Focus Question:

Was the Constitution a fulfilment of their

Revolutionary aspirations?

• The public didn’t see a need to become one

nation.

•The state leaders didn’t want to become

one nation as they may lose their power.

•There were still those who were loyal to

Britain.

The Problems encountered with writing the Constitution

Washington said "I do not conceive we can exist long as a nation without having lodged somewhere a power which will pervade the whole Union in as energetic manner as the authority of the state governments extends over the several states."

Why was a National Constitution needed?

Some states were in

great debt.

America’s economy

was suffering

The Articles of

Confederation created

at best a loose

government but were

not enough to sustain

the population.

Three branch system of Government:

•The Executive would head the government

•The Legislative would be broken down into the House of Representatives and the Senate.

•The Senate would be the smaller more coolheaded body

•The House of Representatives would be elected directly by the people.

•The Judicial would enforce the Constitution and laws.

Some of the Questions that faced the Delegates:

Should there be a multi person executive or single

head of state?

Should the executive be paid a salary? Or should they

rely purely on patriotism?

If they were paid who would fund their salary?

How long should the executive be in office for?

Could the congress impeach him if he was guilty of

misconduct?

Could they remove him from office?

What if he should die when in office?

Who would take his place?

If there was a vice president what would they do

when the president was still living?

President would preside over the Executive branch

The President would be chosen by electors from each state

He would serve for four years

Should he die whilst in office a Vice president would take over

The Vice would preside over the senate whilst the President was living

Both would be paid out of the treasury of the new government

Resolutions:

Resolutions: The Great Compromise

•Each state would have two members in the senate with equal vote

•The House of Representatives would have one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants. (This was later changed to 30,000)

Arguments against the Constitution:

There was no Bill of rights, were these not what they had been fighting for in the war? It was argued that Confederation offered a more secure future for America.

James Wilson:

"We should consider that we are providing a Constitution for future generations and not merely for the circumstance of the moment."

The Ratifications Began: Delaware December 1787New Jersey December 1787Pennsylvania December 1787Georgia January 1788Connecticut January 1788Massachusetts February 1788Maryland April 1788South Carolina May 1788New Hampshire June 1788

THE UNITED STATES WAS FORMED

Delaware December 1787

New Jersey December 1787

Pennsylvania December 1787

Georgia January 1788

Connecticut January 1788

Massachusetts February 1788

Maryland April 1788

South Carolina May 1788

New Hampshire June 1788

THE UNITED STATES WAS FORMED

Virginia June 1788

New York July 1788

North Carolina November 1789

Rhode Island May 1790

What were their revolutionary aspirations?

Well, they changed…

Thomas Paine wrote:

"The same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues their descendants still."

The Declaration of Independence and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense convey the revolutionary atmosphere of 1776.

What were they fighting for?

•Human rights

•Government representation

•Independence / NO KING!

The Constitution meant:

oThey were independent from Britain

oThey not only a set of rules written by their people for their

people but it established a system of checks that made it

difficult for one person to get too much power

oThe government could not become anything like Britain’s

government.

o Equal representation was provided for all men (and later slaves

and women)

oThe rights of man were protected.

Thankyou for listening!