1. The Road to the Constitution

3. Quick Review Declaration of Independence The Articles of Confederation
Second Continental Congress
Approved July 4, 1776
The Articles of Confederation
1777, our first constitution
Weak federal government
Shay’s Rebellion,

4. Strengthening the National Government
1787
Problems with the Articles of Confederation
States sent delegates to Philadelphia to fix the A.O.C.
Rhode Island did not go…they did not want a stronger central government

5. The Constitutional Convention
May 25, 1787
Independence Hall, Philadelphia
An extraordinary group of men
55 men
Well-educated
Lawyers, merchants, college presidents, doctors, generals, governors, and planters with considerable political experience

6. Who was there? Who missed it?
Benjamin Franklin
81, oldest delegate
George Washington & James Madison
Both would become president
Thomas Jefferson & John
Both were in Europe
Patrick Henry
Prominent Virginian
He was invited but did not attend; he was against the convention

7. The Boss Who was chosen to preside over the convention?
George Washington
Respected for his leadership during the Rev. War

8. Procedures of the Convention
Each state was only allowed one vote
Majority votes from all states made decisions
All discussions were a secret! Why…?
This way, delegates could speak freely, without worry about how the public would react

9. Importance of the Constitutional Convention
“I would bury my bones in this city rather than leave the Convention without anything being done.”
-George Mason at the Constitutional Convention
*Everyone knew that failure could mean disaster*

10. What happened to the… Articles of Confederation???
The throw it away, decided to write a new constitution

11. Two Opposing Plans VS. Virginia vs. New Jersey

12. Two Opposing Plans The Virginia Plan James Madison
3 branches of government
Bicameral legislature (2 houses), determined by population
Favored big states

13. Two Opposing Plans The New Jersey Plan William Patterson
3 branches of government
Unicameral legislature (1 house) with equal representation
Favored smaller states

14. Two Opposing Plans What was the big issue?
How representation in Congress would be decided
Larger states wanted more power, smaller states wanted equal power

15. The Great Compromise What is a compromise???
Roger Sherman of Connecticut comes up with the answer…a compromise
Lower House
House of Representatives
Determined by population
2 year terms
Favored larger states
Upper House
Senate
Equal representation
6 year terms
Favored smaller states
Also known as… The Connecticut Compromise
What is a compromise???
A way of resolving disagreements in which each side gives up something but gains something else

17. More arguing? What now?
Controversy over counting slaves as a part of the population…
At this time, there were 550,000 enslaved African Americans, mostly in the South

18. More arguing? What now?
Southern states said… part of the population = more representatives for southern states
Northern states said… slaves cannot vote or participate in government, they should not give the south more representatives

19. The Three-Fifths Compromise
The conflict was finally resolved…
Three-Fifths Compromise
Every 5 enslaved persons would count as 3 free people
Used for representation in Congress & figuring taxes

20. Another compromise How to elect a president?
Some say… “Let Congress pick!”
Others say… “Let the people choose!”
The compromise…

21. Electoral College
A group of people would be chosen by each state to choose the President
Each state given a certain number of votes, determined by their representation in Congress

22. One last compromise Conflicts over commerce & the slave trade
Congress could regulate (control) trade between states & other countries
However, they could NOT tax exports or interfere with the slave trade for 20 years

24. Finished…finally! September 17, 1787, finished up the Constitution
Delegates signed it, said the Constitution would become the law of the land when…
9 out of 13 states ratified (approved) it

25. So everyone in the entire United States of America loved the Constitution and every state ratified it immediately and we all had a big party and we all lived happily ever after, right…?

26. Wrong!

27. A Divided Public Some people liked the Constitution, others did not
Federalists = supporters of the new constitution & a strong federal government
Federalism = A form of government in which power is divided between the federal (national) government and the states

28. A Divided Public
Some Federalists wrote papers to rally support for the Constitution
They were called the Federalist Papers (duh)
Who wrote ‘em?
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, & John Jay

29. A Divided Public What about those who didn’t like the Constitution?
Anti-Federalists = People opposed to the constitution & a strong federal government
“Don’t forget individual rights!”

30. Reaching an Agreement Anti-Federalists wanted to add…
The Bill of Rights
The Federalists promised to do so, and did
New Hampshire, 9th state to ratify
June 21, 1788
The Constitution went into effect
The last state to ratify…?
Rhode Island, 1790

31. Strong:provide protection Weak : focus on states Interpretation Loose
Issue
Federalist
Antifederalist
Who:
Hamilton, Madison, Jay
Patrick Henry
Central Government
Strong:provide protection
Weak : focus on states
Interpretation
Loose
Strict
Bill of Rights
Eventually
Without a doubt!!!!
Supporters
Wealth/industrial
common/farmers
Power of President
Lots
Little - no Kings!

32. Lesson questions What does interpretation mean?
What does strict interpretation of the constitution mean?
What does loose interpretation of the constitution mean?

33. Founding Fathers
The Framers of the Constitution wrote a very generalized document.
Purpose?
To allow future Americans flexibility.
Look at Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the U.S. Constitution on page 170 on the textbook. Read it carefully.
The nick name of this passage is the Elastic Clause.
Can you tell why?

34. Competing interpretations
Who interprets?
The Supreme Court!
How?
Strict or literalist
Which Means?
The Constitution means exactly what it says!
Framers had an exact plan

35. Competing interpretations
The counterpart of strict interpretation is?
Loose interpretation
Which means?
Meaning of certain portions of the Constitution can stretched to the user’s needs