The Birth of a Nation

The student will demonstrate an understanding of the conflicts between regional and national interest in the development of democracy in the United States.

Analyze the impact of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution on establishing the ideals of a democratic republic.

Analyze how dissatisfactions with the government under the Articles of Confederation were addressed with the writing of the Constitution of 1787, including the debates and compromises reached at the Philadelphia Convention and the ratification of the Constitution.

Explain how the fundamental principle of limited government is protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, including democracy, republicanism, federalism, the separation of powers, the system of checks and balances, and individual rights.

Analyze the development of the two-party system during the presidency of George Washington, including controversies over domestic and foreign policies and the regional interests of the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists.

Summarize the expansion of the power of the national government as a result of Supreme Court decisions under Chief Justice John Marshall, such as the establishment of judicial review in Marbury v. Madison and the impact of political party affiliation on the Court.

Key Terms

French and Indian WarWrits of assistanceProclamation of 1763Stamp ActDeclaratory ActBoston MassacreBoston Tea PartyIntolerable ActsFirst Continental CongressLexington and ConcordSecond Continental CongressThomas JeffersonEgalitarianismInalienable rightsDeclaration of IndependenceGeorge WashingtonSaratogaYorktown

Articles of ConfederationU.S. ConstitutionGreat CompromiseThree-fifths CompromiseSlave Trade CompromiseBill of RightsFederalistAnti-FederalistsLoose interpretation of the ConstitutionStrict interpretation of the ConstitutionFederalist PapersAlexander HamiltonFederalist PartyDemocratic-RepublicansNaturalization ActAlien Act

Sedition ActVirginia Kentucky ResolutionsDoctrine of NullificationRepublicDemocracySeparation of PowersChecks and BalancesFederalismLegislative BranchHouse of RepresentativesSenateExecutive BranchJudicial BranchPrecedenceMarbury v. MadisonJohn MarshallJudicial Review

Essential Questions

Why was the French & Indian War fought?

What were the primary causes of the American Revolution?

What were the colonial responses to British actions such as the Proclamation Act of 1763, Stamp Act, & Intolerable Acts?

What was the importance of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense?

The Articles of Confederation proved ineffective because of what?

How did Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson interpret the Constitution differently?

What purpose does the Bill of Rights serve?

The American Revolution

The roots of the American Revolution go all the way back to the late 1600s because of the idea of mercantilism.

Countries grow wealthier by exporting more than they import.

To maintain such a balance, nations needed colonies for additional resources and markets.

In 1660, England began passing a series of laws known as the Navigational Acts.

These laws required British colonies to sell certain goods only to England.

The few products the colonies could sell to other countries were charged a British tax.

Strict enforcement of the Navigational Acts contributed to the American Revolution.

Causes of the Revolution

The desire for territory produced by mercantilism also mean that nations ended up fighting over land and resources.

As British colonist moved west, they found themselves fighting French settlers and Native Americans.

In 1754, this tension resulted in the French and Indian War. (Britain v. French and Indians)

It lasted nine years, France finally surrendered and gave up its claim in Canada and all lands east of the Mississippi.

The French and Indian War

After the F&I War, relations between England and the colonists deteriorated.

The colonist had lost all respect for the British military because they believe the British were not suited for fighting on American terrain.

Great Britain was heavily in debt after the war and wanted the Americans to help pay for the expense.

In 1760, England began issuing writs of assistance.

Three years later, in response to Native American attacks the King issued the Proclamation of 1763.

Tensions Rise Between Great Britain and the Colonies

The proclamation line forbade the colonists from settling west of the Appalachian mountains.

It also put the territory under British control.

Colonist resented the restrictions and many ignored the proclamation.

Beginning in the mid 1760s, Parliament passed a series of laws and taxes that made the Americans mad. The Quartering Act, Stamp Act, Declaratory Act

In protest, the colonist imposed a boycott of British goods.

Tensions Rise Between Great Britain and the Colonies cont.

A group called the Sons of Liberty took it upon themselves to enforce the boycotts and used violence and intimidation to prevent implementation of British laws.

