1. The United States Constitution

2. The Constitutional Convention
In 1787, 55 delegates met in the State House in Philadelphia (the same place where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776). They met for 4 months to create a new constitution for a new federal government. This was the Constitutional Convention.

3. What is a Constitution?
A constitution is a plan of government with a set of rules and laws. It outlines the rules we follow and what freedoms and rights we have as citizens.

4. Articles of Confederation
First the country created the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation didn’t give the central government enough power to keep the states united. Congress couldn’t raise money through taxes or control trade.

5. A NEW plan for government
Congress decided they needed a better plan that gave more power to central government. The government would have representatives from each state. Americans argued over how many delegates would represent each state in the government.

6. A NEW Plan for Government
Some people wanted the number of representatives to be based on population size. Others thought each state should have the same number of representatives so that every state had the same vote.
The two plans were called the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey plan. Which plan was which?

7. The Great Compromise
Eventually there was a compromise. Congress was divided into 2 houses. In the House of Representatives, members serve for 2 years and the number is based on the state’s population. In the Senate, states elect 2 representatives that serve for 6 years.

8. The Great Compromise Senate House of Representatives
2 senators represent each state
Number of representatives based on population
Kay Hagan
Democrat
Richard Burr
Republican

9. Three-Fifths Compromise
The Northern states had a higher population then the south. Southerners wanted to count enslaved African-Americans when calculating the number of representatives but not towards how much tax they would pay the federal government.

10. Three-Fifths Compromise
Northerners wanted to count enslaved African-Americans towards how much tax the Southern states would pay the federal government but not towards the number of representatives given to the South.

11. Three-Fifths Compromise
A compromise was reached. It counted enslaved African-Americans as three-fifths of a person to determine the number of representatives that state would have in Congress and how much tax they would pay to the federal government.

12. 3 Branches of Government
Americans were worried about giving anyone too much power. The Constitutional Congress therefore created 3 branches of government:
the Executive (President),
the Legislative (2 Houses of Congress)
the Judicial (Supreme Court)
Each branch of government shared power so no group or person had too much power.

13. 3 Branches of Government
This created a system of checks and balances. Each branch has power over the other 2 so no branch may abuse power.
The constitution explains the powers of each branch:
Legislative Article I
Executive Article II
Judicial Article III

14. To be elected President
Must be 35 years old
Must be a natural-born citizen
Must have lived in the United States for 14 years

15. All three branches of government work with laws
All three branches of government work with laws. First, the Legislative branch makes the law. Second, the Executive branch executes (carries out) the law. Last, the Judicial branch interprets (explains the meaning of) the law. Each branch has an effect on the other.

16. Problems with Ratification
Not everyone liked the new constitution. Many states still worried about giving the federal government more power than the states. North Carolina was divided. The country was separated into Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

17. Federalists VS. Anti-Federalists
The Federalists wanted the constitution passed. The Anti-Federalists were worried that the Federal Government would be too powerful and people might lose their rights.
Don’t put up any resistance! Just keep in step.

18. Bill of Rights
North Carolina refused to sign the Constitution unless there was a guarantee that the Bill of Rights would be added.
The Bill of Rights is a list of the basic human rights that are guaranteed by the law.
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments.

19. N.C. remains Skeptical
Although North Carolina ratified the constitution in 1789, they remained concerned about how much power the federal government had. N.C. pushed hard for state’s rights, the belief that states could declare independence when they believed the federal government was abusing their power.
Nathaniel Macon, a leading North Carolinian, began calling for “republican simplicity”. This was the belief that people should depend on first themselves, then their families, and lastly their neighbors.

20. N.C. remains Skeptical
Most southerners basically wanted the federal government to stay out of the way. This remained a debate all through the 19th century. Eventually the southern states decided to declare their belief in state’s rights over the issue of slavery. They fought to break away from the country in the
Civil War.