Democracy in Action

Objectives:

What events of the early American colonial experience led colonists to believe they would have representative government?

In what ways were the American colonies democratic? In what ways were they NOT democratic?

An English Political HeritagePeople from all over the world came to

colonize North America

There were two ideas at the heart of the English system

Limited Government

Representative Government

Limited GovernmentThe idea first came into the system with the

Magna Carta in 1215. It said the power of the king was limited, not absolute. It provided people with protection against the loss of life, liberty or property. At first it applied only to nobility.

Petition of Right - 1628When the king tried to control too much

power in England he was forced to sign the Petition of Right. This severely limited his power.Took away his power to tax without

Parliament’s okayNeeded just cause to imprison peopleCould no longer house troops in private

homes

English Bill of RightsCreated in 1688Set clear limits on the monarch

Monarchs do NOT have the divine right to rule. They rule with consent of the people’s representatives in Parliament.

They must consult Parliament to suspend laws, levy taxes or maintain an army

Monarch can’t interfere with Parliamentary electionsPeople have the right to a fair and speedy trial by a

jury of their peersPeople should not be subject to cruel and unusual

punishment or excessive fines and bail

Representative GovernmentGovernment in which people elect delegate to

make laws and conduct governmentIn England this group is Parliament

Upper House – House of LordsLower House – House of Commons

John LockeWrote “Two Treatises of Government” 1690His ideas became the foundation for the

American revolutionHe believed people were born with natural

rights and that government existed to protect these rights. If it can’t do this, people have the right to change their government

He believed a government was legitimate only as long as people continued to consent to it

Our Declaration of Independence and Constitution reflect these ideas

Government in the Colonies13 colonies were founded by the British along the

Atlantic coast (1607-1733)Colonists were loyal to the KingDemocracy did NOT exist in its current form (no

freedom of religion, LOTS of voting restrictions, etc)

Positives:Written constitutions (limited gov., basic liberties)Legislature of elected representativesSeparation of powers between the governor and

the legislature

Written ConstitutionsMayflower Compact: first colonial plan for

self-government; written by the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth

Great Fundamentals: basic system of laws that governed the people in the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colony

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: written in 1639, laid out a plan for government, gave the people the right to elect their governor, judges and representatives

Colonial Legislatures

Virginia House of Burgesses: first representative assembly in the colonies (1619)

Puritans in Massachusetts felt they should have the right to choose their own representatives as wellWhy were they needed?

Control the distribution of public land Construct public buildings and facilities (roads,

ferries, wharves, etc) Establish towns, schools and courts

Separation of PowersGovernors had executive power

Assemblies had legislative powers

Courts had the power to hear cases

This idea – separation of powers – was later incorporated into the US Constitution.

Many of the writers of the Constitution had served on colonial assemblies

Section 2 – Uniting for IndependenceObjectivesWhat factors caused the British to

allow the colonists to operate with little interference between 1607 and 1763?

Why were the colonists and the British unable to compromise and settle their differences?

The Colonies on Their OwnColonists were loyal to the king, but existed

to provide the King with raw materials and a market for British goods

Colonists pretty much did what they wanted. Why?

Colonists were used to governing themselves.

The King needed colonist loyalty and the colonists needed protection from the French

Britain Tightens Control2 events changed the relationship

between England and the colonies

French and Indian War

George III became King in 1760

French and Indian WarStruggle between England and France over land in

Pennsylvania and OhioBritish won the war in 1763, gained control of what

would become the eastern United StatesThe French were driven out of North AmericaNo need for protection, but the British needed the

colonists to help pay for the war debt

Taxing the ColoniesGeorge III decided to deal more firmly with

the colonies.To pay the war debt, the King raised taxes on

tea, sugar, glass, paper and other goodsStamp Act (1765) – first direct tax on the

colonists. On what?Britain’s revenue increased, and the colonists

began to protest.1773 – The Boston Tea PartyRetaliation – The Intolerable Acts

Colonial UnityPre – 1770, colonists thought of themselves

as British subjectsWhen the French started to attack British

settlements in 1754, Ben Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union (it didn’t happen)

Colonists became united by their anger toward the British

Taking Action

Stamp Act Congress: first meeting organized by the colonies to protest King George’s actions

Committees of Correspondence: by 1773 these groups were urging people to resist the British, and keep in touch with each other concerning new developments. They began forming in many colonies

The 1st Continental CongressMet in Philadelphia in September of 1774Key people in attendance: Washington,

Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, and Richard Henry Lee

Decided to begin an embargo against the British

In response, the British troops clashed with the colonists at Lexington and Concord in April 1775

2nd Continental CongressThree weeks later all 13 colonies sent

delegates back to PhiladelphiaGeorge Washington was named General of

the Continental Army2nd Continental Congress became the acting

government for the colonies throughout the war

IndependenceCommon Sense: pamphlet by Thomas Payne.

Argued that the colonists needed to break away from British

The Declaration of Independence: written by Thomas Jefferson. Signed by the delegates on JULY 4, 1776

Key Parts of the DeclarationPurpose: to justify the revolution and explain

the founding principles of the new nationPart 1: Statement of purpose and basic human

rightsPart 2: Lists specific complaints against

George III. Helped to justify the break with England.