In 1767 Parliament passed the Townshend Acts.

Colonist reacted very violently and the British sent in troops into Boston.

On March 5, 1770, British soldiers felt threatened by a mob of angry protesters and fired shots.

Several colonist were dead, and this became known as the Boston Massacre.

Tensions Rise Between Great Britain and the Colonies cont.

Shortly after the massacre, the Townshend Acts (except for the duty on tea) and tensions subsided.

Years of salutary neglect would not allow Americans to accept England's strong hold over them.

One group took bold action in December 1773, when it dressed as Mohawk Indians, and marched to the Boston harbor.

Once there they raided ships and threw the Boston tea overboard. (Boston Tea Party)

In response Parliament passed the Coercive Acts (the colonist labeled them Intolerable Acts)

These acts closed the Boston harbor .

The Revolutionary Cause

To deal with the crisis, nearly every colony gathered for the First Continental Congress in September 1774.

The Congress wrote a letter to the King, and stated they had a right to be represented in their government.

Since they were not represented in Parliament they should be allowed to govern themselves.

In April 1775, all hope was lost for a peaceful resolution when fighting broke out at Lexington and Concord.

British troops were on their way to seize arms and ammunition when they were met by colonial militia.

This became known as the “Shot heard around the world” that started the American Revolution”

The Revolutionary Cause cont.

Less than a month later colonial delegates met for the Second Continental Congress to discuss how to deal with the situation.

In January 1776, Thomas Paine published his famous pamphlet, Common Sense.

In it he made a compelling case for Independence.

The Second Continental Congress eventually stopped seeking resolution with England and instead drafted the Declaration of Independence.

The Revolutionary Cause cont.

Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence.

He was influenced by men like John Locke and the Enlightenment.

Jefferson asserted the principle of egalitarianism and proclaimed that men are born with certain inalienable rights.

The Declaration concluded with a list of complaints against the King and asserts the colonist right to declare independence.

Once it was signed, the 13 colonies became states.

The Declaration’s ideas also formed the groundwork for the United states Constitution

The Declaration of Independence

King George didn’t expect a long war. Britain possessed the worlds best army and navy.

There was no way the colonist could beat this force.

The colonist had one advantage, they were fighting for their homeland.

Many colonist knew the British tactics after fighting along side them in the F&I War.

Colonial leaders also knew if they failed they would all hang for treason.

THEY HAD TO WIN!!!

The War for Independence

Not all colonists supported independence, Loyalist remained loyal to the king.

Landowners in the south who depended on the British for protection and certain businesses who relied on economic relations with England did not war.

Patriots wanted independence from Great Britain.

Loyalist and Patriots

In July of 1775, George Washington, arrived having been newly appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army.

George Washington

Fighting broke out in the south as early as 1775.

On June 28, 1776, South Carolina militia resisted an attack on Charleston.

By the summer of 1780, General Cornwallis had seized both Savannah and Charleston.

Cornwallis sought to invade North Carolina but the Battle of Kings Mountain and Cowpens ended in defeat for him.

Small bands led by people like Francis Marion (nicknamed the Swamp Fox) and Thomas Sumter (nicknamed the Gamecock) grew in numbers and cause headaches for the British.

Eventually Cornwallis did invade NC, then marched his men to Yorktown, Virginia, where he hope to receive what he needed from British ships.

The Southern War

Realizing Cornwallis was trapped at Yorktown, Washington marched south to trap him between the Continental Army and the Atlantic Ocean.

Meanwhile the French Navy provided a blockade that prevented British ships from coming to Cornwallis’s rescue.

On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington at Yorktown.

Yorktown officially ended the Revolutionary War.

The war officially ended in 1783 when the two sides signed the Treaty of Paris.

Great Britain formally recognized U.S. independence.

Yorktown

Establishing a Government

In the beginning the newly independent state were cautious about giving to much power to the central government.

They preferred a confederation in which each state would maintain its sovereignty.

For this reason, Congress drafted the Articles of Confederation, this was the nations first set of laws.

