1. Constitution

2. Vocabulary Constitution Legislative Branch Bicameral Executive Branch
Confederation
Judicial Branch
Ratify
Amendment
Great Compromise
Popular sovereignty
Three-Fifths Compromise
Separation of Powers
Electoral College
Checks and Balances
Federalism
Expressed Powers
Anti-Federalists
Reserved Powers
Preamble
Concurrent Powers

3. Early State constitutions
Even before the Declaration of Independence was signed, colonists discussed independence and establishing state constitutions to replace the old colonial charters
New Hampshire becomes the 1st colony to organize as a state and craft a constitution – written plan for gov’t – in 1776
By 1780, the other colonies were creating their own constitutions and own systems of gov’t

4. Most state constitutions consisted of:
- bicameral legislature (2 houses) – made the laws
- governor- enforced/carried out the laws
- judges/courts – interpreted the laws
Included was also a bill of rights, which guaranteed basic freedoms and legal protections for citizens

5. Massachusetts
The Massachusetts state constitution was different from the other states in a few ways.
It distributed power more evenly among the legislature, governor, and courts. (separation of powers)
It gave the governor and the courts the authority to check the legislatures power. (checks and balances)
The constitution itself was not created by the legislature, but by a convention of elected delegates

6. 1780, Massachusetts became the last of the colonies to create a state constitution
The Massachusetts constitution would later become the model for the United States Constitution.

7. Articles of confederation
Although each state had their own framework for government, states would however unify under another framework of government called the Articles of Confederation.
Our nation’s first Constitution and our first written framework of government

8. Articles Of Confederation
Ratified – approved – by the states in 1781
Unicameral legislature where each state had one vote
No executive or judicial branches
Could Could not
Make laws - Tax
Control military - Enforce laws
Organize treaties - Regulate trade
- Establish national courts
- Control money supply
- Pass laws w/out approval from 9/13 states
Federal system: Power is divided between national and state governments.

9. AOC’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Ordinance of 1785
Divided the land into townships and allowed Congress to raise money by selling the land to settlers.
Northwest Ordinance
Laid the basis for the organization of new territorial governments and set a precedent for the method of admitting new states to the Union. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin

10. The End of the AOC The Articles proved to be too weak for the country
States overtaxed their citizens, taxed goods from other states and foreign countries – this hurt international trade and interstate commerce
Congress had no power to regulate trade between the states or for the country as a whole

11. A group of farmers in Massachusetts were in debt because of heavy state taxes rebelled but were defeated.
Showed the founders of our government that a stronger central government was needed forcing leaders toward revising the A of C to create a stronger national gov’t

12. Constitutional Convention
May 25, delegates from 12 states met in Philadelphia.
The purpose of the meeting - to revise the A of C
Congress could not
Collect taxes, regulate trade, enforce its laws
Pass laws w/out approval of 9/13 states
Articles could not be changed w/out 13/13 states
Lack of central control – no executive or judicial branches
Because technically, it wasn't what they were supposed to be doing. They were on orders to fix the Articles of the Confederation but were not given the authority to draft a whole new Constitution. In a manner of speaking, they overthrew the government.  Remember, this is post-Revolution so Britain has already let the colonies secede. However, in light of Shaw's Rebellion, the federal government was clearly too weak to do anything and the states were unable to work together because of the varying governments and currencies. At the time they were 13 nations loosely allied together, rather than the 13 parts of a greater nation they became after the Constitution.

13. Not one was Native American, African American or a woman.
Most of the 55 delegates were well educated and experienced in politics, law, business, military, and medicine.
Not one was Native American, African American or a woman.
Thomas Jefferson (Paris) and John Adams (London) were representatives of the American gov’t in Europe and did not attend the convention
41 were part of the Continental Congress
- 8 had signed the Declaration of Independence
- 2 would become President of the United States
- 19 would become U.S. Senators
- 13 would become U.S. House of Reps.
- 4 would become Federal judges
- 4 would become Supreme Court justices
- 7 would become Governor of their states

14. The delegates agreed on 4 things: 1. Throw out the articles
Because technically, it wasn't what they were supposed to be doing. They were on orders to fix the Articles of the Confederation but were not given the authority to draft a whole new Constitution. In a manner of speaking, they overthrew the government.  Remember, this is post-Revolution so Britain has already let the colonies secede. However, in light of Shaw's Rebellion, the federal government was clearly too weak to do anything and the states were unable to work together because of the varying governments and currencies. At the time they were 13 nations loosely allied together, rather than the 13 parts of a greater nation they became after the Constitution.
Windows shut, doors guarded, public not allowed. Each delegate promised to not tell outsiders what was going on inside. Virtually no records of the convention. Only details from James Madison’s notebook – delegate from Va
The delegates agreed on 4 things:
1. Throw out the articles
2. Each state had one vote regardless of the amount of delegates
3. Simple majority – 7 sates to decide an issue
4. Keep it secret – why?