The Constitution

Ch 1.3

Monday February 6, 2012

• Daily goal: Understand the major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, the importance of Shay’s Rebellion and the 3 major compromises needed to ratify the Constitution.

• Think About it…• Rate the effectiveness of your mock gov’t: what

did it do well, what could it have done better, how much better could it be if you were given a 2nd attempt at it?

Tuesday February 7th, 2012

• Daily goal: Understand how the Constitution separated powers into the 3 branches and the responsibilities of each branch. Understand what individual and state’s rights are protected by the Bill of Rights.

• Think About it…• How do beginners and experts think about

things differently?

Notes Analysis

• History isn’t easy to understand if you are merely trying to memorize every fact.

• If you understand how those facts work together and have a larger meaning it is much more easily understood.

• Answer the question using your notes (and the textbook if necessary) by providing evidence and establishing the relationships between important ideas from your notes.

Notes Analysis

• Use your Ch 1.3 notes and explain why the Articles of Confederation was replaced by the Constitution in 2-3 sentences.

• 1 piece of evidence from the notes minimum.

Notes Analysis Sample

• The Articles of Confederation’s inability to collect taxes and raise an army made it too weak to effectively govern the country. This became very clear when the government struggled to put down Shay’s rebellion. made it clear how weak and in need of revision the Articles were.

7

IN 1777 THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION WERE

WRITTEN BY THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

AS THE FIRST INDEPENDENT

GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. IT WAS

OFFICIALLY ADOPTED IN 1781.

Articles of Confederation

• After winning their freedom from a powerful gov’t, America did not tyranny again.

• It created a weak government called the Articles of Confederation that could not:

• Collect Taxes• Raise an Army• Enforce Treaties• Regulate Business• Print Money

Shay’s Rebellion

• Many farmers lost their land to foreclosure because of high taxes. They began a violent rebellion protesting the new taxes.

• The federal gov’t struggled to put down the rebellion quickly, it became clear the Articles of Confederation were weak.

10

55 DELEGATES MET IN PHILADELPHIA IN SEPTEMBER 1787 AND DECIDED TO DRAFT A NEW CONSTITUTION RATHER THAN REVISE

THE ARTICLES

GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS

CHOSEN AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE

CONVENTION

SOME OF THE DELEGATES FROM VARIOUS STATES

Constitutional Convention

• Delegates met in Philadelphia to fix the Articles of Confederation, but decided to start over.

• The delegates agreed they needed a stronger federal gov’t.

12

DEBATE OVER REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS

VIRGINIA PLAN• LARGE STATE

• BICAMERAL

• FAVORED NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES

ALLOTTED BASED ON POPULATION

NEW JERSEY PLAN• SMALL STATE

• UNICAMERAL

• EQUAL NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR

EACH STATE

13

THE GREAT COMPROMISE

THE DELEGATES AGREED ON TWO HOUSES IN CONGRESS, THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES.

THE SENATE WOULD HAVE EQUAL REPRESENTATION, MEANING EVERY STATE

WAS ALLOTTED 2 SENATORS.

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WOULD BE BASED ON POPULATION AND THEREFORE

THE NUMBER WOULD VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

Great Compromise

• Big states wanted representation based on population, while small states wanted equal representation for each state.

• The solution was the Great Compromise- there would be two houses in Congress:

• The House of Representatives- based on population.

• Senate- 2 representatives per state.

3/5ths Compromise

• Now the question became whether or not slaves would be counted in the Southern population for representation.

• For every 5 slaves, 3 would count as free people for representation.

16

DEBATE OVER RATIFICATION

FEDERALISTSADVOCATED A STRONG CENTRAL

GOVERNMENT

NATIONAL SUPREMACY

IN FAVOR OF RATIFICATION

BILL OF RIGHTS UNNECESSARY SINCE GOVERNMENT HAD LIMITED

POWERS

MADISON, HAMILTON, JAY

ANTIFEDERALISTSIN FAVOR OF STRONG STATE

GOVERNMENTS

STATE SUPREMACY

AGAINST RATIFICATION

BILL OF RIGHTS ESSENTIAL TO GUARANTEE CITIZEN’S RIGHTS

MASON, CLINTON, HENRY

Federalists v Antifederalists

• Federalists supported ratification of the new Constitution, while Antifederalists feared it would give take too much power from the states to the federal gov’t.

• Antifederalists wanted a Bill of Rights.