Confederacy, Compromise, & Constitution US History PDF

Confederacy, Compromise, & Constitution US History  The First Governments State Governments: had three branches National Government: Articles of Confederation Unicameral (one body) legislature where each state has one vote No executive branch By 1781, all 1...

Confederacy, Compromise, & Constitution US History  The First Governments State Governments: had three branches National Government: Articles of Confederation Unicameral (one body) legislature where each state has one vote No executive branch By 1781, all 13 No judicial branch states ratified the Articles of Confederation  Articles of Confederation: Powers of the Unicameral Legislature (Congress) Congress could… Congress could NOT… Wage war Enforce laws Send and receive ambassadors Regulate commerce Make treaties Collect taxes Borrow money Result: Congress forced to ask states to donate money for the nation’s needs  Articles of Confederation: Strengths Winning the Revolutionary War Negotiated favorable terms in Treaty of Paris with Britain (1783) Land Ordinance of 1785 Surveyed all land in the Northwest Territory Set rules for how this land would be settled Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Set rules for creating and admitting new territories as states  Articles of Confederation: Weaknesses 1. Lack of Power 2. No Central 3. Rules are too Leadership rigid Could not tax, 9 states must regulate trade, No executive agree to pass a law or enforce laws branch to make Could not change No national states follow Articles without all currency the Articles 13 states agreeing Result: could Each state had 1 not repay vote, regardless of foreign debts size  Problems with the Articles Financial: could not repay debts from Revolutionary War because Congress had no taxing power Shays’ Rebellion: ○ Capt. Daniel Shays, Massachusetts farmer and Revolutionary War veteran led uprising against high state taxes, imprisonment for debt, and lack of paper money ○ Months later, Massachusetts state militia breaks rebellion  Constitutional Convention: 1787 Initial Goal: to revise the Articles of Confederation All 13 states called to send delegates to Philadelphia George Washington unanimously elected to preside over the convention New Goal: Make a new constitution with stronger central government  Constitutional Convention Questions How much power Structure of should be given to the government? federal government? Representation in How should the Slavery? government? President be chosen?  Proposed Solution #1: The Virginia Plan Called for 3 branches of government: executive, legislative, & judicial Bicameral legislature with representation in both houses based on state population Gave large states more power Who would not like this plan? Proposed Solution #2: The New Jersey Plan Called for 3 branches of government: executive, legislative, judicial Unicameral legislature where each state had one vote regardless of size Gave small states more power  The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise) Called for 3 branches of government: ○ Legislative: makes laws ○ Executive: enforces laws ○ Judicial: interprets laws Why? Avoids a powerful government!  The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise) Called for 3 branches of government: executive, legislative, judicial Bicameral legislature ○ House 1: House of Representatives Representation based on population ○ House 2: Senate Every state has two senators  Issues over Slavery Should enslaved people be counted in state populations? ○ Result: 3/5ths Compromise Every 5 enslaved persons would be counted as 3 freed men towards representation and taxes Should the slave trade be allowed? ○ Allowed international slave trade until 1808 ○ Congress allowed vote to abolish the practice after that date  Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists Supporters of Constitution Opposed the Constitution Bankers and Merchants Farmers, rural people Wanted a strong national Wanted strong state government and a strong governments and a weaker executive branch national government (Why?) Wrote “Federalists Papers” to Insisted on a Bill of Rights to convince people to support the protect the people’s right new constitution against the federal ○ Most of these papers were government written by Alexander Hamilton.  Adding the Bill of Rights Many states feared the changes would impact their individual liberties and freedoms September 1789: Congress submitted 12 amendments for ratification December 1791: ¾ of states approved 10 amendments protecting the individual rights of citizens that become known as the Bill of Rights  Limitations to the Bill of Rights Did not apply to ALL Americans ○ Native Americans excluded ○ Women not mentioned ○ No protection from discrimination against blacks (free or enslaved)  Final Thoughts… The US Constitution is adopted! Now what? ○ We need a president! ○ We need a court system! ○ We need to evaluate foreign relations! The US is still young and the first several presidents will set the course for the nation’s development… REFERENCE Solutions to Confederation Problems Articles of Confederation US Constitution Each state has one vote in Great Compromise Congress, regardless of size Congress has the power to tax! Congress no power to tax Executive branch led by No executive branch President no national court system Supreme Court and Federal Amendments required a Courts unanimous vote ⅔ Congress and ¾ of States States printed their own currency National currency REFERENCE Bill of Rights 1st Amendment Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition 2nd Amendment Right to bear arms 3rd Amendment No forced housing of soldiers (in peacetime) 4th Amendment Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures 5th Amendment No double jeopardy, guaranteed due process, no self-incrimination, guaranteed grand jury in criminal trials 6th Amendment Public trial by jury with counsel in criminal cases 7th Amendment Trial by jury in civil cases 8th Amendment No cruel and unusual punishments or excessive fines 9th Amendment People’s rights are not limited to those listed in the Constitution or Bill of Rights 10th Amendment People & state retain all rights not explicitly given to the federal government in the Constitution.