Creating A Constitution

1
Creating A Constitution

• Constitution a document stating the rules under
  which a government will operate

2
Creating a Constitution Targets

• I can determine the strengths and weaknesses of
  the Articles of Confederation.
• I can evaluate and debate why the Constitutional
  Convention decided to create an entirely new
  framework of government.
• I can describe what shaped the outcome of the
  Constitutional Convention in 1787
• I can explain how compromises solved crises in
  the Constitutional Convention.

3
Chart

• Who proposed the plan?
• What was included in the plan?
• Who supported the plan?
• Virginia Plan page 213-214 (read through The
  Great Compromise)
• New Jersey Plan page 214
• Great Compromise page 214-215 (Terms of
  Compromise)

4
Chapter 7 Section 3

• Federalists versus Anti-Federalists
• Federalists
• Leaders
• John Jay
• James Madison
• Alexander Hamilton
• Position on the new Constitution supported it
• Main argument for position need for a strong
  central government

5
Federalists versus Anti-Federalists

• Anti-Federalists
• Leaders
• Patrick Henry
• George Mason
• Position on the new Constitution against it
• Arguments for position
• It weakened state power
• It had no bill of rights
• The President could become like a king by being
  repeatedly reelected

6
The Ratification Debate

• Approval needed from 9 states before the
  Constitution could go into effect
• Importance of Massachusetts Anti-federalists
  hoped it would reject the Constitution because
  opposition was strong where Shays Rebellion had
  occurred. It was approved after a major campaign
  by the Federalists
• Importance of Virginia Virginia was large and
  powerful. If it rejected the Constitution, New
  York and other states might do so, too.

7
The Bill of Rights

• Many states believed that a bill of rights was
  essential to protect basic liberties and to
  protect against abuses by the federal government.
• First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion,
  speech, and press
• Second Amendment deals with the right to bear
  arms
• Third Amendment bars Congress from forcing
  citizens to keep troops in their homes

8
The Bill of Rights

• Fourth Amendment protects citizens from
  unreasonable searches of their homes or seizure
  of their property
• Fifth through Eighth Amendments protect citizens
  who are accused of crimes and brought to trial
• Ninth and Tenth Amendments limit the powers of
  the federal government to those granted in the
  Constitution.