The Constitution

1
The Constitution

• Chapter 2

2
Early America

• 1607- Jamestown, VA
• 1620- Mayflower Plymouth, MA
• 1732- GA- last colony
• 1760s- Britain decides to tax colonies
• 1765- Stamp act- taxation without
  representation
• 1773- Boston Tea Party
• 1774- 1st continental congress
• 1775- 2nd Continental Congress
• 1776- Paynes common sense
• 1776- July 4, Declaration of Independence
• 1781- Articles of Confederation
• 1783- Yorktown
• 1786- Shays rebellion
• 1787- Constitutional Convention (Philadelphia)

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The first colonies in America

• First English settlement in America
• Jamestown, Virginia (1607)
• - struggle to survive
• - between 1607 1623 (4,800k of 6k)
• Rolfes tobacco cash crop
• - Jamestown survives

4
Mayflower

• Mayflower sets sail (1620)
• - religion disputes
• - Plymouth, Mass
• - Mayflower Compact- agreement to live under
  rule of law
• - harsh winter / famine
• - first thanksgiving (1621)

5
13 colonies

• Other colonies followed suit
• By 1732, Georgia, the last of 13 colonies was set
  up
• London governed colonies indirectly

6
Pre-Revolutionary War

• 1760- British decision to tax colonies
• - defense debt
• - 1765 Stamp Act
• - taxation without representation
• - Colonist respond with 1st 2nd Continental
  Congress (1774-5)
• Thomas Paynes Common Sense (1776)

7
Declaration of Independence

• Continental Congress adopts resolution of
  Independence (4th of July 1776)
• - Jefferson Franklin

8
Path to Independence

• American Revolution (1775-1783)
• - Yorktown (1781)
• Formation of a new govt
• Articles of Confederation (1781) (pg 27)

9
Constitutional Convention

• Shays rebellion (1786)
• Constitutional Convention (1787)
• - 55 delegates met to revise Articles

10
U.S. Constitution

• Who were the framers?
• Makeup of Constitution / 3 branches
• Executive Branch
• - Electoral College
• Legislative Branch
• - Virginia New Jersey Plan/ Great
  Compromise
• Judicial Branch / courts justices

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Ideas of Constitution

• Final agreements / prevention of tyranny
• - Separation of Powers
• - checks balances (p 34)
• Ideas of Montequieu- Spirit of laws-1748

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The struggle to ratify the constitution

• Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
• - Federalists papers- 85 essays in defense of
  constitution (p 389)
• Promise of Bill of rights
• - limited powers of Natl govt over liberties
  of individuals
• Constitution ratified- June 21, 1788
• Bill of Rights adopted- Dec. 15, 1791

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Bill of Rights
15
Amending the Constitution

• Constitution as a framework / 7,000 words
• Why so limited?

16
Constitutional Amendments

• The Usual Process
• - 2/3 Congress
• - ¾ state legislatures
• difficult?

17
The Changing Constitution

• Interpretations
• - Supreme Court
• 1. Judicial Review (1803)
• 2. changes in interpretation
• - Plessy v Ferguson Brown v board

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Conclusion

• Longest lived written constitution
• Most imitated in world
• Constantly changing and open to interpretation
• Discussion
• If the framers believed all men were created
  equal, why was slavery not abolished in the
  constitution? (p 32)