CHAPTER 8: CREATING THE CONSTITUTION

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

• Loose union of the 13 states• Each had 1 vote

• Congress could:• Declare war• Raise an army/navy• Print money• Setup postal system

• Could NOT impose taxes

TRYING TO DIVIDE THE LANDS• States argued over…

• Boundaries• Taxes (goods from other colonies being

taxed)• Land Ordinance of 1875

• New lands of west divided up• Divided into townships sold to settlers• Called the Northwest Territory

TRYING TO DIVIDE THE LANDS

• Northwest Ordinance of 1787• Divided territory into smaller territories• 5,000 free adult males=own legislature• 60,000 population=apply for statehood• Each settler had rights like other citizens• No slavery in territory

SHAYS’S REBELLION• Problems with money: printed

money worthless• Farmers could not pay back

debt; forced to sell land• In Massachusetts, Daniel Shays

leads upset farmers to seize national arsenal at Springfield• Stopped by state Militia

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION• People were shocked after Shay’s

Rebellion• Call for members from each state to

meet and fix problems country has• Held in Philadelphia• Pro strong national government vs.

State Rights• First action: elect George Washington

president

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

• Father of Constitution: James Madison• Enlightenment thinkers

• “Life, Liberty, the pursuit of Happiness”• “Laws of nature”

• Liberty and equality• Republic: country governed by elected representatives

• Biggest question to answer: How much power should the national government have?

CHECK

• Why did Shays’s Rebellion lead to the Constitutional Convention?• Why was Washington elected to lead the Constitutional Convention?• Why did people like Patrick Henry not attend the Convention?• What was the Enlightenment and how did it effect debate at the

Convention?• What were two big issues facing delegates at the Convention?

THE VIRGINIA PLAN• Drafted by James Madison• Called for three branches

• Executive• Legislative• Judicial

• Legislative branch broken into two houses• House of Representatives• Senate• Both would be determined by states’

population• Larger states would have more

representatives

THE NEW JERSEY PLAN• Response to Virginia Plan• Called for three branches• Legislative Branch would only

have one house with equal representation

• Protected smaller states

THE GREAT COMPROMISE• Huge arguments arose over

which plan should be adopted• The Great Compromise

• Keep two houses in the Legislative branch

• House of Representatives: representatives determined by states’ population

• Senate: equal representation (2 senators from each state)

• Saved the Convention

SLAVERY ISSUE• 90% of Slaves lived in South• Southerners wanted slaves to be counted as people in

representation• Northerners argued they were property and should not

count• If slaves were counted, must be citizens

• First division noted on slavery in the states

SLAVERY COMPROMISE

• 3/5ths Compromise• Count each slave as 3/5ths of a person

• Other Issues:• Tax on southern crops• Ending slave trade

• Compromise:• Congress cannot place tax on goods exported to other countries• Could not ban slave trade until 1808 (20 years)

CHECK

• What states supported the Virginia Plan? Why?• What states supported the New Jersey Plan? Why?• Why was the Great Compromise so important?• How did the idea of slavery change with victory in the Revolutionary War?• What was the greatest issue regarding slaves and trade?

HOW TO VOTE FOR THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE?

• 3 member executive vs. 1 single executive• Voted for 1 single executive

along with Vice President• Congress electing president vs.

the people• Some argued that this power

should not solely lay with the “unintelligence of the regular person”

ELECTORAL COLLEGE• How it works

• People vote for president in their state

• State elects group of people to vote for president• Number of people determined by

amount of representatives and senators each state has (Wisconsin 8 representatives, 2 senators = 10 electoral votes)

• When a candidate reaches 270 electoral votes they win

RATIFYING THE CONSTITUTION

• Ratify: to approve• 9 states had to approve• Brought to states to be voted on by delegates of the state• Two groups emerge

• Federalists: those in favor of Constitution and strong national government• Anti-Federalists: those opposed to Constitution. Feared a powerful president and

too much tax• Federalists Papers: written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay

to convince people to adopt Constitution

ANTI-FEDERALISTS VS. FEDERALISTS

• Anti-Federalists• Feared strong national government• Thought Congress would abuse taxing• Thought strong federal government would restrict individual rights

• Federalists• Pro strong central government• Thought central government could regulate taxes better• Believed that central government would actually secure individual rights

CHECK

• Do you feel that there should have been 3 executives or just 1?• Do you feel the Electoral College system is fair?• How has choosing vice-president changed since the 1800’s?• How did federalists argue that a strong central government helped the

people?• What do you think a “perfect” system of government is? Why?