Shaping a Nation

SHAPING A NATION

George Washington

James Madison

Ben Franklin

John Adams

Thomas Jefferson

Alexander Hamilton

AMERICADemocracy or Republic?

State Constitutions States began drafting documents that

outlined how their governments should be run.

There were many similarities between the constitutions:

Popular Sovereignty Limited Government Checks and Balances

Articles of Confederation Debated on by the

Continental Congress Essentially the first

National Constitution for the United States

Virginia first to ratify AOC – Dec. 16, 1777

Maryland last to ratify AOC -- March 1, 1781

Articles of Confederation Debates:

How should representation be divided? Population vs. Equal Proportion

Decided that because they were each representing individual states that they would each be worth one vote.

Who has the power to tax states? Federal government, States, or no one

No taxes from federal government Who should have more power?

States or federal governments? States have supremacy over government

Land Ordinance of 1785 Established a plan for surveying the land

Made parcels of small land affordable to everyday folk.

Land divided into townships that were 36 square miles Land then divided into 36 pieces

Land then sold as whole or in sections All profit went to the federal government

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Congress provided procedure for dividing the land into territories

Set requirements for admission of new states

1. Congress would appoint a territorial governor and judges

2. When the territory had 5000 voting residents, the settlers could write a temporary constitution and elect their own government.

3. When the total population of a territory reached 60,000 free inhabitants, the settlers could write a state constitution, which had to be approved by Congress before it granted statehood.

Shay’s Rebellion Protest lead by impoverished Massachusetts

farmer Daniel Shay. Veteran of Bunker Hill and Saratoga, returned to

his land in grave debt. Faced debtors prison Believed he was unfairly taxed

Protested that the courts be closed so the farmers would not lose their land.

Led 1200 men militia toward an arsenal at Springfield 4 rebels were killed, but a call for a stronger

governemtn was sounded

Words from Washington “The consequences of.. [an] inefficient

government are too obvious to be dwelt upon. Thirteen sovereignties pulling against each other, and all tugging at the federal head will soon bring ruin on the whole… Let us have [government] by which our lives, liberty, and property will be secured or let us know the worst at once.”

Constitutional Convention Held May 1787 in Philadelphia State

House Independence Hall

Windows tightly closed from eaves droppers and outsiders

55 delegates in total, all but Rhode Island sent delegates

Rich, well-educated men such as Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington

Key Conflicts at the Constitutional Convention

Strong Central Government

Strong States

•Authority derives from the people.

•The central government should be stronger than the states.

•Authority derives from the states.

•The states should remain stronger than the central government.

Large States Small States•Congress should be composed of two houses.

•Delegates should be assigned according to population.

•A congress of one house should be preserved.

•Each state should have one vote.

North South•Slaves should not be counted when deciding the number of delegates.

•Slaves should be counted when levying taxes.

•Slaves should be counted when determining congressional representation.

•Slaves should not be counted when levying taxes.

Key Compromises at the Constitutional Convention

Madison Plan (VA Plan) Patterson Plan (NJ Plan)

Great Compromise

Representation

Slavery North South

3/5 Compromise

Division of Powers Federalism- divided power between the

national government and the state government.

How is this contradictory from the AOC?

Enumerated Powers (Federal )

Reserved Powers (State)

• Foreign affairs• Providing national defense• Regulating trade between states• Coining money

• Education• Marriage Laws• Regulating trade amongst states

Separation of Powers 3 Branches

Executive Legislative Judicial

Checks and Balances In order to make

sure no branch gets too strong, each branch “looks over the shoulder” of the other branches.

Electoral College The framers wanted to make sure that

only the smartest, most politically knowledgeable made the decisions in the country.

They set up a process in which the people do not vote for the president, instead they vote for a representative to vote for the president for them.

The electoral college is made up of the amount of Senators and Representatives per state.