Ideas About Government Ch. 7, section 1 – 186-191

1. Ideas About Government Ch. 7, section 1 – 186-191 • To form a new government, the American people drew on several sources: • Ancient Roman Republic = Senators, “Veto!” • Magna Carta = The king must follow the rule of law like all other people. • English Bill of Rights = King or queen could not create new taxes or change laws w/o Parliament’s approval.

2. Ideas About Government • Other sources that Americans drew on were: • Enlightenment writer John Locke who believed there is a “social contract” between the people and their government. • It was the government’s responsibility to protect the peoples’ unalienable rights. • New England Town Meeting, Virginia House of Burgesses, and the Iroquois League

3. The State Constitutions • During the American Revolution, every state wrote its own Constitution. • Republicanism = Citizens elect representatives that are responsible to the people. • This created Limited Government = leaders have to obey laws and no one has total power.

4. The State Constitutions • Many states expanded Suffrage = voting rights. • Suffrage examples: • Any white man who was a taxpaying citizen. • Any white man who owned property. • Seven of the first state constitutions gave voting rights to free African American men • By the 1860’s these rights had been taken away by high property or residency requirements.

5. Forming a Union • During the Second Continental Congress, many members believed that a central government was necessary to hold the country together. • In 1781 the Articles of Confederation was created and with it, a Confederation Congress. • Each state was allowed one vote in the new central national government.

6. Forming a Union • The Confederation Congress had limited powers • No president or court system • Could make coins and borrow money • Could settle conflicts between states • Could ask states for money and soldiers • Could not force states to give money or troops even during an emergency.

7. The Northwest Territory • The Confederation Congress had to decide what to do with its newly acquired western lands, and pay war debts. • It created the Land Ordinance of 1785 = sell this land to the public. • Townships were created of 36 square miles. • Each township was divided into 36 lots of 640 acres each. • One lot was saved for the public school. • Four lots were saved for Revolutionary War veterans. • The remaining lots were for sale to the public.

8. The Northwest Territory

9. The Northwest Territory • There needed to be a political system for the western lands as well. • Northwest Ordinance of 1787 = This system helped to bring new states into the Union. • The ordinance created the Northwest Territory which included the area that is now Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin

10. A Lack of Respect Section 2 – 194-199 • It was soon realized that the Articles of Confederation and the Confederation Congress were not very powerful. • There was no army to protect the citizens. • The British were not leaving their forts on the US side of the Great Lakes. • Spain closed the lower Mississippi River to all US shipping.

11. Trouble with Trade • After the war, many British colonial ports would not allow US ships to trade. • The British charged high tariffs on all US exports that they accepted. • Tariffs = Taxes on imports and exports. • The Confederation Congress did not have the right to create tariffs on British goods.

12. Economic Problems at Home • After the war, most states had a hard time paying off war debts and collecting overdue taxes. • Those problems led those states to print large amounts of money. • The result was Inflation = An increase in prices for goods and services while the value of money is reduced. • The Confederation Congress did not have the power to stop states from printing paper money.

13. Economic Problems at HomeExample of Inflation: Money with Value: Money with Less Value: If a state’s bank had 16 ounces of gold, it may print more money than the value of that gold. 1 ounce = $10.00 16 ounces = $160.00 The state prints $320.00 worth of paper money so the gold is worth half its original value. • If a state’s bank had 16 ounces of gold, it should print only enough money that equals the value of that gold. • 1 ounce = $10.oo • 16 ounces = $160.00 • The state should only print $160.00 worth of paper money.

14. Economic Problems at HomeDebtors vs. Creditors • Debtors = People who have borrowed money and are required to pay it back. • Because of inflation, debtors could pay back their debts with money that was worth less than the coins they had borrowed. • Creditors = People who lend money. • Because of inflation, creditors were being paid back with money that had a lesser value than the money they had lent.

15. Economic Problems at Home • Because of rising inflation and a lack of profitable trade with Britain, a depression set in. • Depression = A period of low economic activity combined with a rise in unemployment.

16. Debt in Massachusetts • Massachusetts refused to print money and instead tried to pay its war debt by creating a property tax. • Farmers were the primary landowners and in most cases could not pay the taxes. • The state’s courts began to: • Foreclose on the farms • Put farmers in “Debtors Prison” • Some farmers had to become indentured servants in order to pay their debts.

17. Shays’ Rebellion • In 1786, Daniel Shays – a poor farmer and Revolutionary War veteran, led angry citizens in a revolt in which many Massachusetts court houses were closed down. • Why? They reasoned that if the courts couldn’t operate, farms and homes couldn’t be foreclosed.