Finally ratified in 1781, the AOC failed because it did not give enough power to the federal government.

Congress was unable to pass a law because it took at least nine of the thirteen states to agree.

Since states had different interests this seldom happened.

Articles of Confederation

The Articles did not allow the government to impose taxes.

The federal government had to ask the states for money.

After the revolution the United States experienced an economic crisis.

The value of U.S. currency was very low.

Articles of Confederation cont.

Falling farm prices left many farmers unable to repay outstanding loans.

At the same time, Massachusetts raised taxes (states could)

Outraged, a Massachusetts farmer and Revolutionary war veteran name Daniel Shay led a rebellion.

Without an adequate national government, Massachusetts was forced to deal with the revolt alone. This event made it evident a stronger central government was needed.

Leaders called a convention to revise the AOC…

In 1787, a delegation met in Philadelphia to revise the AOC.

They decide to do away with the document and write a new set of laws. The result was the U.S. Constitution.

This caused much debate therefore a number of compromises emerged.

The Constitutional Convention and Ratification

Edmund Randolph and James Madison of Virginia introduced the Virginia Plan.

They proposed a federal government made up of three branches.

Legislative Branch, Executive Branch, Judicial Branch

For the Legislative Branch the Virginia Plan called for two houses with representatives from each state.

In each house, the number of representatives per state would be based on population.

Larger states loved this idea but smaller states hated it because they would be left with less representation.

The Great Compromise

As a result one of New Jersey’s delegates proposed the New Jersey Plan. It also had three branches.

The New Jersey plan only called for one house with each state getting one vote.

In the end the delegates decide on a compromise.

It became known as the Great Compromise.

It established a legislative branch with two houses.

One house, House of Representatives elected by the people with each state granted seats based on population.

The other house, called the Senate, would be elected by state legislatures, with each state having two senators, regardless of population.

Together these two houses would comprise Congress…

The Great Compromise cont.

Slavery also proved to be a point of contention.

Northern states had fewer slaves and argued that since slaves were not voting citizens, they should not be counted as part of the population.

Southern states had far more slaves and wanted to count them.

The answer to this question was important because it affected how many representatives each state would have in congress.

Again, a compromise was reached. It was know as the three-fifths compromise.

The Three-Fifths Compromise

Debate about the slave trade resulted in the Slave Trade Compromise.

Northerners opposed the slave trade but allowed it to continue for twenty years.

After this Congress could impose regulations.

This was important to the Southerners who insisted their economy could not survive without the slave trade.

The Slave Trade Compromise

There were also controversy surrounding the new constitution.

Many favored the Constitution because they believed the U.S. needed a strong federal government with a powerful president.

Others opposed it because they feared a strong federal government would trample their rights.

Those that supported the Constitution were called Federalist.

Those that opposed them and wanted a stronger state government were called Anti-Federalist.

Federalist vs. Anti-Federalists

Federalist had a loose interpretation of the Constitution.

They believed the Constitution allowed the federal government to take certain actions not specifically stated as long as it was necessary.

The Anti-Federalist held a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

They believed the federal government could only do what the Constitution specifically said.

To make their case for the Constitution, the Federalist wrote a series of essays known as the Federalist Papers.

Another compromise was reached and although the Federalist won, the Anti-Federalist did secure a Bill of Rights.

Federalist vs. Anti-Federalists cont.

Hamilton, Jefferson, and the Emergence of Political Parties

When the U.S. government took power in 1789, the nation was deep in debt and the value of currency was low.

Alexander Hamilton proposed a plan. Take on states debts that was largely due to the war.

To raise revenue and strengthen the economy, Hamilton wanted to establish an excise tax on whiskey and impose tariffs.

He believed this would strengthen and protect U.S. businesses and start a national bank.

Thomas Jefferson opposed this plan, because he had a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

Southerners opposed this plan because they were against tariffs.

Hamilton’s Economic Plan

Tariffs would lessen competition from foreign countries and raise prices.

Southerners also didn’t want to help pay the debts of other states.

The whiskey tax was very unpopular among farmers.

