Unit Six: Creating a Nation Principles of American Government

Effects of Creating a Nation After the Declaration of Independence was sent, the Americans were left with the job of creating a new nation. The first job was to turn the colonial governments into individual state governments. The Second was to form a new central government with a Constitution (written plan of government) to give the Second Continental Congress the ability to run the war effort. The biggest questions were how should they be formed, what rights do the people have, and how much power the government should be given.

Precedents for American Government The Founding Fathers pulled from over the whole period of World History to make what they believed the best government. The Greeks (Athens) supplied the idea of Direct Democracy. (total control by the people) –Direct Democracy- all citizens meet, discuss, and vote on all issues (town meetings) The Romans supplied the idea of a Republican form of government with Representative Democracy. (Semi control by the people) –Representative Democracy- people elect officials to meet, discuss, and vote on issues in the place of the citizens.

Precedents for American Government The British played a major part in the formation of the American governments: –The Magna Carta (Great Charter) signed in 1215 was the first document to limit the power of a king and allow for a legislative body of the people. –The English Bill of Rights was a document that was a set number of rights that protected the people from the government and could not be taken away. –British Common Law were laws not written or made by a legislature, but were rulings by judges.

Precedents for American Government The Enlightenment also shaped the formation of the government: –John Locke in his Second Treatise of Government stated natural rights and the role of government. –Francis Bacon in his utopian novel New Atlantis described a nation of equality, reason, and etc. (believed to be North America) –François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire) in his writings spoke of freedom of religion, rule of law (laws affects everyone equally), and civil liberties.

Precedents for American Government –Sir Isaac Newton with his writings on natural law and natural rights. –Montesquieu in his work the Spirit of the Laws proposed separation of power and checks and balances in government. –Rousseau in his work the Social Contract stated that power for government comes from the people who give it the right to rule for protection and to propel the common good. –Thomas Hobbs in his works the Leviathan and Citizen talked about the need for central government, but with protection of personal liberties.

Precedents for American Government The Americans also pulled from their own personal colonial history: –The Mayflower Compact written by the pilgrims established a government not by the power of a king, but by the people and God with the people’s right to rule and run the government. –The Virginia House of Burgesses served as the example of limited representative self- government. –The Bible was used due to the religious nature of the Americans.

Creation of States The first thing the colonials had to do was shake off their colonial governments and create separate autonomous (self-governing) states. The states first had conventions (meetings) to create and write down a constitution to govern their state. People who attended the conventions were called Framers. Each state government was unique, but each shared some common characteristics.

Creation of States Most had three branches of government: a Legislative (either unicameral or Bicameral), an Executive (governor), and Judicial (Supreme Court) –Unicameral means one house and bicameral means two house legislature. Each state had a Bill of Rights for a system of protection from their own governments. Each state government was very conservative not giving to much power to the people out of fear of “mob rule”. Each state was a republican form of government with the election of representatives who were to be Public Servants. (difference between a Politician and Statesman)

Not Complete Democracy In each state the ability to vote was widened but not equal across the board. In some states religious and land qualifications remained on holding public office. Some states passed laws outlawing slavery (Quakers in Penn.), while others passed laws strengthening it (S.C. and G.A.). In Massachusetts Elizabeth Freemen sued for her freedom and won under the new state’s constitution. In Virginia they passed the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom outlawing state run churches, making for the separation of church and state.

The Articles of Confederation The next task was the creation of a Central National Government to better unify the States in the war effort. After the Deceleration of Independence was sent the Continental Congress wrote a plan of government called the Articles of Confederation which was debated then sent to the States for ratification (approval). The first Constitution for These United States was the Articles of Confederation after being approved in (Maryland was the last to ratify in 1781)

The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation (A.O.C.) formed the states into a confederation (states give some power to a weak central government, but maintain most of their own sovereignty) under a “League of Friendship”. The Central/National Government became known as the Confederation Congress with the job to direct the war and run the country.

The Articles of Confederation The A.O.C. was made up of a unicameral legislature with no Executive or Judiciary. To pass new laws it took 9/13 to approve. The A.O.C. gave only one vote to each state in Congress. An Amendment to the A.O.C. took unanimous consent of the states. The A.O.C. were considered to be weak because Congress had no power to collect taxes, regulate trade or commerce, and could not enforce its own laws.

State Sovereignty The A.O.C. was written to be a weak document because the Americans were fighting to free themselves from a strong central government and did not want to create one of their own. This caused many problems for Washington during the war because states would not send their militias, Congress could not collect taxes to pay the army, which hurt his general control over the war effort.

Washington goes Home After the signing of the Treaty of Paris 1783 and the British pulled out, Washington stopped a rebellion of the his officers for back pay, then rode to Congress in Annapolis and gave up his sword and commission. Just before going to give up his commission Washington gave an emotional farewell speech to his soldiers at a dinner in New York.

Where to go from Here After the Treaty of Paris and Washington left for his home at Mt. Vernon, Congress was left with the job of running a new country with little power. The early government had many problems, but it would be a good trial and error process for what would come next, the U.S. Constitution.