1. Declaration of Independence Articles of Confederation
Government
Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
Constitution
14th Amendment

2. Declaration of Independence
Colonists grievances against GB
Written primarily by Jefferson
Adopted July 4, 1776
Declaration of Independence

3. Declaration of Independence
Enlightenment Influence
Hobbes – state of nature
Rousseau – Social Contract
de Montesquieu – separation of powers
Locke
Hobbes – wrote Leviathan; man primal; must create social contract w/govt to live in civil society
Rousseau – legitimate state of authority derived from consent of governed
Declaration of Independence

4. Declaration of Independence
John Locke
Natural Rights
Consent of the Governed/Popular Sovereignty
Limited Govt
“life, liberty, and property”
Natural rights – opposite of divine right theory (absolute rulers of Europe); rights inherent in human beings; not dependent on govt
Consent of governed – govt derives authority by sanction of people; state’s legitimacy created by consent of governed
Limited Govt – restrictions should be placed on govt to protect natural rights of citizens
Declaration of Independence

5. Articles of Confederation
Overview
First document to govern US
Adopted 1777, ratified in 1781
Confederate govt – “league of friendship and perpetual union”
Strengths
Permanent union of states
Congress established
Decentralization – assured no recreation of GB
Expanded middle class; not all power w/elite
Spread of equality and democratic ideals
After Revolution power/economic shift in state legislatures from wealthy to middle class (landowners, farmers, merchants)
Articles of Confederation

6. Articles of Confederation
Weaknesses
Congress few powers
No power to tax
No power to raise military
No interstate commerce or common currency
No Prez or national court system
Power in states
Articles of Confederation

7. Articles of Confederation
Aborted Annapolis Meeting
Attempt to change AoC September 1786
Only 12 delegates from 5 states
Called for meeting in May 1787 to further discuss changes - Constitutional Convention
Articles of Confederation

8. Constitution Attendees Enlightenment Comes to Life
55 men from 12 of 13 states
Wealthy planters & merchants
College graduates with some political experience
From coastal areas & larger cities (not rural)
Enlightenment Comes to Life
Important ideas
Economics (main)
Human nature
Preservation of property
Equality (slavery; 3/5 Compromise)
Individual rights
Post Rev War depression major economic concentration
Constitution

9. Constitution Political & Voting Equality Left to States
Equality of Representation
New Jersey Plan—equal representation in states
Virginia Plan—population-based representation
Connecticut Compromise (the Great Compromise)
Constitution

10. Constitution Individual Rights Written into Constitution
Suspension of writ of habeas corpus
No bills of attainder
No ex post facto laws
Religious qualifications for holding office prohibited
Strict rules of evidence for conviction of treason
Right to trial by jury in criminal cases
Individual Rights Not Specified
Freedom of speech and expression
Rights of the accused
Constitution

11. Which of these was NOT among John Lockeʹs key philosophical concepts?
A) limited government
B) natural rights
C) consent of the governed
D) property rights
E) checks and balances
Answer: E
Question #1

12. Under the Articles of Confederation, most power rested with the
A) the British Parliament.
B) president.
C) United States Senate.
D) state legislatures.
E) Continental Congress.
Answer: D
Question #2

13. Which of the following was NOT a problem with the national government under the Articles of Confederation?
A) the threat of some of the Continental Army to establish George Washington as king
B) the lack of power given to state legislatures
C) the lack of an executive to lead the nation
D) the inability of the central national government to regulate foreign trade or regulate the national economy
E) the unwillingness of the states to send money requisitioned by the central national government
Answer: B
Question #3

14. Most of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention regarded what as the greatest threat to government?
A) factions
B) kings
C) slaves
D) foreign adversaries
E) charismatic leaders
Answer: A
Question #4

15. The Connecticut Compromise at the Constitutional Convention
A) resolved the impasse between those who favored the New Jersey Plan and those who preferred the Virginia Plan.
B) added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution in order to lessen concerns about too much power for the new government.
C) settled the dispute over whether slavery should be allowed in the final constitution.
D) threw out the idea of having a monarchy in the United States, opting instead for an indirectly elected president.
E) involved all of these elements
Answer: A
Question #5