Topic: Historical Documents Some documents in American history have considerable importance for the development of the na;on. Students use historical thinking to examine key documents which form the basis for the United States of America.
Historical Document #3: The Ar;cles of Confedera;on and the Cons;tu;on Content Statements: Problems facing the na;onal government under the Ar;cles of Confedera;on led to the drading of the Cons;tu;on of the United States. The framers of the Cons;tu;on applied ideas of Enlightenment in conceiving the new government. Expecta;ons for learning: Develop an argument that a par;cular provision of the Cons;tu;on of the United States would help address a problem facing the United States in the 1780 s. Explain a provision of the Cons;tu;on of the United States in terms of how it reflects Enlightenment thinking.
Historical Document #3: The Ar;cles of Confedera;on and the Cons;tu;on Content Elabora;ons: The na;onal government, under the Ar;cles of Confedera;on, faced several cri;cal problems. Some dealt with the structure of the government itself. These problems included weak provisions for ongoing management of na;onal affairs (a lack of a separate execu;ve branch), a limited ability to resolve disputes arising under the Ar;cles (a lack of a separate judicial branch) and s;ff requirements for passing legisla;on and amending the Ar;cles. Na;onal issues facing the government included paying the debt from the Revolu;onary War, the Bri;sh refusal to evacuate forts on U.S. soil, the Spanish closure of the Mississippi River to American naviga;on and state disputes over land and trade. Economic problems in the states led to Shays Rebellion. The Cons;tu;on of the United States strengthened the structure of the na;onal government. Separate execu;ve and judicial branches were established. More prac;cal means of passing legisla;on and amending the Cons;tu;on were ins;tuted. The new government would have the ability to address the issues facing the na;on. Powers to levy taxes, raise armies and regulate commerce were given to Congress. The principle of federalism delineated the distribu;on of powers between the na;onal government and the states. The Cons;tu;on of the United States was draded using Enlightenment ideas to create a workable form of government. The Preamble and the crea;on of a representa;ve government reflect the idea of the social contract. Ar;cles I III provide for a separa;on of powers in government. Ar;cle I also provides some limited protec;on of rights.
1. Declara*on of Independence 2. Northwest Ordinance 3. Cons*tu*on of the United States 4. Federalist and An*-Federalist Papers 5. Bill of Rights WHO WHO WHO WHO WHO WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHERE WHERE WHERE WHERE WHERE WHEN WHEN WHEN WHEN WHEN WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY
Who is this? Who might she have copied ader?
Who is this?
These 3 are the judges on what show?
Limited Gov. Bill of Rights Ideas from England Rep. Gov. Pe;;on of Right
4 English Ideas Explained 1. Limited gov. One person does NOT have all the power Magna Carta 1215 England Ci;zens force King John to sign Limited power of king Rule of law gov leaders must act according to a set of laws 2. Representa;ve gov Bicameral: Having two houses in Congress 3. Pe;;on of Right 1628 Parliament forces Charles I to sign it Limited power of the monarch Parliament (elected by people) had more power 4. English Bill of Rights Ci;zens rights from gov viola;ons
English Documents Explained Magna Carta webpage Pe;;on of Right English Bill of Rights
Ar;cles of Confedera;on
Ar;cles of Confedera;on Year Established 1777 How? All 13 states had to ra;fy. Done in 1781 How powerful? Legisla;ve Powers Limits on power Not very. Most did not want a powerful na;onal gov Each state had 1 legisla;ve vote majority rule 9 votes needed for major decisions Could not tax Could not regulate trade No execu;ve branch No judicial branch
Ar;cles of Confedera;on DID NOT WORK Reasons: 1. each colony was very different including issue of slavery 2. size of new na;on was large/ communica;on was slow 3. states did their own thing ignored federal laws and taxes 4. Ar;cles of Confedera;on HAD NO POWER!
What next? Many felt we needed a strong federal government Otherwise, we would have no country! Example: Shays s Rebellion
Ar;cles of Confedera;on Video (7 minutes) Ar;cles of Confedera;on video
Cons;tu;onal Conven;on
Cons;tu;onal Conven;on
General Info *Delegates met in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Ar;cles of Confedera;on *However, delegates moved quickly to form a stronger na;onal gov. *worked 4 months in a hot Phila summer in secrecy
8 signed Dec of Ind 7 on 1 st Cont. Cong. The Delegates 7 state governors Wealthy/ educated
Key People George Washington Benjamin Franklin Alexander Hamilton James Madison
George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
Alexander Hamilton
James Madison
Rival Plans Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan Powers of National Government Executive Branch Legislative Branch Judicial Branch 1. Levy taxes 2. Make national laws 3. Regulate trade Strong executive chosen by legislature 1. Bicameral 2. Membership based on state population 3. 1 st house elected by people 4. 2 nd house elected by 1 st house Supreme Court and lower courts 1. Levy taxes 2. Regulate trade Weak executive controlled by the legislature 1. Strong unicameral 2. Each state has 1 vote 3. Reps chose by state legislatures Supreme Court with justices named by
The Great Compromise Legisla*ve Branch Execu;ve Branch Trade Slavery 1. Bicameral legisla*ve branch a. House: based on popula*on b. Senate: 2 per state The Electoral College 1. Congress could not ban import of slaves before 1808 2. Congress could not tax goods on exports 1. North: believed it was wrong; also believed they should not count towards popula;on 2. Southern states want slaves to count 3. 3/5 compromise: each slave counted as 3/5 of a free person
Finalizing the Cons;tu;on Most signed the new Cons;tu;on, even though many s;ll opposed.
Ra;fying the Cons;tu;on Ra;fy: To formally approve or pass a Bill, Law or Government
Federalists vs. An; Federalists a. Federalists i. Supporters of the ra;fica;on of the U.S. Cons;tu;on ii. Cons;tu;on would protect rights and was necessary to hold na;on together b. An;federalists i. Opposed the ra;fica;on of the U.S. Cons;tu;on ii. Cons;tu;on would create a gov. that would threaten people s rights and state s rights
RATIFICATION! ADer a lot of debate, all states eventually ra;fied (passed) the Cons;tu;on