1. Agenda Tues 9/6 & Wed 9/7
Journal Entry #8
“Bundles” Chart Review
Declaration of Independence
Critical Period Fly-By
HW: News Article Project

2. “To rule is easy, to govern difficult.”
Journal Entry #8
“To rule is easy, to govern difficult.”
--Johann Wolfgang Goeth German poet & dramatist
What does this quote mean?

3. “Bundles” Chart Both/All Both/All Southern/ All Large, populous states
Plan/Compromise
Kind of states that benefited
Provisions (Description)
Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
Connecticut Compromise
(aka The Great Compromise)
Three-fifths Compromise
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Large, populous states
Replace A of C
3 Branches = L -- E -- J
Bicameral house based on population
Amendments to A of C
Unicameral leg w/ each state equal rep
Smaller states
Bicameral leg
Senate = equal reps
House of Reps = population
Both/All
3/5 counting of slaves for taxation & representation in Congress
Both/All
No tax on exports; Congress can regulate trade
Not outlaw slave trade until 1808
Southern/ All

4. Declaration of Independence
Read the Declaration of Independence to yourself
Group Discussion: get into 6 even groups
Declaration of Independence Questions
In your group, prepare the explanation/answer for your assigned questions as follows:
Group 1: #1-2
Group 2: #4-5
Group 3: #6
Group 4: #7-8
Group 5: #9-10
Group 6: #11-12
Everyone: #13

5. Declaration of Independence
Get into groups where you have one person from each group
1 person from Group 1, 1 person from Group 2, etc
Discuss and share your answers that you were assigned
EVERYONE should have EACH question answered by the end of this activity

6. The Critical Period After the Revolutionary War, 1781
Articles of Confederation & The Constitution

7. Critical Period 1780s The Revolutionary War ended (1781)
Treaty of Paris was signed (1783)
Problems caused by the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation surfaced.

8. First State Governments
Emerged with the revolution
Created their own constitutions
Had the following in common:
Popular Sovereignty
Govt exists with the consent of the governed
Limited Government (Rule of Law)
Separation of Powers & Checks and Balances within State governments
Civil Rights and Liberties
Majority Rule
Voting = white men, pay taxes or property owning

9. Articles of Confederation
Ratified by states 1781 (4 years after approval in Congress!)
Friendship between states
Each state = 1 vote (regardless of size)
Unicameral congress established
(no executive or judicial branch)
Congress would choose presiding officer each year
Representative democracy
Delegates were chosen by whatever means the state decided
States obligated to government, must support it for it to be successful but no real commitment

10. Mending the Articles of Confederation
No power to tax
No power to regulate trade among states or w/ other countries
Congress was one house, w/ each state having one vote
9/13 states to pass laws
13/13 to amend Articles
No enforcement or dispute settlement branch
Each state had own currency
States could ignore Congress’ laws
League of Friendship
Congress power to tax
Congress power to regulate trade, interstate & foreign
Congress has 2 houses, House based on pop, Senate equal rep
Laws passed on simple majority
¾ of states to amend
3 branches: Legislative, Executive & Judicial
Congress issues money
Constitution “Supreme Law of the Land”
Permanent union binding states

11. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
States taxed one another’s goods, some banned trade.
Shays’ Rebellion
Founders decided a new plan/government was necessary!
Led to the constitutional convention in 1787
Sent US into a “Critical Period” in the 1780s

12. Need for a Stronger Gov’t
A group of 55 delegates met in Philadelphia at Independence Hall- later became known as the Constitutional Convention.

13. The Framers of the Constitution
All were men, all were white, avg. age was 42
31 had gone to college
List included James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Ben Franklin- who was 81
They adopted a rule of secrecy. 13

14. Father of the Constitution
James Madison is known as the father of the Constitution because he was the conventions floor leader, he contributed more than most, and because he kept a close record of the proceedings. 14

15. Sources the Framers used to write the Constitution
Commentaries on the Laws of England - William Balckstone
The Spirit of the Laws - the Baron de Montesquieu
Social Contract - Jacques Rousseau
Two Treatises of Government – John Locke

16. HW: News Article Project DUE Thursday/Friday
Create a news article from 1776 about the proposed Declaration of Independence.
Include interview quotes from both those who support and oppose the document.
Must include references to at least 2 purposes of government.
Must include references to at least 3 grievances.
Neatness and creativity count!
Minimum of 350 words
Writing in ‘style’ of the times will receive EXTRA CREDIT.