The Constitution (A Brief History)

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The Constitution(A Brief History)
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Colonial Policies

• King controls the colonies, Parliament has little
  control
• 2,000 miles away- too hard to govern
• Colonies become used to self-governing
• Federal relationship
• More taxation

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Colonial Unity

• Albany Plan
• Ben Franklins idea yearly congress of delegates
• Raise defense
• Trade
• Criminal matters
• Stamp Act Congress
• Act requires stamps on all paper products
• Delegates to New York- draft grievances against
  King

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First Continental Congress

• Intolerable Acts
• Delegates to Philadelphia
• Low turnout
• Urge boycott and creation of local committees
• Call for a second congress the following May

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The Second Continental Congress

• 1775- after Lexington and Concord
• Representatives
• All colonies send representatives
• George Washington attends and is elected to lead
  the army
• Becomes our first national government
• Served for 5 years until Articles of
  Confederation
• All powers in a unicameral legislature

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The Articles of Confederation

• Approved in 1777 ratified in 1781
• Government structure
• Unicameral congress
• One state-one vote
• One member to be the presiding officer
• This is a Confederate form of government
• Very weak central government

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Critical Period

• States dont support the federal government
• Make agreements with other nations
• Form their own militaries
• Taxed each others goods
• Printed own money
• Shays Rebellion
• Group of debtors lead a force to close the state
  courts
• Attack federal arsenal

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Independence

• Committee of 5 drafts Declaration of
  independence- largely the work of Jefferson
• First state Constitutions
• Common features
• ___________________________________
• ___________________________________
• ___________________________________
• ___________________________________

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The Constitutional Convention

• The Framers
• 12 states send delegates not ______________
• Average age 42, most in their 30s
• Procedure
• George Washington elected ________________________
  ____________________________________________
• Worked in secrecy
• The decision
• __________________________________________________
  ______________________

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The Virginia Plan

• Madison
• _________________________________
• _________________________________
• Power of veto
• _________________________________
• Considered radical

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The New Jersey Plan

• Unicameral Congress
• Each state _________________________________
• _________________________________
• Limited powers for tax and trade

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Compromises

• Connecticut
• Two house congress
• __________________________________
• __________________________________
• Three-Fifths
• __________________________________________________
  __________________
• A bundle of compromises

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Ratification

• _________________ the Constitution is signed
• __________ ratify however they need a key state
  such as ___________ or __________
• __________- finally ratified and becomes the new
  national government

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              SEVEN BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CONSTITUTION
        Popular Sovereignty- the governments right to rule comes from the people         Limited Government- the government has only the powers that the Constitution gives to it         Separation of Power-the Constitution divides the government into three branches            Congress-legislative branch makes laws            President-executive branch carries out the laws            Courts-judicial branch explains  and interprets the laws         Checks and Balances- each branch of government has the power to check or limit the actions of the other two         Federalism-division of power between the federal government and the states.         Republicanism- citizens elect representatives  to carry out their will         Individual rights-The Constitution protects individual rights such as freedom of speech, freedom religion etc