare document: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Thomas Jefferson
Groundbreaking in several ways
Idea that every person is “created equal”
Conception of “certain unalienable rights”
Principle that government should be based on “consent of the governed” as opposed to divine right or tradition

18. First State Constitutions
Common Features
Popular Sovereignty
People recognized as only source of governmental authority
Limited Government
State governments could only exercise powers granted to them by people in constitutions
Civil Rights and Liberties
Many began with a Bill of Rights
Separation of Powers/Checks and Balances
Divided among three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial

19. Chapter 2, Section 3

20. Group Assignment
A. What weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation made a lasting government impossible?
B. What were the effects of these weaknesses?
Separate into groups, have at least three points for each question
Group 1: Kotarski, Moore, Le, Viancos
Group 2: Henning, Contreras, Nasr, Mills
Group 3: Darouiche, Leach, Jarlsjo, McStravick
Group 4: Swanson, Connell, Cano, Whaley
Group 5: Lucas, Hondros, Johnson, Dotson

21. Articles of Confederation
Approved on November 15, 1777
Established a “firm league of friendship” among the States
Essentially an alliance of independent states instead of truly a government “of the people”
Took over three years for all the states to ratify the document
Maryland last to ratify in 1781
Governmental Structure
Congress sole body created—unicameral, one vote per state
Executive and judicial powers handled by committees of Congress
Powers of Congress
War and peace, make treaties, borrow money, build navy, raise army by asking for troops, settle disputes among states, etc.
State Obligations

22. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
One vote for each state
Congress powerless to collect taxes
Congress powerless to regulate foreign affairs/interstate commerce
No executive power
No national court system
Amendment only with consent of all the states
9/13 majority to pass laws
Class discussion: Why were the Articles adopted, given their many flaws? Were the Articles appropriate for their time?

23. Examples of Weaknesses
States often refused to support central government, both financially and otherwise
Several made agreements with foreign governments without approval of Congress
Most organized own militaries
States taxed one another’s goods and even banned some trade
Printed own money with little backing—economic chaos ensued

24. Shays’ Rebellion Assignment
Shays’ Rebellion sharply divided American opinions on government
1) Which group supported the rebels?
2) Did this group embrace or fear a strong national government?
3) What were the long-term effects of the rebellion?
4) How did it shape the Framers’ debate on revising the Articles?
5) Draw some connections to present day debates/current events.

25. A Need for Stronger Government
Shays’ Rebellion
Mount Vernon
Maryland & Virginia
Dispute over Potomac River & Chesapeake Bay
Annapolis
Sept. 11, 1786
Poor turnout
Philadelphia
Feb
Constitutional Convention

26. Chapter 2, Section 4

27. Creating the Constitution
“the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man” (English statesman, William E. Gladstone)
Framers
Mostly composed of a new generation of American political figures
Organization and Procedure
Unanimously elected Washington as president of Convention
Each state had one vote, majority needed to pass
James Madison
Notes
“Father of the Constitution”

28. The Virginia Plan James Madison Three Branches Bicameral Congress
legislative, executive, judicial
Bicameral Congress
Representation based on population or upon amount of money it gave for support of central government
Lower house popularly elected, upper house chosen by House
US Congress would have additional powers—granting central government power to enforce its decisions
Smaller states found the plan “too radical”

29. The New Jersey Plan Unicameral Congress US Congress Plural executive
Each state equally represented
US Congress
Add closely limited powers to tax and regulate trade between states
Plural executive
Chosen by Congress and could be removed at request of majority of States’ governors
Single “supreme Tribunal” appointed by executive to head federal judiciary
Main difference?

30. Compromises Connecticut Compromise Three-Fifths Compromise
Bicameral Congress
Senate: states represented equally
House: representation based on population
“Great Compromise”
Three-Fifths Compromise
Southern states vs. Northern States
Compromise to allow slaves to count for 3/5 of a person; but southerners had to pay taxes on their slaves
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Convention agreed that Congress had to have power to regulate foreign + interstate trade
Southern worries (tobacco + slave trade)

31. “Bundle of Compromises”
Convention spent much of its time “sawing boards to make them fit” (Franklin)
Wide variety of opinions that required compromises
Issues that required compromise: selection of President, treaty-making process, structure of national court system, amendment process
However, many Framers agreed on basic issues: need for a new national government, a federal government, dedication to principles of popular sovereignty and limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances

32. Constitution Sources Ancient Greece and Rome
Contemporary European political philosophy
Rousseau
Locke
Own experiences
Articles of Confederation
State constitutions
“Sir, I agree with this Constitution to all its faults, if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us…” (Ben Franklin)

33. Group Assignment: Section 4 Assessment
2) What momentous decision did the Framers make at the beginning of the Philadelphia Convention?
4) What was agreed to under the Connecticut Compromise?
6) Compare and contrast the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.
8) The Constitution has been called a “bundle of compromises.” Is this an accurate description of the document? Explain your answer.

34. Chapter 2, Section 5

35. Fight for Ratification
Originally, Articles of Confederation could only be amended if all the states agreed to it
Framers determined it did not have to be amended, but replaced
Article VII: The ratification of the conventions of nine States shall be sufficient for the establishment of the Constitution between he States so ratifying the same.
Changing the rules of the game?

36. Important Debate Federalists & Anti-Federalists
Federalists: Madison, Hamilton
Stressed weaknesses of the Articles
Argued that new central government was required
Anti-Federalists: Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock, Samuel Adams
Many objected to ratification process and disliked that there was no mention of God
Feared government would become too powerful
Two major points of contention:
1) the greatly increased powers of the central government
2) lack of bill of rights

37. Quote
“These lawyers, and men of learning, and monied men, that talk so finely and glass over matters so smoothly, to make us poor illiterate people, swallow down the pill, expect to get into Congress themselves; they expect to…get all the power and all the money into their own hands, and then they will swallow up all us little folks…just as the whale swallowed up Jonah” (Amos Singletary)

38. Ratification Problems
Nine States Ratify
Initially, nine states ratify the Constitution
Two important holdouts: Virginia + New York
Virginia’s Ratification
Intense debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists
George Washington intervention
New York’s Ratification
The Federalist (Hamilton, Madison, Jay)
Inaugurating the State
New York chosen as temporary capital
George Washington elected President by unanimous vote in 1789

39. Group Assignment: Comparing Revolutions
1) Research the assigned revolution.
Determine the:
A) causes
B) ideals
C) outcomes of the assigned revolution
2) Compare the American Revolution to this other revolution.
Group 1 (Haitian Revolution): Kotarski, Moore, Le, Viancos
Group 2 (Mexican War of Independence): Henning, Contreras, Nasr, Mills
Group 3 (French Revolution): Darouiche, Leach, Jarlsjo, McStravick
Group 4 (Haitian Revolution): Swanson, Connell, Cano, Whaley
Group 5 (French Revolution): Lucas, Hondros, Johnson, Dotson