18. Shays’ Rebellion • In early 1787 Shays’ forces tried to steal the weapons from the Springfield Armory. • In a short battle, state troops defeated Shays’ forces • Shortly afterwards most of Shays’ forces surrendered or had been arrested. • 14 leaders were sentenced to death. • Soon the state let everyone else go including Shays , because the state understood the rebels’ motives.

19. The Constitutional Convention Section 3 – 200-205 • In May, 1787 the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia. • 12 states sent a total of 55 delegates. • Rhode Island refused to participate. • Goal = To discuss ways to improve the Articles of Confederation.

20. The Great Compromise • The states had different agendas based on their individual wants and/or needs. • For example: • Number of representatives for each state. • Slavery • Tariffs • How strong to make the national government.

21. The Great Compromise • After four days of discussion, James Madison’s Virginia Plan was presented to the congress. • Virginia Plan or Large State Plan : • Give supreme power to the central government. • Divide the national government into the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. • The legislative branch would be bicameral = two houses. • The number of representatives that each state could send to the legislature would be based on the states population. • Larger states would have more power than smaller ones.

22. The Great Compromise • After a couple of weeks of debate, William Patterson presented the New Jersey Plan. • New Jersey or Small State Plan: • Have a unicameral or one-house legislature. • Each state would have an equal number of votes. • The national government should have the power to tax all citizens in all states. • Allow the national government to regulate commerce. • Smaller states would have just as much power as larger ones.

23. The Great Compromise • After another month of discussion and debate, a committee was formed and proposed an agreement in which each side gave up some of their demands so the other demands could be met. • Result of the Great Compromise: • Every state, regardless of its population would have an equal vote in the upper house (senators). • Every state would have a certain number of representatives in the lower house based on population (Congressmen).

24. The Three-Fifths Compromise • The debate over representation continued. • Southern states wanted slaves counted as part of their populations. • By having this, they would qualify for more representatives in Congress. • Northern states only wanted slaves to be counted for the purpose of taxation. • In the end, they agreed to count three-fifths of a state’s slave population in order to determine the correct number in the lower house and for taxation.

25. The Three-Fifths Compromise

26. Our living Constitution • Most of the convention delegates agreed that a strong central government was needed to replace the Articles of Confederation, but… • They wanted to protect Popular Sovereignty = political authority belongs to the people. • Also, they wanted the power to be shared between the central government and the states, so… • The delegates looked to Federalism = the sharing of power between the central government and the states.

27. A Delicate Balance • The federal government has three branches: • Legislative, Executive, and Judicial • Legislative = this is Congress and is made up of two houses. Congress makes the laws that we live by. • Upper Houses = United States Senate – two senators represent each state. • Lower House = United States House of Representatives – the number of congressmen is determined by each state’s population.

28. A Delicate Balance • Executive = this is the president and the departments that help to run the government. This branch makes sure that the laws are carried out.

29. A Delicate Balance • Judicial = This branch is the national courts with the US Supreme Court being the highest. This branch is responsible for interpreting laws, punishing criminals and settling disputes between states.

30. A Delicate Balance

31. A Delicate Balance • A system of checks and balances was created to prevent any branch from becoming to powerful.

32. Federalists and Antifederalists Section 4 – 206-211 • When the Constitution was made public the American people began to debate. • Antifederalists = people who opposed the Constitution because they felt it gave too much power to the central government and did not include a Bill of Rights. • Federalists = people who supported the Constitution because they felt it showed a good balance of power and was a compromise between many political views.

33. Federalists and Antifederalists

34. The Federalist Papers • Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote essays to the American public called the Federalist Papers. The purpose of these essays was to inform the American public that: • The new federal government would not overpower the states. • Because there were so many different points of view within the American public, no single group could ever control the government. • The Articles of Confederation was not complete enough to protect our country.

35. The Ratification Fight • For the Constitution to be ratified (accepted and put into practice), 9 of the 13 states needed to approve it. • Each state except RI held state conventions to give citizens the chance to discuss and vote on the Constitution. • Both Federalists and Antifederalists voiced their opinions. • In 1787, Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution. • In 1790, Rhode Island was the last state to ratify.

36. Demanding a Bill of Rights • Several states agreed to ratify the Constitution if a bill of rights was added. • Many Federalists felt that a bill of rights was not necessary, but they knew that certain states were counting on it. • Once a bill of rights was created, it would be added to the Constitution as amendments = official changes, corrections, or additions. • Article 5 of the Constitution allows for amendments.

37. Demanding a Bill of Rights • To create a list of possible amendments the legislators drew ideas from: • state ratifying conventions • Virginia Declaration of Rights • Declaration of Independence • Abuses by Great Britain as listed in the DOI were made illegal under the new government. • By the end of 1791, the states ratified the first 10 amendments. • These first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.