1. VUS.5

2.   If you were to create a school, what would it be like? What kind of policies would it have? Work with a partner and come up with a plan to establish your new school. Rules and regulations are a necessity. If you were in charge…

3.   The Second Continental Congress drafted the Articles of Confederation in 1777.  The Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781.  Two issues delayed ratification  How each state was going to be represented  The disposition of claims of Western land The First Government

4.   Why were the Articles the greatest flop?  A weak national government  Congress had no power to tax or regulate commerce  Provided for no common currency  Gave each state one vote regardless of size  Provided for no executive or judicial branch Weaknesses Abound

5.   In 1786 the American economy was in a deep depression and the shortage of currency made it difficult for people to pay their taxes and debts  Farmers feared foreclosure so under Daniel Shays, they blockaded the courthouse to keep it from doing business and then attacked the federal arsenal  The inability of the central government to put this rebellion down convinced many people for a stronger government Shays’ Rebellion

6.   Convened in 1787 to revise the Articles  Scrapped the Articles and started all over again-in total secret  THINK: Why would they have to do this in secret? Constitutional Convention

7.   George Washington, president of the Convention  Presides over the Convention and lent his enormous prestige to the proceedings  James Madison, “Father of the Constitution”  Brilliant political philosopher and led debates and kept notes of the proceedings  Authored the “Virginia Plan”, proposing a government of three branches  Authored much of the Bill of Rights Constitutional Leaders

8.   Bicameral legislature with representation based on population  Legislature would choose the executive and judiciary  Legislature could veto the state legislation Virginia Plan

9.   Unicameral legislature  Powers of existing Congress would be expanded to enable it to levy taxes and trade  Each state has one vote New Jersey Plan

10.   Bicameral legislature  Lower house (House of Representatives)  Upper house (Senate) “The Great Compromise”

11.   What do we do with slavery issue in the south?  Slavery should not be counted because it adds numbers to the Southern states  Slaves should be counted like free men, because it added numbers to the Southern states  Compromise  Slaves count as 3/5 of a person People or not?

12.   Federal law the supreme law of the land when constitutional, but granted states major rights as well  Balanced power between large and small states  New Jersey vs Virginia  Connecticut wins!  Slaves count as 3/5 of population when determining population  Checks and Balances between three co-equal branches  Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Compromise is Key

13.   Virginia Declaration of Rights  George Mason, author  Reiterated the notion that basic human rights should NOT be violated by governments Influencing Documents

14.   Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom  Thomas Jefferson, author  Outlawed the established church, govt. support of one church Influencing Documents

15.   Federalists-advocates of the Constitution  Anti-Federalists-Believed states’ rights trumped those of the federal government  The Federalists Papers-Hamilton, Madison, and Jay authored a series of letters to influence the support of a centralized government like the Constituion Federalists and the Constitution

16.  Anti-Federalists and the Bill of Rights  Anti-Federalists included Patrick Henry, John Hancock, Richard Henry Lee, and eventually George Mason and Sam Adams because they wanted a Bill of Rights.

17.   Bill of Rights  James Madison used those two documents to establish the Bill of Rights  Virginia would not ratify without a bill of rights, therefore Madison agreed and Virginia voted to ratify the Constitution. Meet Bill, he’s all Rights

18.   The Bill of Rights are the first ten amendments to the Constitution.  What is an amendment?  Number 10 and the Anti-Federalists Meet Bill…

19.   120-127  Legislative  Executive  Judicial  Checks and Balances Take a Look…

20.   Look over the Bill of Rights.  Interpret these as you would to your classmates. How would you explain these first ten amendments to your friend in an ‘easy to understand’ way? On Your Own

21.   It is a good idea or a bad idea that the Supreme Court has the power to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional? Why or why not? Do you think…

22.   Judicial Review is set forth in Marbury v. Madison  Implied Powers is set forth in McCulloch v. Maryland  National view of economic affairs Gibbons v. Ogden Supreme Court Cases

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