Chapter 2: Our Political Beginnings

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Chapter 2 Our Political Beginnings

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Concepts of government

• Colonists brought the English political system
  with them to North America, including three key
  ideas

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3 key ideas

• 1) Ordered Government Means o government's rules
  should help people get along.
• 2) Limited Government Government has restricted
  powers
• 3) Representative government Government should
  serve the people

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Landmark (important) English Documents

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Magna Carta

• Signed in 1215
• Declared that the king did not have total power
• Protected the rights of trial by jury
• Protected due process

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Petition of Right

• 1628
• Said the king could not use the military to rule
  during peacetime
• Soldiers could not live in people's homes during
  peacetime

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English Bill of Rights

• Forbade keeping an army during peacetime
• Guaranteed a fair and speedy trial
• Parliamentary elections were free

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How the colonies were ruled

• Each colony was based on a charter.
• A charter was a written grant of authority from
  the king to form a colony.
• Royal colonies were ruled directly by the Crown.

• Proprietary colonies were organized by an owner
  to whom the king had granted land.
• Most colonies bicameral (2-house) or unicameral
  (one-house) legislatures.

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Articles of Confederation

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Governmental structure

• Government was unicameral (one branch of
  government).
• Congressional committees would handle executive
  and judicial functions.
• Congress would choose the the president of the
  legislature.
• This title was not the same as the President.

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Powers under the Articles of Confederation

• 1) Make war and peace
• 2)Send and receive ambassadors
• 3) Make treaties
• 4) Borrow money
• 5) set up monetary system

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Powers under the Articles of Confederation

• 6) establish post offices
• 7) Build navy
• 8) Raising army by asking states for troops
• 9) Fix uniform weights and measures
• 10) Settle disputes between states

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State Obligations

• Permit open travel and trade
• Submit disputes to congress
• Surrender fugitives
• Treat citizens equally

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State obligation to citizens

• To protect life and property of the citizens of
  the state
• To promote general welfare of the people of that
  state.

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Problems with Articles

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Virginia Plan

• 1) 3 Branches
• 2) Bicameral legislature
• 3) Representation based on population/ wealth
• 4) Congress chooses Judiciary Executive
• 5) Veto over Congress

• States that benefited
• Large states
• Wealthy states

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New Jersey plan

• 1) Unicameral legislature
• 2) States equally represented
• 3) limited power to tax trade
• 4) more than one executive chosen by legislature
• 5) judiciary chosen by executive

• States that benefited
• Small states

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Connecticut Plan

• 1) Bicameral congress
• 2) Membership in House based on population
• 3)Membership in Senate based on equal numbers
  for each state

• States that benefited
• All states

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Three-Fifths Compromise

• 1) Northern States Both taxes and representation
  were based on population
• 2) Southern states could add 3/5 of the enslaved
  toward representation (had to count them toward
  taxes)

• States that benefited
• Southern states for population count
• Northern states for taxation

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Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise

• Congress was forbidden to tax exports and to
  pass laws against slave trade for at least 20
  years

• States who benefited
• Southern states

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Federalists

• Federalists were the ones who favoured
  ratification of the Constitution

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Anti-Federalists

• Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of
  the Constitution

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5 issues involved in Ratification

• 1) Weakness of government under Articles of
  confederation
• 2) Ratification process itself
• 3) Absence of mention of God in the Constitution

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Ratification debate

• 4) Denial of states of the right to print money
• 5) lack of a Bill of Rights

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2 states that were being difficult

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Inaugurating the Government

• The first capital was located in New York City
• First President George Washington
• First Vice President
• John Adams

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