Many farmers made their money from converting grain into whiskey.

Their protest led to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.

President Washington had to organize a military force to halt their resistance.

Hamilton’s Economic Plan

Shortly before President Washington left office he gave a farewell address.

He emphasized three points.

1.The U.S. should stay neutral and avoid permanent alliances with other nations.

2.He believed good government is based on religion and morality.

3.He spoke about the dangers of forming political parties. (He warned political parties would cause people to work for their special interests rather than for the public good.)

The Rise of Political Parties

Despite Washington’s warnings, opposing political parties did form.

The Federalist Party believed in a strong national government.

Felt political power should be entrusted to the educated upper classes and supported business over agriculture.

Alexander Hamilton was their key figure.

The Democratic-Republicans arose in opposition of the Federalist.

They favored stronger state governments and a weaker national government.

They favored small farms and debtors and their leader was Thomas Jefferson.

The Rise of Political Parties cont.

Debt was not the only problem facing the new nation. Global politics was another major source of concern.

As a result Congress passed the Naturalization Act, the Alien Act, and the Sedition Act.

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison produced a response to the Alien and Sedition Act called the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.

This became known as the Doctrine of Nullification.

With the end of the War of 1812, the Federalist Party faded.

Conflicts between the Federalist and the Democratic-Republicans

Principles of the Constitution

The Founding Fathers of the United States based the U.S. Constitution on the ideals of limited government and the rule of law. In the United States, the government must abide by the Constitution.

The U.S. Constitution founded a republican government.

A Republican government is one where members of an elite, leadership class, represents members of society overall.

Under the Constitution, only males who owned property could originally vote.

Over time, the U.S. government changed to be more of a democracy.

In a democracy, the people elect leaders directly.

The 17th Amendment allowed private citizens to elect U.S. Senators instead of relying on state legislatures to do so.

Eventually Presidents were elected directly.

Republicanism and Democracy

In order to prevent any one leader from becoming to powerful, the framers made sure that the new government featured a separation of powers.

This is where each branch shares governmental authority.

To make sure that no one branch tries to use its authority to overpower the others, the framers of the Constitution included a system of checks and balances.

Ex. Congress has the power to propose and pass bills that become laws. The president however has the authority to check this power by vetoing (rejecting the bill) Congress can still pass it if they have enough votes to override the Presidents veto. (2/3)

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances

THE PREAMBLE AND ARTICLE I

The first sentence of the U.S. Constitution is known as the Preamble.

It serves to explain the purpose and intent of the document.

The Preamble is followed by seven articles that establish the U.S. government.

The articles are followed by twenty seven amendments.

These are additions to the Constitution.

Sections of the U.S. Constitution

THE PREAMBLE AND ARTICLE I (The Legislative Branch) cont.

Article I established the legislative branch, known as Congress. It is the role of the legislative branch to make the laws.

Congress consist of two houses. Population determines how many representatives each state has in the House of Representatives. (435)

The second house is the Senate, which is comprised of two senators from each state. (100)

Sections of the U.S. Constitution

ARTICLE II(The Executive Branch)

Article II establishes the executive branch of government to enforce the laws.

The president of the United states serves as the chief executive of this branch.

The president is elected to office by the electoral college.

The Constitution list the qualifications for president and defines his or her powers and responsibilities.

Sections of the U.S. Constitution

ARTICLE III(The Judicial Branch)

Article III creates the Judicial Branch. This branch consist of the federal court system with the Supreme court acting as the highest court in the land.

One of the most important powers of the judicial branch is not specifically granted by the Constitution, but rather established by precedence in 1803 (Marbury v. Madison)

Precedence means a court uses past legal decisions to make rulings because the law is open to interpretation, or there is no written statute.

If Congress passes a law and the president signs it, the federal courts can still nullify it by ruling it violates the Constitution.

Sections of the U.S. Constitution

THE BILL OF RIGHTS

Congress passed the Bill of Rights in 1789 for the purpose of protecting civil liberties.

Greatly influenced by the English Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence, these ten amendments are known as the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Sections of the U.S. Constitution