1. Origins of American Government
Chapter Two
Origins of American Government

2. Basic Concepts of Government
Early Units of Government/Offices
Most of the earliest units of government are still with us today
Sheriff, Coroner, Assessor, JP, grand jury, counties, townships
Also had belief in a limited government
Individual has certain rights that gov’t cannot take away

3. Basic Concepts of Government
Representative Government
Government should serve the will of the people
Gov’t of, by, and for the people

4. Landmark English Documents
Three Important documents
These documents molded the minds of the people responsible for the formation of our government
The Magna Carta
The Petition of the Right
The English Bill of Rights

5. Landmark English Documents
The Magna Carta (The Great Charter)
Signed by King John after being forced to do so in 1215
Seeking protection of heavy-handed and arbitrary acts of the king
Included fundamental rights such as:
Taking of life, liberty, or property
Unfair taxes
Excessive military campaigns
Originally only for the nobles, but over time, became standard for everyone.

6. Turn & Talk
Has their ever been instances in your life where you have reverted to something that you have experienced in the past to make changes to something that you are doing in the “now?”
Discuss with your group

7. Turn & Talk
Now think of an historical situation where something in the “now” was made possible or better by what had happened in the past…
Discuss with your group

8. Landmark English Documents
The Petition of Right
Overtime, Magna Carta was replaced by other Monarchs (400 years)
Parliament grew stronger – Representative body that had power to make laws
1628 – King Charles I asked Parliament to raise taxes
Refused
Forced king to sign petition of Right
Limited the Kings power
Could no longer issue punishment ir imprison others without consent lawfully of his peers

9. Landmark English Documents
The Petition of Right
Also insisted that king could not impose martial law – Rule by the military in time of peace
Could not force homeowners to shelter troops without consent
No taxes without parliament approval
Challenged idea of divine right – monarch must obey law of the land

10. Landmark English Documents
The English Bill of Rights
1689
Included
No standing army in peacetime
Parliamentary elections be free
No laws without parliamentary consent
No money usage by crown without consent of parliament
People can petition the king without fear of prosecution
Right to a fair trial
No excessive bail or cruel/unusual punishment

11. The English Colonies Three different kinds of colonies
Each colony had to have a Charter issued to become a colony
Led to the development of three types of colonies
Included
Royal Colonies – Under direct rule of crown
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia
Proprietary Colonies – Person granted a piece of land
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware
Charter Colonies – Charters granted to colonists, self governing
Connecticut and Rhode Island

12. The Coming of Independence
Discuss – What was England’s interest in colonization in the first place?
Turn and talk to your group
Come up with at least three reasons

13. The Coming of Independence
The Stamp Act Congress
Colonies/colonist’s were taxed heavily
Passed in 1765
Taxed everything from legal documents, business agreements, to newspapers
Colonists view was that this was taxation without representation
October 1765, all but four colonies sent reps to the Stamp Act Congress in New York
Prepared a Declaration of Rights and Grievances
Parliament repealed the Stamp Act
But stage was set…….

14. The Coming of Independence
First Continental Congress
Prompted by new laws/taxes – Mostly from the actions of the colonists…Boston Tea Party
Declaration of Rights
Sent to the King
Protested the unfair taxes
Took two months to create
Urged colonies to refuse trade with England

15. The Coming of Independence
Second Continental Congress
May 10, 1775
Britain was not complying
Even tighter restrictions
Fighting had begun though in Lexington and Concord
Basically became our nations first government
Continental army was created – George Washington
John Hancock President of Congress
Britain looked at it as treason
Lasted five years through the Articles of Confederation

16. The Coming of Independence
The Declaration of Independence
Committee was formed to prepare a document of Independence
Actually Richard Henry Lee’s idea - Resolution
Ben Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Thomas Jefferson

17. The Coming of Independence

18. The Coming of Independence
The Declaration of Independence
Adopted on July 4th, 1776
Proclaimed the existence of a new nation
With these brave words, the United States of America was born
13 colonies became free and independent states

20. State Constitutions
Each state now had to replace their charters with a constitution
New Hampshire was the first – January, 1776
Common features
Popular sovereignty –
Limited Government –
Civil Rights and Liberties –
Separation of Powers/Checks and balances -

21. State Constitutions Working in your groups….
You will define what the meaning of each of the four common features of state constitutions from previous slide
Put all information in your notes.

22. Articles of Confederation
Proposed by Richard Henry Lee who called for a “plan of confederation.”
Deliberated for 17 months
November 15, 1777 – Articles of Confederation approved by Second Continental Congress.
Ratified by 11 states within a year
Delaware – 1789
Maryland

23. Articles of Confederation
Breaking down the Articles…
Government Structure
A unicameral congress
Delegates chosen by states (however they saw fit)
Each state had one vote in congress
No executive or judicial branch
Handled by committees in congress
Congress would choose one of its members as president (presiding officer)
All civil positions appointed by congress

24. Articles of Confederation
Breaking down the Articles…
Powers of Congress
Could make war and peace
Send and receive ambassadors
Make treaties
Borrow money
Establish money system
Build a navy
Raise an army – ask states for troops
Standard weights and measures
Settle disputes among states

25. Articles of Confederation
Breaking down the Articles…
State obligations
Had to obey Articles
Provide funds and troops requested by congress
Treat citizens of other states fairly and equally
Surrender fugitives from justice to one another
Submit disputes to congress for settlement
Allow open travel and trade among the states
Responsible for protecting life and property

26. Articles of Confederation
Breaking down the Articles…
Weaknesses
Congress did not have power to tax
Had to borrow or ask states!!!!
Could not regulate trade between states
Lack of power to make states obey Articles
9 of 13 states had to agree
Difficult to amend articles
All 13 states had to agree

27. Articles of Confederation
Need for a stronger government
Why?
Who was responsible for this demand?

28. Creating the Constitution
The Framers (Delegates)
Constitutional Convention – May, Philadelphia
12/13 States represented – No Rhode Island delegates
Most were very prestigious men
Average age – 42, many in their 30’s
Real leaders
James Madison – 36
Gouverneur Morris – 35
Edmund Randolph – 34
Alexander Hamilton – 32
Benjamin Franklin – 81 – oldest
George Washington - 55

29. Creating the Constitution
Differing plans for the Constitution
The Virginia Plan
The New Jersey Plan
Compromises
The Connecticut Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise
The commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
In your groups, complete the chart for the different plans and compromises that were presented to the Second Continental Congress

30. Ratifying the Constitution
To ratify means to approve
Basically their were two groups
Federalists and Anti-Federalists
Federalists favored ratification
Anti-Federalists – Opposed it

31. Ratifying the Constitution
Anti-Federalists
Attacked every part of new document
Many were angered by:
The absence of God in the document
That states cannot print money
The increased power of the central government
The lack of a bill of rights

32. Ratifying the Constitution
Ratification
The process of ratification was tightly contested in all states
Delaware approved first in 1787
Rhode Island was last in 1790

33. Ratifying the Constitution
The Federalist
A collection of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison
Were distributed to all major newspapers in the states
Stated why the constitution should pass
Later were collected and put in book form

34. Ratifying the Constitution
September 13, 1788
11/13 states were on board
New York City – Temporary capital
March 4, 1789 – Presidential election
George Washington Elected Unanimously
John Adams elected Vice President