U.S. Constitution and Founding Overview

The Founding and the Constitution: Overview

• The U.S. Constitution's preamble outlines the government's purposes: promoting justice, maintaining domestic peace, defending the nation, providing for welfare, and securing liberty.

The First Founding: Interests and Conflicts

• The American Revolution stemmed from varying colonial interests, including those of New England merchants, Southern planters, royalists, shopkeepers, and small farmers.
• Initially, Britain governed the colonies leniently until debt from the French and Indian War changed the relationship.
• Britain imposed new taxes, such as the Sugar Act (1764) and the Stamp Act (1765), leading to unrest among colonists.

The Boston Tea Party

• In 1773, a British monopoly on tea prompted colonies to protest, culminating in the Boston Tea Party, where colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped tea into the harbor.

The Declaration of Independence

• Drafted by the Second Continental Congress in 1776 with members including Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, it emphasized unalienable rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness) and justified rebellion against Britain.

The Articles of Confederation: Historical Context

• Adopted after independence, the Articles of Confederation (1777-1789) were the first U.S. constitution, ratified in 1781, emphasizing state sovereignty.

Articles of Confederation: Characteristics

• Featured a weak central government with no president and an impractical voting system, where all states had one vote regardless of population.
• Lacked a national army or navy and had no taxing authority.

Articles of Confederation: Critics

• Concerns arose regarding foreign treaty enforcement and economic instability due to inflation and land redistribution.
• The Annapolis Convention in 1786 led to plans for a Philadelphia meeting.

Shays’s Rebellion

• In 1787, Shays’s Rebellion, led by Daniel Shays, highlighted weaknesses in the Articles, as farmers protested against economic hardship and debt.

The Constitutional Convention

• Convened in 1787 to address issues under the Articles, aiming to create a government that promoted commerce and protected property while embodying political theories of liberty and democracy.

The Virginia Plan

• The Virginia Plan proposed representation based on state population, favoring larger states, leading to the introduction of the New Jersey Plan for equal representation.

The Great Compromise

• Established a bicameral legislature combining both plans: the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate with equal representation for each state.

The Three-Fifths Compromise

• Resolved disagreements between slave and nonslave states by counting five slaves as three persons for House representation.

The Constitution: Goals

• The framers sought to create a strong central government to promote commerce, prevent excessive democracy, and protect citizens' liberties.

Article I: The Legislative Branch

• Congress consists of two chambers with different term lengths, designed to guard against excessive democracy. The Senate ratifies treaties and approves appointments, while the House originates revenue bills.

Powers of Congress

• Section 8 of Article I grants Congress authority to collect taxes, borrow money, regulate commerce, declare war, and maintain armed forces.

Expressed and Implied Powers

• Expressed powers are directly stated in the Constitution, while implied powers (elastic clause) allow Congress to enact necessary laws.

The Executive Branch

• Article II establishes the presidency, granting powers like treaty negotiation, pardons, appointments, and vetoing legislation.

The Judicial Branch

• Article III establishes the Supreme Court, which resolves federal-state law conflicts, with judges serving lifetime appointments and wielding judicial review.

National Unity and Power

• The Constitution balances state autonomy with national unity, ensuring respect for contracts across states and establishing national supremacy.

Amending the Constitution

• Article V outlines the amendment process, requiring two-thirds Congressional approval and three-fourths state adoption, making amendments challenging yet feasible.

Ratification

• Ratified in 1789, the Constitution required approval from 9 of 13 states and is the oldest functioning national constitution globally.

Limiting Power

• The Constitution limits national power through separation of powers, checks and balances, divided constituencies, federalism, and the Bill of Rights.

The Fight for Ratification

• The ratification debate featured Federalists advocating for a strong central government versus Antifederalists seeking more state power and explicit rights.

Key Issues in the Ratification Debate

• Representation concerns, fears of tyranny from either elite or majority, and the scope of government power were critical points of contention between Federalists and Antifederalists.

Contributions of Both Factions

• The Federalists ultimately triumphed in establishing a robust national government, while Antifederalist skepticism shaped ongoing debates about government power and citizens' rights.

This quiz covers the key events leading to the U.S. Constitution, including colonial interests, conflicts, and significant protests like the Boston Tea Party. Test your knowledge on the Declaration of Independence and the foundational principles of American governance.