Creating a Republic Ch. 7 Sec. 3 - Ideas Behind the Constitution Ch Creating a Republic Ch. 7 Sec. 3 - Ideas Behind the Constitution Ch. 7 Sec. 4 - Ratification and the Bill of Rights

The Lessons of Rome’s Republic The delegates (Founding Fathers) of the Constitutional Convention wanted to create a republic - a form of government in which citizens rule themselves through elected representatives. In order to create a government that would last, the delegates looked to ancient Greece and especially Rome as examples.

Rome - Roman citizens were willing to hold public office, not for money, but because they were devoted to the republic. - However, Rome became a dictatorship – a government in which one person or small group of people holds complete authority. - The Founding Fathers realized that a republic could not survive unless the citizens remained independent and devoted to public service.

Britain’s Tradition of Freedom Although the war had recently ended between America and England, the Founding Fathers looked to Great Britain’s traditions of freedom. Magna Carta – held numerous principles that helped to shape American government: The king had to obey the laws. Taxes could not be raised without consent of Parliament. Nobles had certain rights that were extended to other classes – rights to property, and trial by jury.

English Bill of Rights Passed in England in 1689, it upheld the Magna Carta and guaranteed additional rights. 1. Stated that elections should be held regularly. 2. Upheld trial by jury. 3. Allowed citizens to bear arms. 4. Habeas Corpus – no person can be held in prison without being charged with a specific crime.

The American Experience Americans had already been relying on long traditions of representative government, such as the Virginia House of Burgesses. They also had documents that spelled out the powers and limitations of government, such as the Mayflower Compact. The Founding fathers remembered the abuses of the king and their grievances against him; their goal in writing the Constitution was to prevent these from happening again. They created a court system that was independent of the President and the legislature.

Enlightenment Influences The Founding Fathers had been influenced by many Enlightenment thinkers; therefore they included some of these ideas in the Constitution. John Locke – English Enlightenment thinker who held that all people were born with natural rights – such as life, liberty and property. He also stated that government was an agreement between the ruler and the ruled – the ruler must enforce the laws and protect the people, if the ruler fails to do so then the people have the right to rebel.

Enlightenment Influences The framers of the Constitution wanted to protect the rights of the people and limit the power of government. They saw the Constitution as a contract between the government and the people. Baron de Montesquieu French Enlightenment thinker who stressed the ideas that government should be clearly defined and divided up. Suggested three branches of government - The legislative, executive, and judicial. This idea is known as the separation of powers.

In writing the Constitution,. the Founding Fathers In writing the Constitution, the Founding Fathers drew on many traditions and created a government that was unlike any that had ever existed before.

Debate Over Ratification In order for the Constitution to go into effect, 9 of the 13 states had to ratify (approve) it. In 1787-1788 delegates in each state were elected and sent to a special convention to discuss ratification of the Constitution. Supporters of the Constitution were called Federalists because they favored a strong federal government. They argued that the national government under the Articles of Confederation was too weak and inefficient. Federalists argued their points in a series of essays known as The Federalist Papers – written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.

Debate Over Ratification Antifederalists, such as Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams, felt that the Constitution made the national government too strong and the states too weak. They also argued that the president had too much power. Although George Washington was expected to become the first president, antifederalists argued that future presidents may lack Washington’s honor and skill. They were afraid that a strong president could become another tyrant. They also argued that the Constitution had no bill of rights to protect the rights of citizens.

Debate Over Ratification Several states refused to ratify the constitution unless a bill of rights was added. Federalists eventually agreed that it would be added. June 1788 – New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify meaning that it could now go into affect, New York ratified in July and in May 1790 Rhode Island became the 13th state to ratify – making it unanimous. January 1789 – George Washington became the first president. The Constitution was amended (changed) to include the Bill of Rights - the first ten amendments were ratified by ¾ of the states by December 1791.