1. Origins of the American Republic

2. The Colonial Beginnings Mayflower compact –Legalized the Pilgrim’s position as a body politic Colonial Assemblies –Every colony in the New World had an assembly

3. The Rise of Revolutionary Fervor The Declaration of Independence We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

4. Toward Unity and Order Goal: to bring the thirteen states together while allowing each state to remain independent Adopted on March, 1, 1781 The Articles of Confederation Under the Articles, each state issued its own currency

5. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation Could not levy taxes or regulate commerce Sovereignty, independence retained by states One vote in Congress for each state Nine of thirteen votes in Congress required for any measure Delegates to Congress picked and paid for by state legislatures

6. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation Only small amounts of money was coined by Congress National army small and dependent on state militias Territorial disputes between states led to open hostilities No national judicial system or executive branch to enforce laws

7. The Constitutional Convention o Congress issued call to all state legislatures to appoint delegates for “sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation” The Framers (55) attending: men of practical affairs, including Continental army veterans and members of the Congress of the Confederation An entirely new constitution was written, although gathering was authorized only to revise Articles Primary concern was with defense of liberty as a natural right (Lockean reasoning)

8. Ideas Influencing our Founding Fathers John Locke – rejected idea that kings had a divine right to rule, advocated a constitutional democracy, and provided philosophic justification for revolution Locke and Thomas Hobbes – asserted that there was a social contract whereby men formed governments for security and to avoid what they called the state of nature where chaos existed and where “everyone was against everyone”

9. The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Conflict and Compromise The Virginia Plan National government would be supreme over the states Bicameral legislature with representation based on population Favored by populous states The New Jersey Plan “Confederation model” Unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state Favored by smaller states 2 competing plans

10. The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Conflict and Compromise The Conflict State-based approach versus an individual-based approach The Great Compromise (a.k.a. the Connecticut Plan) House of Representatives: Proportional, based on population Senate: Two from each state The Conflict The fact that Northerners hated slavery worried Southerners who feared that their greater representation in Congress would be used to end slavery The Compromise The Constitution was to protect the Atlantic Slave Trade for at least twenty years, until 1808

11. The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Conflict and Compromise The Conflict If representation is proportional in the House of Representatives, how should slaves be counted? The Compromise Three-Fifths of the slaves in each state would be counted

12. Federalists versus Anti-Federalists The Federalist Papers –James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay –Supported the strong national government established by Constitution

13. Federalists versus Anti-Federalists The “Brutus” Essays represented the Anti- Federalist response –Supported a loose confederation with most of the power wielded by the states –If there was a strong national government, there should be many more restrictions on it, such as a Bill of Rights to protect individuals

14. Ratification of the Constitution