1. The United States declares it’s Independence!!
Chapter 2
The United States declares it’s Independence!!

2. Declaration of Independence
In 1776 Congress named 5 people to prepare a proclamation of independence.
Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman.
However, Thomas Jefferson did almost all of the writing.
After the Declaration of Independence was created the colonies began drafting their own constitutions.

3. Constitutions Constitutions shared these four concepts
1) popular sovereignty
2) Limited government
3) Civil Rights
4) Separation of powers; checks and balances

4. Chapter 2
The Articles of Confederation became the first National Constitution and was created by those involved in the 2nd Continental Congress.
However, the Articles of Confederation proved to be very weak which eventually called for the Founding Fathers to get rid of it and replace it with the U.S. Constitution
In 1783 the Treaty of Paris was signed officially ending the Revolutionary War

5. Articles of Confederation
were so weak, chaos broke out in the colonies.
Meetings began to try and restore order and form some sort of national government
Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to try and solve these problems.
This Convention was called the Constitutional Convention

6. The Framers began to debate ….
Virginia Plan- government would have 3 branches . The legislature would be bicameral and the lower house( House of Representatives) would be voted in by the people
New Jersey Plan- called for a unicameral legislature in which each colony would be represented equally no matter the size

7. Summary of two plans….
New Jersey Plan = each state represented equally
Virginia Plan= each state would have representation based on population
So what have we learned that the Framers had to do????

8. COMPROMISE
Connecticut Compromise also known as the Great Compromise said there would be two houses. One house of the legislature would be with equal Representation, whereas the other house would be based on a state’s population

9. COMPROMISE
After the Connecticut Compromise the delegates also debated about whether or not slaves should count in the state’s population
3/5’s Compromise said that all free people would count and that 3 out of every 5 slaves would count toward a state’s population.

10. Write this down!!!!!
Those who supported the ratification of the Constitution were called Federalists and those who opposed it were called Anti-Federalists.

11. Ratification Means to give formal approval.
In May of 1790 Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the Constitution

12. Quiz…..
Q1) This term refers to the belief that government is not all powerful and people have certain rights that cannot be taken away.
Q2) This document signed in 1215 by King John gave the upper class rights such as trial by jury, due process of law, and rights of life, liberty or property

13. Quiz continued
Q3) This is a written grant of authority from the king. Hint: all of the colonies were established on this basis.
Q4) Where (in what city) did the First and Second Continental Congress meet?
Q5) Name one event that occurred that stirred up unrest among the colonists due to their treatment of the British. (Answers will vary)