1. Chapter 2 – Origins of American Government
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5

2. Basic Concepts Brought by English Settlers
The need for an ordered social system, or government.
The idea of limited government, that is, that government should not be all-powerful.
The concept of representative government—a government that serves the will of the people.
legitimacy

3. English Documents
Magna Carta – “Great Charter” (1215) – protected barons from arbitrary acts by the king (power is not absolute)
Trial by Jury
Due Process of Law
Basic rights of life liberty and property

4. English Documents
Petition of Right (1628) – Charles I asks for tax increase, Parliament requires him to sign Petition of Right
Jury of peers
No housing of soldiers in peace time
Eliminated martial law
Rule of Law – even leaders must follow the law

5. English Documents
English Bill of Rights (1689) – James II thrown out and replaced by William and Mary, who were forced to sign bill of rights.
no standing army in peacetime
Free elections
Fair trial
No cruel and unusual punishment
No excessive bail

8. Meanwhile in the Colonies
3 types of colonies
The royal colonies were ruled directly by the English monarchy. (Mass.,NY, NJ,Va, NC, SC, Ga.) bicameral legislature
The King granted land to people in North America, who then formed proprietary colonies. (Maryland, Penn., Delaware)
The charter colonies were mostly self-governed, and their charters were granted to the colonists. (RI, Conn.) unicameral

9. British Colonial Policies
Colonies were treated largely as a confederation.
Then came George III. George liked power (restricting trade) and money (new taxes).
George III wanted the colonists to help pay for war (French and Indian War).

10. Attempts to Unite
New England Confederation (1643) – several settlements formed a “league of friendship” for defense against Native Americans
Albany Plan of Union (1754) – plan for a yearly meeting of delegates from each colony to create policy (war/military).
Stamp Act Congress (1765) – organized in protest to Stamp Act - a tax on all paper goods sold in the colonies (first opposition to Britain)

11. Growing Tensions Organized boycotts – refusal to buy certain products
Boston Massacre (1770)
Boston Tea Party (1773)

12. Colonists Unite
1st Continental Congress (1774) – response to the Intolerable Acts (Dec. of Rights), and repealed British taxes.
Shot Heard Round the World (April 19, 1775) Lexington and Concord (start of revolution)
2nd Continental Congress – served as gov’t during Revolutionary War, and wrote the Declaration of Independence July 4th, 1776.

13. Declaration of Independence
People have individual rights. If a government doesn’t provide those rights, the people have the right to rebel.
Justification for the war and separation from England.

14. John Adams

15. Articles of Confederation (Nov. 1777)
2nd national government for America
Required ratification (formal approval) of all 13 colonies
Created a unicameral (one-house) legislature
Each state has one vote

16. Weaknesses

17. America Falling Apart States making their own money.
Creating their own armies.
Taxing each others goods.
Shay’s Rebellion is the last straw.

18. Constitutional Convention
55 delegates from 12 states (all but RI)
Met to amend the Articles of Confederation
Some called the convention illegal.
Working in secrecy to avoid outside pressure
James Madison (father of the Constitution)

19. Different Constitutional Plans
The New Jersey Plan
Unicameral Congress
Equal representation for States of different sizes
More than one federal executive
The Virginia Plan
Three branches of government
Bicameral legislature
“National Executive” and “National Judiciary”

20. Constitutional Compromises
The Great Compromise
Delegates agreed on a bicameral Congress, one segment with equal representation for States, and the other with representation proportionate to the States’ populations.
The Three-Fifths Compromise
The Framers decided to count a slave as three-fifths of a person when determining the population of a State.
The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Congress was forbidden from taxing exported goods, and was not allowed to act on the slave trade for 20 years.

21. Constitutional Compromises
The Three-Fifths Compromise
The Framers decided to count a slave as three-fifths of a person when determining the population of a State.
The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Congress was forbidden from taxing exported goods, and was not allowed to act on the slave trade for 20 years.

22. Weaknesses of the Constitution
No Bill of Rights
Not Completely Democratic
Senators elected by state legislatures
President elected by electoral college
Slavery not abolished
Slave trade would end in 1808, slavery in 1865
Did not include universal suffrage
African-Americans could not vote until 1869 (15th)
Women in 1919 (19th)

23. Joe

24. The Great Debate Anti-Federalists – opposed ratification
No bill of rights
Powerful central government
Federalists – supported ratification
Articles were too weak
States had their own bill of rights
Separation of Powers limited the government

25. Ratification 9 states required
New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify in June of 1788
Inauguration of the government did not happen until Virginia and New York ratified two months later.