Chapter 2 Our Political Beginnings

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Chapter 2Our Political Beginnings

• Why / How / What did the Framers of the United
  States Constitution utilize in History to
• Set the ground work for our Constitution?

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3 main ideas from the English settlers

• 1) Ordered government-rules to help people get
  along
• 2) Limited government-government not all
  powerful, can be restricted
• 3) Representative government-should serve the
  will of the people

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English Documents

• Magna Carta
• 1215
• Only applied to nobles
• Trial by jury
• Due process
• Power of monarchy is not absolute

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English Documents

• Petition of Rights
• Limited the Kings power
• No quartering of troops
• Trial by peers
• No martial law in time of peace

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English Documents

• English Bill of Rights
• No standing army in time of peace
• Free parliamentary elections
• No excessive bail
• No cruel unusual punishment

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Timeline to the Constitution

• 1775-April-American Revolution begins
• 1775-May-2nd Continental Congress meets
• 1776-July-Declaration of Independence
• 1781-end of War of Independence
• 1781-Articles of Confederation
• 1787-U.S. Constitution

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Articles of Confederation

• 1st legal government
• Government could coordinate, not control the
  actions of the states
• Unicameral Congress
• Equal votes per state
• No executive or judicial branch
• Provided for common defense

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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• No power to tax
• No power to regulate commerce
• All 13 states to amend
• 1 vote per state regardless of size
• No enforcement branch
• No judicial branch

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From Articles to Constitution

• Economic Chaos
• Different state money
• Debts not paid
• Shays Rebellion
• Massachusetts state militia
• Mount Vernon trade meeting
• Constitutional Convention

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MIRACLE IN PHILADEPHIA
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
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INDEPENDENCE HALL PHILADELPHIA MAY-SEPT. 1787
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WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A MEETING TO REVISE
AMEND THE ARTICLES OF CONF.
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PEOPLE GATHERED DAILY TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING
ON
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JAMES MADISON
FATHER OF THE CONSTITUTION
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MADISON'S IDEAS ON GOVT. SERVED AS THE BASIS FOR
DISCUSSION AND DEBATE AT THE CONVENTION
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Virginia Plan

• 3 separate branches-legislative, executive and
  judicial
• Bicameral legislature
• Representation based on population or money given
  to government
• House chosen by the people
• Senate chosen by state legislatures
• Strong central government

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New Jersey Plan

• Unicameral legislature
• Closely limited power to tax regulate trade
• Federal executive of more than one person
• Federal judiciary-single Supreme tribunal
• Equal representation

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Major area of disagreement

• representation

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Great Compromise aka Connecticut Compromise

• Bicameral legislature
• Senate-equal representation per state (2)
• House of Representatives-representation based on
  population of state

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Other Issues

• Slavery
• Export Tax
• Selection of President
• Structure of court system
• Amendment process

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3/5s Compromise

• Slaves counted as 3/5s of a person for both
  representation in the House and for tax purposes

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Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise

• Congress forbidden the power to tax any exports
  from any state
• Congress forbidden the power to interfere with
  the slave trade for 20 years

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Ratification of Constitution

• Required 9 out of 13 states
• 2 groups emerged
• Federalists-for ratification
• Anti-federalists-against ratification
• 2 issues
• power of central government
• Lack of a Bill of Rights

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Federalists

• James Madison
• Alexander Hamilton
• John Jay
• 85 newspaper essays published in New York to
  promote ratification

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Anti-federalists

• Patrick Henry
• John Hancock
• Samuel Adams
• Wrote essays under the name Brutus to argue
  against