Anticipating Constitutional Reform 1 Wednesday, February 15 th Midterm #1: February 14-17 in the Testing Center Monday and Tuesday: No late fee Wednesday: $5 late fee Thursday: $7 late fee and test must be in hand by 11 am The Review Room will be closed during test week No class next Monday Monday instruction on Tuesday, 22 nd February 22 nd and 23 rd in 140 of the JSB at 5:00 and 7:30-A More Perfect Union Movie
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 2 ANTICIPATING CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 3 Outline Experience: 1776-1787 Confederation need for reform Movement toward reform Ideas Hume Montesquieu Who were the Framers?
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 4 Experience:1776-1787 By objective criteria, the first decade of the American nation was a great success Successfully fought a war for independence Established republican government Americans were prosperous
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 5 Experience:1776-1787 The Articles failed to solve the two basic problems: How to create a government by the people that preserves liberty and avoids tyranny? What should be the relationship between the states and national government?
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 6 Experience:1776-1787 A failure of both virtue and structure At state level Corruption Tyranny Anarchy At national level Lack of central authority
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 7 Experience:1776-1787 Movement toward reform General recognition of need for reform Rise of nationalists supported strong central government Early attempts at reform Conference at Mount Vernon (March 1785) Annapolis Convention (September 1786)
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 8 Experience:1776-1787 Movement toward reform In February 1787, Congress resolved that...it is expedient that on the second Monday in May next a Convention of delegates who shall have been appointed by the several States be held at Philadelphia for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation...
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 9 Ideas Failure of the Confederation caused many to seek insights from study of history and political philosophy We will focus on ideas of two thinkers Montesquieu David Hume
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 10 Ideas Montesquieu (1689-1755) Superiority of small republics Separation of powers
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 11 Ideas David Hume (1711-1776) Human nature Role of structure Factions and size of the republic Hume s filters of consent
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 12 Ideas Hume s filter
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 13 Ideas These ideas were important for informing the thinking of the American Founders but they were filtered by these practical men through the political reality of the time.
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 14 iclicker Which of the following is often called the Father of the Constitution? A. George Washington B. Benjamin Franklin C. John Adams D. James Madison
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 15 Who were the Framers? Most were lawyers Many fought in Revolutionary War Well read Most had political experience Landholders Many slave owners
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 16 James Madison (36) Virginia delegate Educated at Princeton Author of the Virginia Plan Wrote daily notes on the convention Key author of the Federalist Papers supporting ratification Developed the large republic argument Known as Father of the Constitution Short
Video: James Madison Anticipating Constitutional Reform 17
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 18 James Wilson (45) Delegate from Pennsylvania Born and educated in Scotland Lawyer Active in Pennsylvania politics Advocated a strong executive Later a supreme court justice
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 19 William Paterson (42) New Jersey delegate Born in Ireland Educated at Princeton Lawyer Principle author of the New Jersey Plan Later a governor, senator and supreme court justice
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 20 Roger Sherman (64) Delegate from Connecticut Little education Merchant and self-taught lawyer Member of Second Continental Congress Leader of the Great Compromise Later a congressman and senator
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 21 Gouverneur Morris (32) Delegate from Pennsylvania Attended Columbia Lawyer Principal draftsman of the Constitution Concerned about anarchy and too much democracy
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 22 George Mason (62) Virginia delegate Plantation owner Member of Virginia s legislature and Continental Congress Author of Virginia s Declaration of Rights Very active in the convention Did not sign the Constitution
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 23 John Rutledge (47) South Carolina delegate Educated in America and London Lawyer Governor of S. C. during the Revolution Defended Southern interests (slavery) at the Convention Nominated as Chief Justice by Washington; rejected by Senate
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 24 Two individuals gave enormous prestige to the Convention and worked behind the scenes for a successful outcome. George Washington (55) Benjamin Franklin (81)
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 25 Video: Will Washington Come? Clip starts with Adams and Jefferson. Madison requests Washington to attend the Convention.
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 26 Who were the Framers? Jefferson called the delegates to the Grand Convention in Philadelphia an assembly of demi-gods
Anticipating Constitutional Reform 27 Who were the Framers? The two other most prominent statesmen of the time were unavailable. John Adams in London Thomas Jefferson in Paris