forming a nation. objectives to review the events proceeding the declaration of independence to...
TRANSCRIPT
Forming a Nation
Objectives
• To review the events proceeding the Declaration of Independence
• To review the key political philosophies of the founding fathers
• To understand the difficulties faced under the Articles of Confederation
• To review the events of the implementation of our current constitution
Royal Injustices
• Navigation Acts– Mercantilism
• Writs of Assistance– Open Ended Search
Warrants
• Intolerable or Coercive Acts
• Unfair Taxation– Molasses Act– Sugar Act– Stamp Act– Townshend Acts
• Boston Massacre
– Tea Acts• Boston Tea Party
The Continental Congresses
• No legal basis at the time• 1st Congress convened after Intolerable
Acts– Split between wanting legislative equality and
independence with Britain• 2nd Congress prepared for war and
declared our independence from Britain
Thomas Jefferson
• Primary Author of Declaration of Independence
• Republicanism• Anti-Federalist
– State’s Rights
• Separation of Church and State
Alexander Hamilton
• Federalist– Strong Federal
Government– Federalist Papers
• Implied Powers• 1st Secretary of
Treasury– 1st Bank of US– National Debt
James Madison
• Father of the Constitution• Federalist
– Co-author of Federalist Papers
– Many ideas more like Jefferson than Hamilton
• Author of Bill of Rights– Anti-Enumerated Powers
Declaration of Independence
• 2nd Continental Congress accepted this on July 2nd , 1776
• Final version adopted on July 4th, 1776
• Created a new nation separate from the British Empire
• Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson– Based on writings of John
Locke, George Mason, and Thomas Jefferson
American Revolution
• War actually started in 1775– Shot heard ‘round the world
• Battle of Lexington and Concord
• Fighting ended in 1781– Battle of Yorktown
• War ended in 1783– Treaty of Paris
Articles of Confederation
• Drafted in 1776-77• Not adopted until 1781• First US constitution
– Weak Federal Government– Established Name– Only congress could declare war– Accepts Revolutionary War Debts
Problems in Government
• Articles of Confederation created a weak federal government– Congress could not levy taxes
• Had to ask for money from states• Could not pay debts
– Each state only had one vote in congress– Required nine states approval to approve new
members– Any changes/amendments required approval
of congress and all state legislatures
Constitutional Convention
• Convened in Philadelphia at Independence Hall
• Initially convened to revise the Articles of Confederation
• Convention lasted approximately 4 month• Multiple plans presented and
compromises made– Houses of Congress– Slavery
Plans
Virginia Plan• Both Houses of Congress
had proportional representation– Lower house by popular
vote– Upper house by lower
house vote
• Executive selected by Congress
• Judiciary
New Jersey Plan• Kept existing style of
congress as Articles of Confederation– One State, One Vote
• Allowed for multi-person executive branch selected by congress
• Judiciary
Connecticut Compromise
• Blended Virginia and New Jersey Plans• Congress has two houses
– Lower elected by people with proportional representation
– Upper House elected by people with one for each state
Slavery
• 3/5 compromise– Allowed for southern states to count 3/5 of
slave and non-white population towards proportional representation and taxation
• Slavery Compromise– Congress had power to ban slave importation
but could not exercise it for 20 years.
Ratification
• Required nine out of thirteen states approval
• Delaware 1st to ratify• New Hampshire 9th to
ratify; enacting constitution
Activity
• Write a Five Paragraph Essay – Would a strong federal government or a
strong state/local government be more beneficial today in the US?
Next Time
• The Constitution• Constitution Quiz