1. Origins of American Government

2. Early Settlers
America was settled in the mid 16th century by Europeans
England sent the most settlers & controlled the 13 colonies along the Atlantic coast

3. English Ideas of Government
The English brought their knowledge and ideas about government:
Ordered Government- local governments with offices we still have: sheriff, coroner, assessor, justice of the peace, grand jury, counties, townships, etc.
Limited government
Representative government

4. Landmark Documents
Magna Carta- document that the barons forced King John to sign in 1215Intended originally for only the privileged class to protect them from arbitrary acts of the king
Eventually expanded to all Englishmen
Included rights such as: trial by jury, due process of law-arbitrary taking of property or life
First time a monarch was denied absolute power in Europe
Ignored by many monarchs for the next 400 years

5. Landmark Documents
Petition of Rights-document that Parliament forced King Charles I to sign in 1628
Parliament controlled the money and refused to release the funds to the king until he signed
Stated that the king could not imprison or punish anyone without a trial
Could not impose martial law in peacetime
Could not require homeowner’s to shelter (quarter) the king’s troops without consent
Challenged Divine Right rule-the idea the king was above the law

6. Landmark Documents
English Bill of Rights-document Parliament forced William and Mary to sign before they accepted the crown after the English Civil War in 1689
Required that all parliamentary elections be free
No suspension of laws without consent of Parliament
Taxes and spending of money must be approved by Parliament
Subjects can petition the king without punishments
Right to a fair trial, freedom from excessive bail, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment

7. Schools of Government
The colonies were known as the “schools of government” for the future Americans
Each colony was established for different reasons and had different beginnings
They had slight differences in their governments, but all had English law and government as their basis
The colonial governments served as places for the Americans to learn how to govern
The royal governors ruled with a stern hand-it was their actions which would eventually lead to a revolution

8. Schools of Government
Each colony had a legislature; VA had a bi-cameral legislature:
-The upper house was made up of the council selected by the King
-The lower house (House of Burgesses) were representatives elected by property owners who were qualified to vote
A royal governor was appointed by the king

9. Colonial Self-Rule
The colonies were ruled by the king from 2,000 miles and a two-month sea journey away
Parliament paid little attention to the colonies; left them to the King
Colonies had a large amount of self-rule until King George
England provided them military defense, common currency and trade, and controlled foreign affairs; with very little taxation

10. “Taxation without representation”
England spent much money on the defense of the colonies during the French and Indian War.
The king instituted new trade regulations and taxes in order to have the colonists help pay for the cost of the war
They maintained large troop levels in the colonies after the war
The colonists objected to the troops, taxes, and restrictions; especially since they had no vote in Parliament
The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the trade regulations and new taxes

11. Early forms of colonial unity
Albany Plan-(1754) plan by Ben Franklin that called for a meeting once a year of delegates from each colony with the power to raise a military, regulate trade with the Native American tribes, raise taxes
The crown rejected the Albany Plan
Stamp Act Congress- (1765) 9 colonies sent delegates to New York to raise opposition to the Stamp Act
Boston Massacre British troops fire on a crowd of colonists
Boston Tea Party- 1773

12. 1st Continental Congress
1st Continental Congress Sam and John Adams, John Dickinson, John Jay, George Washington, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, John Rutledge
They sent a Declaration of Rights and urged to king to repeal the new taxes
They asked all colonies to boycott British goods until they repealed the Intolerable Acts

13. 2nd Continental Congress
2nd Continental Congress-1775-England had rejected the Declaration of Rights-The battles of Lexington and Concord had been fought
Ben Franklin and John Hancock joined the members of the 1st Congress
Immediately they placed George Washington in charge of a Continental Army
Thomas Jefferson took his place in the delegation
Britain condemned the congress as traitors
It became our first national government for five years

14. The Declaration of Independence
In June 1776 congress named 5 men-Franklin, Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Jefferson to write a Declaration of Independence
The document is almost entirely of Jefferson’s creation, based on Locke’s ideas of government
Congress adopted it on July 4, 1776
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15. Articles of Confederation
Ratified March 1781
Established a “firm league of friendship”
Each state kept its sovereignty and every power
The states were to come together for their mutual defense and mutual and general welfare
The articles had one government branch-a legislature with one vote for each colony
Congress had no authority to enforce the Articles and could not regulate trade between the states

16. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
One vote for each state, regardless of size
Congress powerless to lay and collect taxes or duties
Congress powerless to regulate foreign and interstate commerce
No executive to enforce acts of Congress
No national court system
Amendment only with consent of all 13 states
A 9/13 majority required to pass laws

17. Writing the Constitution
Delegates met in Philadelphia to recommend changes but instead resolved to create a new government
Elected Washington as the president of the Constitutional Convention
James Madison quickly became the leader and is known as the “Father of the Constitution”
Virginia led the way in calling for a new constitution

18. Virginia Plan
Called for three branches of government; Executive, Legislative, Judicial
Legislative branch was to be bi-cameral
Representation was to be based on population or the amount of $ given to the central government
Lower House- House of Representatives- elected representatives
Upper House-Senate- chosen by the House from a list provided by the State legislatures

19. Virginia Plan
Congress would select a “National Executive”, and a “National Judiciary” who could veto acts of Congress; but their veto could be overridden
Congress could legislate cases involving different States
Congress could veto any state law, use force if necessary to compel the states to follow any law
It created a very strong central government led by the legislature
PA and MA favored the plan
Smaller states opposed it

20. New Jersey Plan Unicameral House with all states represented equally
Gave the legislature the power to tax and regulate trade
Federal executive of more than one person chosen by Congress
The major disagreement between the larger and smaller states was the issue of representation

21. Connecticut Compromise
Bi-Cameral Legislature
House of Representatives based on population
Senate- equal representation
Next big argument was how should they count slaves?
South wanted to count every slave
North opposed this idea
3/5 Compromise- Free people counted as one; “All others(slaves) would be counted as 3/5 of a person
The 3/5 compromise dissappeared from the Constitution with the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery in 1865

22. Sources for the Constitution
Greek and Roman governments
Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws- separation of powers
Rousseau and Locke
Framers drew on their own governing experience
Continental Congress
Articles of Confederation
State Governments

23. Ratifying the Constitution
There was much disagreement and debate about the Constitution
Federalists- favored ratification; Washington, Adams, Madison and Alexander Hamilton
Anti-Federalists- opposed ratification; Patrick Henry, Sam Adams, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson(originally-eventually favored it)
Anti-Federalists did not like how much power it gave to federal government and that it did not have a Bill of Rights
Got the necessary 9 to ratify but without VA or NY did not matter

24. Ratification
The Federalist- political essays published in favor of ratification written by Madison, Hamilton, and John Jay
VA and NY finally approved the Constitution
Ratified in 1788
Washington sworn in as first president in New York City