1. CH 5 NOTES
FORMING A GOVERNMENT

2. Ideas about Government
Declaring independence was a bold move
Next step was to create new government
They would gather ideas from many sources

3. They took ideas from:
The English Bill of Rights
Magna Carta
John Locke
The Mayflower Compact
British Parliament
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

4. State Constitutions
Were created to keep individual leaders from gaining too much power
Protected rights of citizens
Some banned slavery
Some protected those accused of crimes

5. Articles of Confederation
Strengths:
Congress could settle conflicts among states
Make coins
Borrow money
Make treaties with other countries
Make treaties with Native Americans
Ask states for money and soldiers

6. Weaknesses:
Most power was held by the states
Only one branch of government
Legislative branch had few powers
No executive branch
No judicial branch
No system of checks and balances

7. Ratification of the Articles
Conflicts over land claims slowed the ratification
Maryland refused until other states gave up their land claims
Western lands would be made into new states instead of increasing the size of existing states

9. Northwest Territory
States handed over their land claims to the government
Congress passed Land Ordinance of 1785
System for surveying and dividing the western lands

11. Split into townships of 36 square miles
Divided into 36 lots of 640 acres
1 lot reserved for public school
4 lots for veterans
Remaining lots sold to public

12. Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Established the Northwest Territory
Included areas that are now:
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Ohio
Wisconsin
Minnesota (part of)

14. These future states were called territories
When population reached 60,000 they could make a constitution and become a state
Required public education to be provided
Slavery was banned in Northwest Territory

15. Relations with Other Countries
Great Britain closed off many ports to the U. S., preventing trade in Britain and West Indies
Britain forced Americans to pay higher tariffs
Now businesses would have to raise their prices

16. Spain closed off Lower Mississippi River, cutting off American trade with the West
Farmers could not export
British goods were now cheaper than American
Congress did not have the power to fix the problem

18. Economic Problems
States began to pass their own trade laws, which were all different
This made it difficult to trade from state to state
States had a hard time paying for the war, so they started printing large amounts of money
The result was inflation

19. Money had different values from state to state
Problems with trade and inflation caused an economic depression

24. Shays’s Rebellion Massachusetts tried something different
Raised taxes on land, causing farmers to be hit hard
If farmers could not pay, the land would be taken and farmer would be put in jail

25. The land would then be sold at 1/3 of the original price or less
Farmers began to revolt
Shays’s Rebellion
Led by Daniel Shays, the rebels were defeated at a federal arsenal in Springfield, MA

26. “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing…” Thomas Jefferson
Shays’s Rebellion made Congress take a second look at Articles of Confederation

28. Constitutional Convention
The convention was held in Philadelphia, PA.
Main purpose = to improve the Articles of Confederation

29. Facts:
Benjamin Franklin was the oldest: 81
Jonathan Dayton was the youngest: 26
George Washington came out of retirement to be president of the Convention

30. Each delegate was sworn to secrecy
Doors and windows were locked
Boards were nailed over the windows
Women, African Americans, and Native Americans were not allowed

31. Two plans were introduced.
Edmund Randolph presented Virginia Plan
William Paterson presented New Jersey Plan

32. Virginia Plan Gave more power to central government
Congress would be made up of two houses
Representatives would be chosen based on state populations

33. New Jersey Plan Gave more power to state governments
Congress would have one house
Representatives would be equal for each state

34. Great Compromise
After a month of debate, a decision was still not made
Roger Sherman proposed the Great Compromise
The Virginia and New Jersey Plans would be combined

35. Congress would have two houses
Each state would have two representatives in the Senate
In House of Representatives, the number of representatives would be based on the state’s population

36. Three-Fifths Compromise
The debate on representation also involved enslaved Africans
Southern delegates wanted slaves counted as part of their population
Northerners disagreed

37. A compromise was made
3/5 of a state’s slave population would be counted

38. The Constitution
Delegates hoped to protect popular sovereignty Videos - Free video downloads and streaming video - CNET TV
That means the power belongs to the people
They created federalism to keep a balance of power between the central and state governments

39. Checks and Balances
The constitution balances power among three branches
Legislative
Executive
Judicial

40. Legislative Branch – Congress; makes and passes laws

41. Executive Branch – President and cabinet
Executive Branch – President and cabinet. Makes sure the law is carried out

42. Judicial Branch – Courts; interprets laws, punishes criminals, and settles disputes between states

43. The delegates created a system of checks and balances
This keeps any branch of government from becoming too powerful

44. EXAMPLE:
Congress passes a bill
President can veto the bill
Congress can override veto with 2/3 vote
Supreme Court can kill the bill if it violates the Constitution

45. Ratifying the Constitution
Antifederalists – people who opposed the Constitution
Felt the main problem was: Constitution did not provide a section for individual rights

46. Federalists – supported the Constitution
Felt the Constitution balanced all views

47. Federalist Papers
One of the most important defenses of the Constitution was a series of essays knows as the Federalist Papers
The essays were signed anonymous, but were actually written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay.

48. Tried to reassure Americans that the central government would not overpower the states
Federalist Paper No. 10 is the most widely known, written my Madison

49. Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights were added to the Constitution as amendments
Amendments = official changes
Amendments must be approved by 2/3 of both houses and then ratified by ¾ of all states

50. The Bill of Rights are 10 amendments intended to protect the rights of the citizens