Name: Date: Period: VUS 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention Notes US 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention 1
Objectives about VUS5: Building a New Nation VUS5 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the Constitution of the United States and how the principles of limited government, consent of the governed, and the social contract are embodied in it by a) explaining the origins of the Constitution, including the Articles of Confederation; b) identifying the major compromises necessary to produce the Constitution, and the roles of James Madison and George Washington; Experimenting with Confederation Main Idea: Americans were fearful of a power central government, so they created a weak central government in the form of the Articles of Confederation, but found the government too weak to solve the nation s problems Why it Matters: The reaction to the weak Articles of Confederation led to a stronger central government that has continued to expand its power I Americans Debate Republicanism 1 Following the American revolution, debates raged about the nature of the new United States government and its relationship to the individual states a republic def b republicanism def II The Continental Congress Debates 1 The Articles of Confederation def a Established a confederation b National government existed with 2 Setup of the Articles of Confederation a Each state had b Congress had power to c No power to d No executive branch to e No judicial branch to f All other powers belonged to Notes US 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention 2
III Governing the Western Lands 1 Congress had to decide how to govern the public lands North of the Ohio River and West of the Appalachian Mountains (Northwest Territory) 2 Land Ordinance of 1785 3 Northwest Ordinance of 1787 a Territory could apply for statehood when b from the Northwest Territory IV Confederation Encounters Problems 1 Political Problems a Lacked national unity b Each state had one vote in Congress, regardless of population c Two-thirds majority (9 out of 13 states) d Unanimous vote (all 13) e No executive branch to enforce laws f No judicial branch to interpret laws 2 Economic Problems a Huge debt from Revolutionary War owed b Congress had no power c Congress printed its own money d No power to regulate 3 Foreign Policy Problems of the Articles of Confederation a With debts unpaid, b Congress had no power to regulate foreign trade c Notes US 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention 3
Drafting the Constitution Main Idea: At the Philadelphia convention in 1787, the delegates rejected the Articles of Confederation and created a new constitution Why it Matters: The Constitution remains the basis of our government I Nationalists Strengthen the Government 1 Shay s Rebellion a There was no national army, so the Massachusetts state militia put the rebellion down b Leaders in several states decided to call for convention in Philadelphia II The Constitutional Convention 1 a Key Figures included George Washington (president of the convention), James Madison (VA), Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin (VA) 2 Their first decision was to completely Notes US 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention 4
3 Big States v Small States a Father of the Constitution drafted the Virginia Plan b drafted the New Jersey Plan c The Great Compromise People elect members State legislatures would Federal executive chosen Judiciary nominated by the 4 What about the slaves? a The word does not appear in the original body of the constitution b Issues Taxes were paid by states to the national government based on Control of the House of Representatives was based on Slaves were often considered c Three-fifths compromise d Also agreed not to ban Notes US 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention 5
III Creating a New Government 1 Federalism def a Powers of the national government b Powers of the state governments c Powers shared by state and national governments 2 Separation of Powers def a Legislative branch b Executive branch c Judicial branch 3 Checks and Balances a Executive branch b Legislative branch c Judicial branch 4 Electoral College def a Each state chooses the electors for their state, the number to equal their number of Senators and Representatives from that state b During a presidential election, That s right, you don t directly choose the president 5 The final draft was signed on a Not in effect yet Notes US 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention 6
Constitutional Convention By the time the Northwest Ordinance was enacted, American leaders were in the midst of drafting a new and stronger constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation Their presiding officer, George Washington, had written accurately that the states were united only by a "rope of sand" Disputes between Maryland and Virginia over navigation on the Potomac River led to a conference of representatives of five states at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1786 One of the delegates, Alexander Hamilton of New York, convinced his colleagues that commerce was bound up with large political and economic questions What was required was a fundamental rethinking of the Confederation The Annapolis conference issued a call for all the states to appoint representatives to a convention to be held the following spring in Philadelphia The Continental Congress was at first indignant over this bold step, but it acquiesced after Washington gave the project his backing and was elected a delegate During the next fall and winter, elections were held in all states but Rhode Island A remarkable gathering of notables assembled at the Federal Convention in May 1787 The state legislatures sent leaders with experience in colonial and state governments, in Congress, on the bench, and in the army Washington, regarded as the country's first citizen because of his integrity and his military leadership during the Revolution, was chosen as presiding officer Prominent among the more active members were two Pennsylvanians: Gouverneur Morris, who clearly saw the need for national government, and James Wilson, who labored indefatigably for the national idea Also elected by Pennsylvania was Benjamin Franklin, nearing the end of an extraordinary career of public service and scientific achievement From Virginia came James Madison, a practical young statesman, a thorough student of politics and history, and, according to a colleague, "from a spirit of industry and application the best-informed man on any point in debate" He would be recognized as the "Father of the Constitution" Massachusetts sent Rufus King and Elbridge Gerry, young men of ability and experience Roger Sherman, shoemaker turned judge, was one of the representatives from Connecticut From New York came Alexander Hamilton, who had proposed the meeting Absent from the Convention were Thomas Jefferson, who was serving as minister representing the United States in France, and John Adams, serving in the same capacity in Great Britain Youth predominated among the 55 delegates the average age was 42 Congress had authorized the Convention merely to draft amendments to the Articles of Confederation but, as Madison later wrote, the delegates, "with a manly confidence in their country," simply threw the Articles aside and went ahead with the building of a wholly new form of government They recognized that the paramount need was to reconcile two different powers the power of local control, which was already being exercised by the 13 semi-independent states, and the power of a central government They adopted the principle that the functions and powers of the national government being new, general, and inclusive had to be carefully defined and stated, while all other functions and powers were to be understood as belonging to the states But realizing that the central government had to have real power, the delegates also generally accepted the fact that the government should be authorized, among other things, to coin money, to regulate commerce, to declare war, and to make peace 1 Who wrote that, under the Articles of Confederation, the states were united only be a rope of sand? 2 Who convinced his colleagues at the 1786 Annapolis conference that commerce was bound up with large political and economic questions, and that what was required was a fundamental rethinking of the Confederation? 3 Who was chosen as presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention? 4 Who is recognized as the Father of the Constitution? 5 Delegates to the Constitutional Convention generally accepted the fact that the federal government should be authorized to, among other things, a abolish slavery and indentured servitude throughout the states b coin money, declare war, make peace, and regulate commerce c establish a Congress to exercise direct control over the states d rule via unfunded federal mandates Notes US 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention 7
Glossary VUS 5 (pt1) Directions: Fill in the definition for the term listed Then, in the box on the right, you have to draw a picture OR write the definition in your own words OR write a sentence using the word that demonstrates its meeting republic republicanism Articles of Confederation Shay s Rebellion James Madison Roger Sherman Great Compromise Notes US 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention 8
Glossary VUS 5 (pt1) Directions: Fill in the definition for the term listed Then, in the box on the right, you have to draw a picture OR write the definition in your own words OR write a sentence using the word that demonstrates its meeting Three-Fifths Compromise Federalism Legislative branch executive branch judicial branch Checks and balances Electoral College Notes US 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention 9
Summary DIRECTIONS: Choose only one of the following: a) write a summary (25-75 words) of what you believe was the most important aspect of the notes/lecture b) write what you believe to be the most interesting or memorable part of the notes/lecture (25-75 words) c) draw something that symbolizes the notes/lecture to you (has to be different than your title page) Notes US 5 (pt1): Building a New Nation: The Constitutional Convention 10