Inventing the American Republic: The Nation, 1776-1788

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Inventing the American Republic The Nation,
1776-1788
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The Constitutional Convention

• Philadelphia, PA
• 12 states sent delegates
• 55 men total
• RI chose not to attend
• Purpose to decide forever the fate of the
  republican govt
• 4 months long

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The Constitutional Convention

• 1st act elect George Washington as President
• Major division those who wanted to revise the
  Articles of Confederation vs. those who wanted to
  get rid of it

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Convention Divisions

• VA or Large State Plan
• Bicameral legislature, representation based on
  states population, separate executive
  judiciary, Congressional veto of state laws
• NJ or Small State Plan
• Unicameral legislature, every state has an equal
  vote, power to tax regulate trade, force over
  states
• Convention deadlocked
• Result The Great Compromise
• Bi-Cameral Legislature House and Senate

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• Three-Fifths Compromise
• How to determine a states population for
  representation???
• 3/5 of a states slave population would be
  counted
• Constitution approved September 17, 1787

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The Battle Over Ratification

• For Constitution to become law, 9 out of the 13
  states had to ratify, or approve, it.
• Ratification votes were cast by special
  conventions in each state.

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Feds vs. Anti-Feds

• Federalists
• Included many Nationalists (Washington, Hamilton,
  Madison)
• Favored the Constitution
• Wrote The Federalist Papers
• Emphasized separation of powers system of
  checks and balances as protection against tyranny
• Feared people more than the govt
• Pointed out flaws in the Articles of
  Confederation
• United around a specific plan (the Constitution)
• Well-organized group in regular contact with one
  another

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• Anti-Federalists
• Older Revolutionary figures (Patrick Henry)
• Constitution was a betrayal of the American
  Revolution
• Feared govt more than the people
• United only in their opposition to the
  Constitution
• No other plan to offer
• Local state politicians who could not
  coordinate their activities on the national level

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Bill of Rights

• 1st 10 amendments to the Constitution
• Reason the Constitution was passed
• Purpose protect individuals rights

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AP Lesson 11

• The Founding Fathers balanced competing interests
  to allay American fears of a centralized govt
• Fear
• Source of Fear
• Provision to Calm Fear

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• Fear of large states
• Smaller states feared loss of identity
  sovereignty
• Great Compromise- Senate, equal representation
• Fear of the people
• Men of property feared mass democracy
• Only the House was to be popularly elected

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• Fear of weak central govt
• Men of property concerned w/ Shays Rebellion,
  trade barriers, lack of uniform currency
• Essential powers of the natl govt enumerated
  elastic clause added
• Fear of central govt
• States feared loss of sovereignty
• Federalism split sovereignty national govt
  delegated powers, states reserved powers

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• Fear of unwritten word
• Experiences with the British, who had no written
  constitution, caused concern
• Constitution was written
• Fear of other states
• Americans feared border and trade disputes and
  invasions
• Natl govt empowered to resolve differences
  between states regulate interstate commerce

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• Fear of foreign powers
• All states were incapable of defending
  themselves, enforcing treaty agreements, or
  gaining foreign respect
• Natl govt given a monopoly over the military
  powers of govt
• Fear of strong executive
• Experience with George III prior to Revolution
  caused fears of executive power
• Checks and balances, three branches of govt

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• Fear of losing individual rights
• No written guarantee of individual rights
  provoked fears
• Bill of Rights