1. The Critical Period:

2. Articles of Confederation
Unicameral Legislature
No executive
No national judicial system
Equal vote per state (yes, lower case)
No army, no tax (only requests)
No regulate commerce tariff wars
Passage of laws requires 9/13
Amendment requires 13/13
GW: “"little more than the shadow without the substance."

3. Effects Massive foreign debt and rampant inflation
Weak, undermanned, underarmed Continental Army reliant on undisciplined, unreliable, ineffective state militia
Unable to enforce Treaty of Paris in West
Washington + others (nationalists, esp. Cont’l Army officers): convinced need stronger central power to corral provincial concerns
Shays’ Rebellion 1786: no taxation w/o representation
However: did successfully fight AR; reduced domestic debt (but increased international); kept Union together; Jay-Gardoqui Treaty gave Miss.R to Spain but opened Spanish colonies for trade (good for NE, bad S and W)

4. Compromises with Death: The US Constitution

5. What evidence is there for the assertion that the basic principles of the Constitution were firmly grounded in the political and religious experience of America’s colonial and revolutionary periods?
Between 1783 and 1800, the new government of the United States faced the same political, economic , and constitutional issues that troubled the British government’s relations with the colonies prior to the Revolution. Assess the validity of this generalization.

6. “A Bundle of Compromises” A. Plans
Structure
Representation
New Powers
VA Plan
(Large States)
3 Branches,
Bicameral
Pop. or $ paid to gov.
Extensive
NJ Plan
(Small States)
Unicameral
Equal rep.
Limited tax and regulation
Conn.
Comp.
H: Population
S: Equal
Extensive: esp. tax, regulate commerce, raise army

7. B. 6 Basic Principles 1. Popular sovereignty: power from the people
2. Limited government: Constitution highest law of the land (establishes regime: basic rules)
3. Separation of powers: divide power w/in Federal government (not absolute)
Legislative: Congress
Executive: President
Judicial: Supreme Court
4. Checks and balances: contain tyranny
5. Judicial review: enforcement of Constitution
6. Federalism: divide power State and Federal

8. C. Preamble of the Constitution
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

9. D. Structure Art 1: Legislature Art 2: Executive Art 3: Judiciary
Section 8: powers granted (1-8-18: Necessary and Proper); Section 9: powers denied; Section 10: powers denied to the States
Art 2: Executive
Commander-in-chief
Art 3: Judiciary
Supreme Court and jurisdiction
Art 4: Relations with the States
Guarantee “republican government”; full faith and credit and privileges and immunities national citizenship
Art 5: Amendment process
Art 6: Debts, Supremacy Clause, no religious test
Art 7: Ratification (9/13)

10. II. Compromises with Death
William Lloyd Garrison + radical abolitionists
Ironically also pro-slavery John C. Calhoun
Necessity: no slavery, no Constitution

11. A. 3/5 Compromise South: count slaves for representation
North: they can’t vote, so they shouldn’t count
Compromise: count slaves as 3/5 for population, but also for taxes (they have to pay for it)
Effect: South dominates House for years, impact on Electoral College southerners dominate Presidency

12. 1-2-3: “Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for Term of Years and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”

13. B. Commerce Clause
North: central government must regulate interstate trade (major problem AofC)
South: cannot regulate importation of slaves until 1808
1-9-1: “The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.”

14. C. Runaway Slaves South: must be able to reclaim runaways
North: don’t want to be morally implicated in returning slaves
Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin
South (esp. S. Carolina threatens secession if not included)
3-2-3: “No Person held to Service in Labor in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from Service or Labor, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labor may be due.”

15. D. Senate and Electoral College
Jefferson: “Negro President” only wins 1800 election because of disproportionate numbers as a result of 3/5
Other hand: why not 5/5? Women, Indians, non-citizen immigrants in N (growing #) couldn’t vote either; South lost voting power
Misses deeper point: Federalism a compromise required by threats from smaller States
Electoral College and Senate encourage limiting suffrage and maintaining slavery
All the power, none of the responsibility