U.S. Constitution Review Mr. Bernard American History

Shay’s Rebellion was an uprising of debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers protesting increased taxes in 1787. Daniel Shays led an army of 1,200 farmers toward the arsenal at Springfield, Massachusetts. State militia was called in to head off the army of farmers, killing four and scattering the rest.

States feared the possibility of other uprisings States feared the possibility of other uprisings. Shay’s rebellion showed the weaknesses of the new Articles of Confederation in dealing with economic problems.

Challenges The great challenge faced by the delegates sent to Philadelphia in 1787, whose meeting became known as the Constitutional Convention, was how to create a strong national government but not make it so strong that future leaders might be tempted to undermine individual liberties.

Federalists Federalists favored the new Constitution’s balance of power between the states and the national government. Federalists favored a strong national government. Alexander Hamilton

Federalist Papers The Federalist Papers consisted of 85 essays written to persuade New York and other states to ratify the new Constitution.

Anti-federalists Anti-federalists opposed having such a strong national government and thus against the Constitution (favoring strong state powers & weak federal government.) Patrick Henry

Popular Sovereignty Popular sovereignty refers to a system of government in which the people hold supreme power. Government therefore derives its power from the consent of the governed. This principle was reflected in the first words of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution: “We the People…”

Federalism The writers of the U.S. Constitution did not eliminate the states as separate sources of power. Instead, they created a system in which power was shared between the national government and the state governments called Federalism.

Separation of Powers The authors of the U.S. Constitution feared leaving too much power in the hands of any one branch of government. They therefore divided the main powers of the central government into 3 separate branches: the Legislature, the Judicial, and the Executive branches.

Delegated Powers are granted to the national government by the Constitution. Examples: control of foreign affairs, regulation of trade between the states. Pictured: President Jimmy Carter concluding a peace treaty with the Presidents of Egypt and Israel.

These powers include providing and supervising education. Reserved Powers Powers not specifically granted to the national government but kept by the states are called “reserved powers.” These powers include providing and supervising education.

Shared powers, such as the right to tax and establish courts, were shared by both the national and state governments. Courts Taxes

The Three-Fifths Compromise called for three-fifths of a state’s slaves to be counted as part of the population.

Checks and Balances The Constitution created another way of making sure that no one branch of the federal government became too powerful. It provided each branch of government with ways to “check” or limit the other branches. For example, the President has the power to appoint officials, such as the Secretary of States. However, the Senate must approve such appointments.

Bill of Rights The Anti-federalists’ demand for a bill of rights (a formal summary of citizens’ rights and freedoms) stemmed from their fear of a strong central government. States believed they would serve as protectors of the people. Bill of Rights on view at the National Archives. Washington, D.C.

Changing the Constitution The delegates provided a means of changing the Constitution through the amendment process. The delegates created a flexible Constitution. This may be the greatest quality of the Constitution. It’s ability to change as time goes by.