The US Constitution

1. Agenda • Partner work on the basic principles • A little history . . . • RNC – Chris or Ann? • Homework – read the Time article “One Document, Under Siege” The US Constitution How did we get it?

2. The US Constitution The Establishment, Ratification and Implementation

3. Why it matters The Framers of the Constitution created a document that addressed the major concerns of the States attending the Philadelphia Convention. By reaching compromise on items about which they disagreed, the Framers created a new National Government capable of handling the nation’s problems.

4. The establishment How was it created?

5. The Framers • 55 men • "an assembly of demi-gods" said Thomas Jefferson

6. Time frame • May 25, 1787 to • September 17, 1787 • Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PN

7. Organization and Procedure • Elected George Washington president of the convention • Rules: one vote per state, majority wins • Worked in secret • Decided to scrap the Articles of Confederation in order to create a new gov't • James Madison = "The Father of the Constitution" (contributions and Notes)

8. Ideas Philosophies Plans Compromises

9. Philosophies • The Framers' Background • Well educated and widely read • Knowledgeable in Greek and Roman law • Experienced in current European politics • Intimately familiar with the Continental Congress, • Articles of Confederation and their own State gov'ts

11. The Virginia Plan Main Ideas: • 3 Branches of Gov't - legislative, executive and judicial • Congress - bicameral (2 houses) • Checks and Balances would ensure oversight • Strong national gov't • Edmund Randolph presented it.

12. The New Jersey Plan • More conservative than the Virginia Plan Main Ideas: • Kept Congress as one body with equal representation • Congress had limited powers to tax and regulate trade • Called for a "federal executive" with more than one person chosen by Congress • Created a "federal judiciary" composed of a single "supreme Tribunal“ William Patterson presented it.

13. Connecticut Compromise • Senate = equal representation of all states • House of Representatives = representation based on population • AKA as the Great Compromise because it settled the Convention's biggest dispute.

14. Three-Fifths Compromise • Counted slaves ("other persons") as 3/5 of a whole vote • Made southern states happy because of numbers of representatives • Made northern states happy because slaves counted for more taxes

16. ratification • Federalists – supporters of ratification • James Madison, Alexander Hamilton – main supporters • Stressed weaknesses of the Articles of Confederationand that the new nation needed new laws • Anti-Federalists – did not support ratification • Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock and Samuel Adams – main supporters • Attacked almost all of the document • Did not like the ratification process • Did not like the lack of God • Did not like that States didn’t have more power and thought the central gov’t had too much • Did not like that it did not include a Bill of Rights

17. But ratify it did • Delaware was the first and New York was the last of the nine states needed to ratify. • Eventually all thirteen would do so, but Rhode Island finally did AFTER George Washington became President of the US.

18. Liberty v. security • Looking at the six basic principles of the Constitution, how do you think each of them plays in to the idea of liberty and/or security? • Popular sovereignty • Limited government • Separation of powers • Checks and balances • Judicial review • Federalism • See handout for further instructions.