Agenda  Partner work on the basic principles  A little history...  RNC – Chris or Ann?  Homework – read the Time article “One Document, Under Siege” How did we get it? THE US CONSTITUTION

The Establishment, Ratification and Implementation THE US CONSTITUTION

The Framers of the Constitution created a document that addressed the major concerns of the States attending the Philadelphia Convention. By reaching compromise on items about which they disagreed, the Framers created a new National Government capable of handling the nation’s problems. WHY IT MATTERS

How was it created? THE ESTABLISHMENT

 55 men  "an assembly of demi-gods" said Thomas Jefferson THE FRAMERS

 May 25, 1787 to  September 17, 1787  Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PN TIME FRAME

 Elected George Washington president of the convention  Rules: one vote per state, majority wins  Worked in secret  Decided to scrap the Articles of Confederation in order to create a new gov't  James Madison = "The Father of the Constitution" (contributions and Notes) ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE

Philosophies Plans Compromises IDEAS

 The Framers' Background  Well educated and widely read  Knowledgeable in Greek and Roman law  Experienced in current European politics  Intimately familiar with the Continental Congress,  Articles of Confederation and their own State gov'ts PHILOSOPHIES

THE VIRGINIA PLAN Main Ideas:  3 Branches of Gov't - legislative, executive and judicial  Congress - bicameral (2 houses)  Checks and Balances would ensure oversight  Strong national gov't  Edmund Randolph presented it.

 More conservative than the Virginia Plan Main Ideas:  Kept Congress as one body with equal representation  Congress had limited powers to tax and regulate trade  Called for a "federal executive" with more than one person chosen by Congress  Created a "federal judiciary" composed of a single "supreme Tribunal“ William Patterson presented it. THE NEW JERSEY PLAN

 Senate = equal representation of all states  House of Representatives = representation based on population  AKA as the Great Compromise because it settled the Convention's biggest dispute. CONNECTICUT COMPROMISE

 Counted slaves ("other persons") as 3/5 of a whole vote  Made southern states happy because of numbers of representatives  Made northern states happy because slaves counted for more taxes THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE

RATIFICATION  Federalists – supporters of ratification  James Madison, Alexander Hamilton – main supporters  Stressed weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and that the new nation needed new laws  Anti-Federalists – did not support ratification  Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock and Samuel Adams – main supporters  Attacked almost all of the document  Did not like the ratification process  Did not like the lack of God  Did not like that States didn’t have more power and thought the central gov’t had too much  Did not like that it did not include a Bill of Rights

 Delaware was the first and New York was the last of the nine states needed to ratify.  Eventually all thirteen would do so, but Rhode Island finally did AFTER George Washington became President of the US. BUT RATIFY IT DID

 Looking at the six basic principles of the Constitution, how do you think each of them plays in to the idea of liberty and/or security?  Popular sovereignty  Limited government  Separation of powers  Checks and balances  Judicial review  Federalism  See handout for further instructions. LIBERTY V. SECURITY