Agenda Partner work on the basic principles A little history . . . RNC – Chris or Ann? Homework – read the Time article “One Document, Under Siege” How did we get it? THE US CONSTITUTION
Jan 03, 2016
AgendaPartner work on the basic principles
A little history . . .RNC – Chris or Ann?
Homework – read the Time article “One Document, Under Siege”
How did we get i t?
THE US CONSTITUTION
The Establishment, Ratifi cation and Implementation
THE US CONSTITUTION
The Framers of the Constitution created a document that addressed the major concerns of the States attending the Philadelphia Convention. By reaching compromise on items about which they disagreed, the Framers created a new National Government capable of handling the nation’s problems.
WHY IT MATTERS
How was it created?
THE ESTABLISHMENT
55 men "an assembly of demi-gods" said Thomas Jeff erson
THE FRAMERS
May 25, 1787 toSeptember 17, 1787 Independence Hall in
Philadelphia, PN
TIME FRAME
Elected George Washington president of the convention
Rules: one vote per state, majority winsWorked in secretDecided to scrap the Articles of Confederation in
order to create a new gov't James Madison = "The Father of the Constitution"
(contributions and Notes)
ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
PhilosophiesPlansCompromises
IDEAS
The Framers' BackgroundWell educated and widely readKnowledgeable in Greek and Roman lawExperienced in current European politics Intimately familiar with the Continental Congress, Articles of Confederation and their own State gov'ts
PHILOSOPHIES
THE VIRGINIA PLAN
Main Ideas:3 Branches of Gov't - legislative,
executive and judicialCongress - bicameral (2 houses)Checks and Balances would
ensure oversightStrong national gov't
Edmund Randolph presented it.
More conservative than the Virginia PlanMain Ideas: Kept Congress as one body with
equal representation Congress had limited powers to
tax and regulate trade Called for a "federal executive"
with more than one person chosen by Congress
Created a "federal judiciary" composed of a single "supreme Tribunal“
William Patterson presented it.
THE NEW JERSEY PLAN
Senate = equal representation of all statesHouse of Representatives = representation based on
populationAKA as the Great Compromise because it settled the
Convention's biggest dispute.
CONNECTICUT COMPROMISE
Counted slaves ("other persons") as 3/5 of a whole vote
Made southern states happy because of numbers of representatives
Made northern states happy because slaves counted for more taxes
THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE
RATIFICATION
Federalists – supporters of ratification James Madison, Alexander Hamilton – main supporters Stressed weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and
that the new nation needed new lawsAnti-Federalists – did not support ratification
Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock and Samuel Adams – main supporters
Attacked almost all of the document Did not like the ratification process Did not like the lack of God Did not like that States didn’t have more power and thought the
central gov’t had too much Did not like that it did not include a Bill of Rights
Delaware was the fi rst and New York was the last of the nine states needed to ratify.
Eventually all thirteen would do so, but Rhode Island finally did AFTER George Washington became President of the US.
BUT RATIFY IT DID
Looking at the six basic principles of the Constitution, how do you think each of them plays in to the idea of liberty and/or security?Popular sovereigntyLimited governmentSeparation of powersChecks and balances Judicial reviewFederalism
See handout for further instructions.
LIBERTY V. SECURITY