1. Origins of American Governement
Unit 1
Origins of American Governement

2. Basic Concepts of Government
Ordered Government – The colonists saw a need for regulation and created many of the government offices that had they had used in England.
Examples: Sheriff, Coroner, Grand Jury, Assessor

3. Basic Concepts of Government
Limited Government – Citizens have certain individual rights. Government does not have absolute power.

4. Basic Concepts of Government
Representative Government – Citizens elect representatives to make decisions for the people and are responsible to the people.

5. Landmark English Documents
Magna Carta (1215) – “The Great Charter”
- Limited the power of the King (Rule of Law)
- Protected the right to trial by jury and due process of the law

6. Landmark English Documents
Petition of Right (1628)
- King could not imprison subjects without the lawful judgment of his peers
- King could not use military to rule during peacetime or let soldiers live in people’s homes

7. Landmark English Documents
English Bill of Rights (1689) expanded the powers of the people and the English parliament while limiting the rights of the King:
- Forbade keeping an army during peacetime
- Required all parliamentary elections be free
- Guaranteed a fair and speedy trial
- Forbade cruel and unusual punishments and excessive bail

8. Discussion
What similarities do you notice between the landmark English documents and our laws today?

9. Government in the Colonies
Royal Colonies were governed with a BICAMERAL (two-house) legislature.
These colonies were under direct control of the King. The upper house was the governor’s council (named by the king) and the lower house was elected by property owners that were qualified to vote.

10. Government in the Colonies
Royal Colonies were controlled by the King. Laws passed by the legislature had to be approved by the Governor and the Crown.

11. Government in the Colonies
Proprietary Colonies were governed with either a bicameral legislature (Maryland and Delaware) or a UNICAMERAL (one-house) legislature (Pennsylvania). Proprietary colonies were governed by the owner, whom had been granted the land by the King.

12. Government in the Colonies
Charter Colonies were self-governing.
White, male property owners elected the governors. Laws made by the legislature did not have to be approved by the king. Examples of charter colonies before the Revolution were Connecticut and Rhode Island.

13. Discussion
If all of the colonies had been charter colonies, do you think there still would have been a revolution?

14. Colonial Unity
“Taxation without representation” led many colonists to begin a BOYCOTT of English goods, or a refusal to buy or sell their products and services.
A new set of laws meant to punish the colonists, known as the Intolerable Acts, led to a meeting of the colonies.

15. Colonial Unity
Representatives, or DELEGATES, from the colonies met in Philadelphia on September 5, This was known as the First Continental Congress. They wanted the colonies to continue the boycott until the taxes and regulations from England were REPEALED.
“Repealed” is to be withdrawn.

16. Colonial Unity
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, after the Revolution had begun. This became the nation’s first national government. They drafted and adopted the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, announcing their independence.

17. Colonial Unity
Congress needed to find a way to unite the colonies…

18. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
In 1777, the Americans wrote their first plan for government in a document called the
ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

19. The Articles of Confederation
Each state was _________________ and had its own ________________.
Each state would send _______________ to the “Congress of the Confederation.”
The Congress was the only ____________ government. There was no ___________.
In Congress, each state got _______ vote.
independent
government
representatives
central
President
one

20. The Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation created a weak central government and gave sovereignty to the States.
It took four years for the RATIFICATION, or formal approval, of the Articles of Confederation to take place. The last State to ratify it was Maryland.

21. The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation gave Congress 10 powers:
Make war and peace
Send and receive ambassadors
Make treaties
Borrow money
Set up a monetary system

22. The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation gave Congress 10 powers:
6. Establish post offices
7. Build a navy
8. Raise army by asking States for troops
9. Fix uniform standards of weights and measures
10. Settle disputes among States

23. The Articles of Confederation
Hey, this sounds great!
Wait! Not so fast…
States get to keep their ______ and ____________
No _____________ telling the states what to do
Congress had the power to create a _________ to ________all the states
Congress had no way to __________ its _______!
Congress had no power to collect _________ to pay for the military!
The Articles could only be _________ if ______ the states agreed!
power
independence
enforce
laws
government
taxes
military
protect
changed
ALL

24. The Articles of Confederation
Wait! Not so fast…
States got one vote, regardless of their size
A 9/13 majority needed to pass laws
Congress powerless to regulate foreign and interstate commerce
No national court system
The Articles were only a “firm league of friendship”

25. The Articles of Confederation
People began to recognize the need for a stronger CENTRAL government and began meeting in seeking to change it. In 1786, only FIVE of the thirteen states sent representatives to the convention to discuss a federal plan. In February 1787, Congress called upon the States to send representatives to Philadelphia for the CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

26. The Articles of Confederation
The delegates that attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia are known as the FRAMERS.
The Framers agreed early on that they were creating a NEW government and began writing a new Constitution over the next 116 days.

27. Battle of the Plans The Virginia Plan The New Jersey Plan
Legislative branch has ___ “chambers”
Number of votes for each state depends on the state’s ___________
________ states would have more power
Three branches of gov’t 2
Legislative branch has ___ “chamber”
Each state gets ___ vote
________ states would have more power
No strong and separate branches of government 1 1
population
Smaller
Larger
(Virginia was a large state, and New Jersey was a small state. Surprise!)

28. Battle of the Plans 2 Houses Representation based on population
The Virginia Plan
The New Jersey Plan
2 Houses
Representation based on population
3 branches of government
1 House
Equal representation
3 branches of government
Wanted to central gov. to be weaker than the state governments
(Virginia was a large state, and New Jersey was a small state. Surprise!)

29. Connecticut Compromise
Legislative:
Makes laws
Divide Congress Into Two Houses
Senate
House of Representatives
Each state gets 2 votes.
The more people the state has, the more votes it gets!
Executive:
Carries out laws
Judicial:
Interprets laws

30. Three-Fifths Compromise
This was all about how the people of the states would be counted towards population.
North wanted only voting citizens who paid taxes to be counted towards the population.
South wanted slaves to be counted to bump up their numbers.
Remember: The most people gets the most votes in the House of Representives!

31. Three-Fifths Compromise
Solution
Every 3 out of 5 slaves would be counted towards population (made South happy)
These 3 out of 5 slaves would also be counted for taxes (made the North happy)

32. Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Congress needed the power to regulate foreign and interstate trade, but the southern States were afraid Congress would tax their agricultural exports.
Translation: Congress wanted to put tariffs (taxes) on imports to help make money and protect American businesses
South was worried about giving the national gov. that much power...they might look into other things...

33. Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Solution
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise –
Congress was given the power to tax
Congress couldn’t tax a State’s exports
Congress couldn’t take action against the slave trade for 20 years.

34. Constitution
The Constitution was often called a “Bundle of Compromises”.

35. Ratification
Remember: How many State legislatures had to agree to make amendments to the Articles of Confederation?

36. Ratification
For this reason, the Framers saw the Constitution as a replacement for the Articles of Confederation, not as an amendment.

37. Ratification
Those that favored ratifying the Constitution were known as Federalists.
Examples: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Marshall

38. Ratification
Those that opposed ratifying the Constitution were known as Anti-Federalists.
Examples: Patrick Henry, James Monroe, Sam Adams, John Hancock