Founding Documents of the United States of America

Michael L. Murphy

ED 195

12/3/01

Documents to be Examined

• Declaration of Independence

• Constitution

• Bill of Rights

Declaration of Independence

• Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed idea in Continental Congress on June 7, 1776

Declaration of Independence

• Committee of five chosen to draft the document

Committee Members

• John Adams• Ben Franklin• Roger Sherman• Robert

Livingstone• Thomas

JeffersonBenjamin Franklin

Thomas Jefferson

• Jefferson used his eloquent style to craft most of the famous document

Declaration of Independence

• Approved by Congress on July 2, 1776

• 56 men from 13 colonies signed on July 4, 1776

Constitution

• Constitutional Convention called to meet in Philadelphia during summer of 1787 to discuss remedies for the ailing Articles of Confederation

Independence Hall, Philadelphia

Constitution

• George Washington was elected president of the convention

Constitution

• Delegates from 12 states decided early on to scrap the Articles and proceed with writing a new plan for government

• Differences between delegates soon erupted

Crucial Compromises

• Representation

• Slavery

• Trade

Virginia Plan

• James Madison wrote this plan which based representation on population

• Favored big states

New Jersey Plan

• William Paterson crafted this plan which gave each state equal representation

• Favored small states

Great Compromise

• Roger Sherman gave idea of lower house based on population and upper house with equal representation

Slavery

• Three-Fifths Compromise reached to solve slavery issue

• Slaves would count as 3/5 of a person for purposes of taxation and of representation

Trade

• Compromise reached that allowed Congress power to regulate foreign and interstate trade

• Could not apply export taxes

• Could not stop slave trade for 20 years

Constitutional Principles

• Limited Government

• Separation of Powers

• Checks and Balances

• Federalism

• Popular Sovereignty

Limited Government

• First and oldest written constitution in the world

• Designed to prevent tyranny experienced under Britain which had an unwritten, open-ended constitution

Separation of Powers

• Government divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial

• Each branch has specific powers but must work with the others for government to function

Checks and Balances

• Prevents one branch from becoming more powerful than the others

• Branches have ways of checking and balancing the power of the others

Federalism

• Divides power between national and state levels of government

• States needed to sacrifice some sovereignty for the sake of national unity

Popular Sovereignty

• Preamble of Constitution expresses idea that source of power rests with the people

Constitution on Display, Washington, D. C.

Examples of Popular Sovereignty

• Vote for representatives to national government

• Indirect election of president through electoral college

• Make changes in constitution through amendment process

Constitution

• Signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787

Constitution

• Rhode Island was 13th and last state to ratify on May 29, 1790

• New Congress convened in New York City on March 4, 1789

Constitution

• Washington inaugurated as first president in New York City on April 30, 1789

Bill of Rights

• James Madison finished Bill of Rights in 1789

• Fulfilled promise to Anti-federalist opponents

Bill of Rights

• Approved by three-fourths of states in 1791

• Bill of Rights were first ten amendments to the Constitution

Key Rights Protected

• Religion

• Speech

• Press

• Security Rights

• Judicial RightsBill of Rights on Display,

Washington, D. C.

Bill of Rights

• Intended to limit national power

• Designed to protect rights of individuals

• States still had much freedom to govern as they pleased

Photo Credits

• Horydczak, Theodor. “U.S. Capitol paintings. Signing of the Declaration of Independence, painting by John Trumbull in U.S. Capitol IV.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959. [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/thc.5a51230.jpg] [thc 5a51230] (December 1, 2001).

• Pendleton's Lithography. “John Adams, second President of the United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present. [http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a53000/3a53200/3a53276v.jpg] [cph 3a53276] (December 1, 2001).

Photo Credits

• “Benjamin Franklin.” c[between 1900 and 1920]. Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a20000/4a28000/4a28500/4a28534r.jpg] [det 4a28534] (December 1, 2001).

• Pendleton's Lithography. “Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present. [http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c10000/3c17000/3c17100/3c17117v.jpg] [cph 3c17117] (December 1, 2001).

Photo Credits

• Pendleton's Lithography. “James Madison, fourth President of the United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present. [http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a53000/3a53200/3a53278v.jpg] [cph 3a53278] (December 1, 2001).

• Horydczak, Theodor. “Paintings. Signing of Constitution by Howard C. Cristy II.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a50000/5a50800/5a50829r.jpg] [thc 5a50829] (December 1, 2001).

Photo Credits

• “Independence Hall [Assembly Room], Philadelphia, Pa.” c1905. Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a10000/4a12000/4a12500/4a12587r.jpg] [det 4a12587] (December 1, 2001).

• Horydczak, Theodor. “Democratic Digest. Attorney General Tom Clark looking at Bill of Rights II.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a43000/5a43100/5a43174r.jpg] [thc 5a43174] (December 1, 2001).

Photo Credits

• Horydczak, Theodor. “Library of Congress (Jefferson Building). Display of U.S. Constitution, Library of Congress.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959 [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a50000/5a50700/5a50785r.jpg] [thc 5a50785] (December 1, 2001).

• “George Washington, head-and-shoulders portrait]. Stuart, Gilbert, 1755-1828, artist.” c[between 1900 and 1920]. Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a20000/4a26000/4a26500/4a26549r.jpg] [det 4a26549] (December 1, 2001).

• Additional images and sounds courtesy Microsoft Office 2000.