foundations of american government · 1. the first national government for the united states was...

1. Why did the colonists choose to rebel against

Great Britain?

2. What were several key events that occurred

during the gradual decline in the relationship

between the two?

1765: Stamp Act

1770: Boston Massacre

1773: Boston Tea-Party

1774 : First Continental Congress

1775: Revolution Begins & First Continental Congress

July 1776 : Declaration of Independence

1781-1788: Articles of Confederation

1783 : Treaty Signed with England

1786 : Shays Rebellion

1787 : Philadelphia Convention

1791 : Bill of Rights

• Until the 1750s, colonists had broad freedoms to run their governments.

• 1760: King George III began to tax and impose more laws (to pay for wars with France)

• After having been mostly left alone, how do you think the colonists reacted?

British Action

• Boston “Massacre”, 1770

• Soldiers accidentally fired on a protesting crowd in Boston

Colonial Reaction

• Propaganda throughout colonies

• Fed the fire of revolutionary sentiment

Colonial Action

Boston Tea-Party, 1773

• The cargo of three tea ships dumped into the sea by men disguised as Native Americans.

British Reaction

The “Intolerable Acts”

• Closed Boston port until tea was paid for

• Soldiers accused of crimes sent back to England

• Quartered Troop in colonist’s homes

• Replaced elected Governor with one appointed by the King.

• All colonies (minus Georgia) went to Philadelphia

• Agreed to refuse all trade with until the Intolerable Acts were repealed

• Agreed meet again in 1775

• Representatives from all 13 colonies attended

• Wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.

• The first government of the United States, from 1776 to 1781:

• Raised armies, directed war strategy and made treaties

• Johns Adams and Benjamin Franklin review Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence.

• On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

• Between 1776 and 1777, most of the States adopted constitutions instead of charters.

• Massachusetts has the oldest living Constitution in the world.

• Explained the ideas and the philosophy that justified rebellion against Britain.

• Rallied world opinion on side of colonists

1. The Declaration of Independence was signed in

– (a) 1765.

– (b) 1776.

– (c) 1781.

– (d) 1787.

2. The Stamp Act of 1765 was a law enacted by the British that

– (a) increased the colonists’ taxes.

– (b) was repealed by the Magna Carta.

– (c) the colonists ratified one year later.

– (d) raised the price of postage stamps by two cents.

1. What were the Articles of

Confederation?

2. What did Congress do to fix

the problems of the Articles

of Confederation?

• After the Revolutionary War, the newly independent states functioned like separate countries.

• The Congress continued to operate under a very weak central government organized around the Articles of Confederation:

Weakness of the Articles of Confederation

One vote for each

state

"Firm League of

Friendship”

No National Executive

No National Courts

13/13 to Amend

9/13 to Pass Laws

Congress Cannot Tax

• Delegates met in

Philadelphia to revise the

Articles of Confederation.

• May 25 to Sept. 17, 1887

• Convention President:

George Washington

• Decided to create an

entirely new system.

– Weaknesses of Articles,

Shay’s Rebellion)

• Now called the

Constitutional Convention.

1. The government set up by the Articles of Confederation had

– (a) the power to make treaties and build a navy.

– (b) a bicameral congress.

– (c) separation of powers.

– (d) a President to carry out its laws.

2. Which of the following was a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

– (a) Congress could not make treaties.

– (b) Congress could not borrow money.

– (c) The States did not agree to obey the Articles.

– (d) Congress could not lay or collect taxes or duties.

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1. What were the differences between the

Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?

2. What were some of the compromises on which

the Constitutional Convention agreed?

Vir

gin

ia P

lan • Three branches

of government: executive, legislative, & judicial

• Bicameral legislature (both based on population)

New

Jer

sey

Pla

n

• Three branches of government

• Unicameral legislature (equal representation)

• Also known as the “Connecticut Compromise”

• Two house (bicameral) legislature

• Upper house (Senate) is equal: Two from every state

• Lower house (House of Representatives) is based on population

Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth

Slaves should count for representation in the House

Slaves should counted in federal taxes

Compromise:

• 3/5ths of slaves would count for both representation in the House and for federal taxes.

• Congress cannot tax exports (hurts US businesses)

• Congress could not ban the slave trade for 20 years (1808)

1. The first national government for the United States was

– (a) the First Continental Congress.

– (b) the Second Continental Congress.

– (c) the Articles of Confederation.

– (d) the Constitution of the United States.

2. The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia involved delegates from each of the following states except

– (a) Maryland.

– (b) Rhode Island.

– (c) New York.

– (d) Virginia.

• Who were the Federalists and the Anti-

Federalists?

• How long did the ratification of the

Constitution take?

• The Constitution was very controversial at first, with some groups supporting it, and others attacking it.

• This division created the first two political parties in the nation.

Anti-Federalists

• Objected to the Constitution

• Led by Thomas Jefferson

• Wanted states to be most powerful

• Wanted a bill of rights

Federalists

• Favored the Constitution

• Led by Alexander Hamilton & James Madison

• Wanted Federal government to be powerful

• Thought the Articles of Confederation were too weak

• Small states overwhelmingly approved the Constitution

• Strong opposition existed in the larger states

• By June of 1788, 9/13 had ratified it.

• But not New York or Virginia!

• Great debates were held in both states

• In New York, the Federalists Alexander Hamilton & James Madison published a series of articles published in major newspapers that were later combined into The Federalist Papers.

• When you assemble a number of men, to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views. From such an assembly can a perfect production be expected? It therefore astonishes me, sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does…

• The new Congress met on March 4, 1789 unanimously elected George Washington as President. He was inaugurated on April 30.

1. The debate over the ratification of the Constitution was won by the

– (a) Anti-Federalists.

– (b) Whigs.

– (c) Federalists.

– (d) Tories.

2. Why didn’t many people in the large states want to approve the Constitution?

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