A New Nation
A New Nation The Colonies had declared their freedom from Great Britain They were 13 separate colonies who needed to unite for strength They formed a committee to draft a document which would explain how the new government would be run
The Articles of Confederation
Powers given to Congress
The Articles of Confederation just weren’t working
They met in Philadelphia
50 delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies in May of 1787
The Great Compromise
The Constitution was written
They made 3 branches of the government, so that no one person or group would have all the power
The Legislative Branch – they make the laws for our country Their offices are in the US Capital building in Washington, D.C. They have their meeting there.
The Senate – each state gets two senators to represent them Virginia’s senators are Mark Warner and Tim Kaine
House of Representatives – determined by population of state
The Judicial Branch is made up of the Supreme Court justices
9 justices serve on this court. The leader is called the chief justice
The Executive Branch is made up of our president and his cabinet
The President’s cabinet is made up of people who give him information and advise him
Some of the departments of the president’s cabinet
Each branch has its own responsibilities
So that no one branch can have more power than the other two, we have checks and balances
First President George Washington
He chose a cabinet – a group of men he trusted to help him make good decisions
He found a site for our new capital
He set up our federal court system including the Supreme Court
Differing opinions
James Madison Father of the Constitution
The Federalist
The Bill of Rights
Second President John Adams
He was the first president elected in a two-party system
When John Adams won the election, Thomas Jefferson became his vice president
Third President Thomas Jefferson
The Louisiana Purchase
Fourth President James Monroe
The Monroe Doctrine
Fifth President James Madison
The War of 1812
The Star Spangled Banner