1. The Documents of Freedom
Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
GA Constitution of 1777
Constitution of the United States & Bill of Rights

2. Declaration of Independence
This document was dangerous.
The people who wrote it risked their lives to do so.
This was our official notice to the King of England that we were severing (cutting) our ties to the “Mother Country.”
Since 1763, colonial governments had been sending letters and representatives to England requesting that the King lower taxes and repeal some of the Acts
After repeatedly turning down the colonists’ requests, a Continental Congress was called to do something about the situation.

3. Declaration of Independence
What are the two main ideas expressed in the preamble?
All men are created equal: given the unalienable rights of LIFE, LIBERTY & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Governments rule through the consent of the governed (the people). If the people don’t like the governments, they have the right to replace them
The Declaration was ratified by the convention and signed on July 4, 1776
That’s what’s up with all the fireworks on “Independence Day”…. DUH!!! 

4. Articles of Confederation
This was our nations’ first constitution
Why did we need a constitution anyhow?
Why did the writers create a Confederation government?

5. Articles of Confederation
Strengths
Set up a republican form of government
Established self-government under a written document
Weaknesses
Congress couldn’t levy taxes
Congress couldn’t regulate trade
Congress couldn’t force states to follow laws
Each state got one vote regardless of population
Only a Legislative branch
No Executive or Courts
Congress couldn’t’ raise an army
After the problems were recognized, why was the government hesitatnt to change the country’s first Constitution?

6. Georgia Constitution of 1777
Once we were no longer a colony and now a state, we needed a State Constitution.
Georgia’s provincial congress met to make a governing document to define the branches and powers of state government.

7. Georgia Constitution of 1777
Strengths
Separation of government branches
Protection of basic rights
Weaknesses
Most power given to unicameral legislature
Legislature elected the governor, his 12-man council & other state officials
One-house legislature with no check on power
Governor only served 1-year term limiting his power
Constitution not ratified by the people

8. Constitution of the United States
After recognizing that the Articles were too weak, a Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia in May or 1787.
The purpose of this meeting was to “fix” the Articles however, the framers quickly realized that the Articles were too messed up to fix.
They began to write a new document, creating a Stronger central government
Debates regarding slavery and population shaped the new document
Abraham Baldwin & William Few voted in ways that shaped the new government

9. Constitution of the United States
The Constitution created 3 branches of government and gave each the ability to check the powers of the other branches.
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
Debates about population and state votes created a Bi-cameral Legislature
The Great Compromise was influenced by Abraham Baldwin’s vote

10. Constitution of the United States
A group within the convention decided that individual or personal freedoms needed to be specifically listed.
Why would they feel a need to do so?
From this group’s demands, the Bill of Rights were created
These are the first 10 Amendments (changes/additions) to the Constitution
This document was sent to the states for ratification and by 1789 all states had passed this.
Georgia was the 4th state to ratify so we are the “4th State”