1. Origins of American Government
Chapter 2
Origins of American Government

2. Section 1
Our Political Beginnings

3. Basic Concepts of Government
English brought idea of political system to America
Ordered Government
Limited Government
Restrict Government
Representative Government
For the People, By the People

4. Landmark English Documents
Magna Carta “Great Charter”
In Britain in 1215, Nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta
Include rights:
Trial by Jury
Due Process of Law
Protection from arbitrary arrest

5. Landmark English Documents (Con’t)
The Petition of Right
Reinforced Due Process
Required the King to obey the law of the land
English Bill of Rights
Backbone for U.S. Constitution
Contains many of the rights included in the U.S. Bill of Rights

7. English Colonies Each established separately as charters
Written grant of authority from the king
Three kinds of colonies developed in U.S.
Royal
Proprietary
Charter
Page 31 Map

8. English Colonies Royal Colonies Proprietary Colonies Charter Colonies
Became a bicameral legislature
Bicameral means “Two Houses”
Proprietary Colonies
Governed by Proprietor
Charter Colonies
Mainly Self-Governing

9. Section 2
The Coming of Independence

10. Britain’s Colonial Policies
In theory colonies were controlled by Britain, but colonies were relatively self-governing
Changed with King George III
Began heavy trading restriction and taxation
Colonies were unhappy with the taxation
Colonist began saying “No Taxation without Representation”
Colonist still considered themselves British

11. Growing Colonial Unity
New England Confederation
Colonist in Northeastern America agreement against Indians
But dissolved in late 1600’s
The Albany Plan
Benjamin Franklin Wanted to create a congress with delegates from each colony
Power to raise military and naval Forces, make war and peace, regulate trade and tax
Declined by Colonist and King

12. Growing Colonial Unity (Con’t)
Stamp Act Congress
A reaction by the colonies to taxing on them by the crown
Created the Declaration of Rights and Grievances
Stamp Act repealed by the British Legislature, however other taxes were brought on
Protest by Colonist continue
Included the famed “Boston Tea Party”

13. First Continental Congress
More laws passed by Britain’s Parliament, which prompted a meeting of delegates from each colony in the spring of 1774
Called for a boycott on British Goods until taxes and trade regulations were repealed
Called for a second meeting later
Approved by all the colonies Legislature

14. Second Continental Congress
Began on May 10, 1775
Revolution had already begun… “Shot heard round the world”
All 13 colonies sent a representative
Created a continental army and put George Washington as General
First U.S. Government
However no written constitution held

15. Second Continental Congress (Con’t)
Declaration of Independence
Created and signed
Officially separated colonies from Britain
State Constitutions
Continued to maintain there own constitutions
Common Thread among Constitutions
Popular Sovereignty
Government exists on the consent of the governed… AKA people vote the government into existence

16. Section 3
The Critical Period

17. Articles of Confederation
Governmental Structures
Unicameral Congress
Each state had one vote
No executive or judicial branches established
Power of Congress
Make war and peace
Settle disputes among states
Etc.

18. Articles of Confederation (Con’t)
State Obligations
Obey Articles of Confederation
Pay taxes to Congress based on population
Weakness
States bickered between one another
Taxed each others imports
Weak Government and Power
Created separate form of money

20. Section 4
Creating the Constitution

21. Framers
The group of men who got together to frame the constitution in the summer of 1787
Each delegate had either:
Served in the American Revolution
Been state governors
Signed the Declaration of Independence
Attended College (Very Rare during that time)

22. Organization and Procedure
Conventions purpose was to fix the Articles of Confederation
James Madison was selected as the convention’s floor leader
Later Madison was titled “The Father of the Constitution”

23. A Momentous Decision
“Resolved… that a national Government ought to be established consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive and Judiciary.” Edmund Randolph
Changed the purpose of the Convention from fixing the Articles of Confederation, to replacing it

24. Virginia Plan
Called for 3 different branches of Government, with a bicameral Congress
House of Representatives selected by popular vote and Senate by amount of money paid
Same powers to the Central Government as given in the Articles of Confederation, but with more support
Select a “National Executive” and “National Judiciary”

25. New Jersey Plan
Wanted a unicameral Congress with each state equally represented
Add Congress limited power to tax and regulate trade between states
Called for more than one “Federal Executive”
“Federal Judiciary” appointed by Executive

26. Compromise
Most of the fighting during the convention rotated around the power of the big states and representation of the small states
Connecticut Compromise “Great Compromise”
Congress should be composed of two houses
House of Representation by population (Virginia Plan)
Senate equal by State (New Jersey Plan)

27. Compromise (Con’t) Three-Fifths Compromise
Fight over counting slaves for House of Representation
Southerners wanted full count of slaves and Northerners did not
Compromise decided that Slaves counted as 3/5 of a White, but Slaves must also be counted in tax proportions

28. Compromise (Con’t) The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Congress could not tax exports from states and would not regulate slave trade for 20 years

29. Sources of the Constitution
Historical Governments
Greece, Rome, Great Britain, and Europe
Enlightenment Writers
Blackstone, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Locke
U.S. writings
Second Continental Congress, Articles of Confederation, and State Constitutions

30. Section 5
Ratifying the Constitution

31. The Fight for Ratification
Two groups emerged after the Constitution was printed and published for the public
Federalist
Favored ratification of the Constitution
Stressed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation
Anti-Federalist
Opposed ratification of the Constitution
Did not like the increased central government powers
The Constitution lacked a Bill of Rights

32. The Fight for Ratification (Con’t)
Virginia Ratification
Swing vote in passing the Constitution was George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
New York, the last key state to ratify the Constitution
The Federalist was written to help encourage the population about the Constitution
Written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay
Published as letters in newspapers

34. Inaugurating the Government
Finally all 13 colonies ratified the Constitution by early 1789
New York City was set as the temporary Capital
Capital then moved to Philadelphia in 1790
Finally the Capital was moved to “Federal City” (Washington D.C.) in 1800
Completely designed by a French Architect