Part 3: States the colonists determination to break with England. Explains they had tried to reach a peaceful resolution but had not choice but to declare their freedom.

Section 3 – The Articles of ConfederationObjectives

What weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation made enforcing the laws of Congress impossible?

What evidence shows that financial problems were the main cause of the call to amend the Articles of Confederation?

Articles of ConfederationProposed in 1777Continued the government established by the

2nd Cont. Congress Formed a confederation (“league of

friendship”) between the 13 statesAll 13 states ratified (approved) it by March

of 1781

Government Under the ArticlesUnicameral CongressNo President or federal court system

Every state had one vote in Congress, regardless of size

Congress had power over foreign affairs and defense

Weaknesses of the Articles1. Congress could not collect taxes2. Congress did not have the power to regulate

trade3. Congress could not force anyone to obey the

law 4. 9 of 13 states had to agree to pass any new law5. To amend or change the Articles, all 13 states

had to agree6. There was no executive branch7. No national court system

Achievements of the Articles1. Fair policy for developing land west of the

Appalachians. States ceded (gave up or yielded) their claims to the federal government to allow for national unity. (Northwest Ordinance of 1787 – the land would be developed for statehood and those states would be equal with older states)

2.Peace treaty with Great Britain – recognized US independence. We acquired British land that brought our border all the way to the Mississippi River

Achievements continued3. Congress created Cabinet departments

(Foreign Affairs, War, Marine and Treasury)4. Provided that each state give “full faith and

credit” to the legal acts of other states and treat each others citizens without discrimination

Need for Stronger GovernmentStates started to argue over boundary lines

and tariffsCountry had serious money problems

because of debts from the Revolutionary War (without money, how could we defend ourselves?)

Shays’s Rebellion: What was it? Why did it matter?

The Annapolis ConventionOnly 5 sent delegates.THIS WAS A PROBLEM!!!They decided to call another meeting in

PhiladelphiaThe purpose of the meeting was “revising the

Articles of Confederation”

Section 4 – The Constitutional ConventionObjectives

How did the Connecticut Compromise settle the most divisive issue among the members of the Constitutional Convention?

What were the key arguments presented by the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists?

The Convention BeginsMet in Philadelphia, May 178755 delegates cameRhode Island didn’t send delegatesMany delegates had political experienceAttendees included: George Washington,

Benjamin Franklin, James Madison (Father of the Constitution), John Hancock

OrganizationWashington was chosen to preside

over the meetingsEach state got one voteSimple majority to make decisionsThe public and the press were kept

out

Key agreements1. Throw out the Articles of Confederation

and start again2. Limited and representative government3. Separation of powers (executive,

legislative, judicial)4. Limit the states power to coin money5. STRONGER NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Decisions and Compromises1. The Virginia Plan:

Benefitted LARGE states Said representation should be based on

population (more people=more representatives)

Decisions and Compromises cont.2. The New Jersey Plan:

Benefitted SMALL states like New JerseyRepresentation for all states would be EQUAL

in the legisalture

Decisions and Compromises cont.3. The Connecticut Compromise

A bicameral legislature House of Representatives based on the

state’s population All laws concerning taxes and spending

have to start here

Senate with two members from EVERY state

Senators chosen by the STATE’S legislature

Decisions and Compromises cont.4. The Three-Fifths Compromise

There was a problem with representation in the House. How would the states count slaves?

The South wanted slaves counted for population so they could have more seats in the House

The North said slaves should count for tax purposes, not for representation

Compromise said: 3/5 of ALL slaves were to be counted for both taxes AND representation

Decisions and Compromises cont.5. Compromise on Commerce and the Slave

Trade North and South disagreed about who should

handle trade agreements for the new nation Compromise: They could not ban the slave

trade until 1808 They gave Congress the power to regulate

both INTERSTATE and FOREIGN commerce Congress could NOT tax exports

The Slavery QuestionThe only other mention of slavery in the

Constitution deals with escaped slaves being returned to the slaveholders

Many Northern states had banned slaveryDelegates knew that if they tried to outlaw

slavery, the Southern states would never accept the Constitution

Finally the Constitution was signed and went to the states for ratification on September 17, 1787

Ratifying the ConstitutionFederalists Anti-FederalistsFavored the Constitution

as writtenLed by many of the

Founding FathersSupported by merchants,

city dwellers and people on the coast

Believed a strong national government was necessary to ward off anarchy

Opposed the Constitution

Feared a strong national government would take away too much from the states

Supported by inland farmers and laborers

Lacked a Bill of Rights (Federalists finally agreed to add one on)

Progress Toward RatificationSmall states ratified quickly because they

liked the idea of the SenateIt went into effect without Virginia or New

York ratifying the ConstitutionTo help win support in New York, Madison,

Hamilton and Jay wrote “The Federalist” – a collection of essays supporting the ratification of the Constitution

Launching a New StateNew York City was the first capital of the new

nationGeorge Washington was elected President

(sworn in April 30, 1789)John Adams was his Vice PresidentHouse had 59 members, Senate had 22 when

Congress met for the first time on March 4, 1789

As promised, Madison added amendments to the Constitution. These 10 first amendments make up the Bill of Rights