Colonial America

Working toward independence

The English Colonies

• Royal Colonies – The government structure in these colonies by the King of England were:

• One governor named by the King of England• Upper house – governors council• Lower house -elected by property owners

qualified to vote.• **Royal Colonies were a bicameral system.**

Proprietary Colony

• – colonies organized by the proprietor.• The proprietor (owner) settled and governed

the land (Land grant given by the King of England)

• The proprietor appointed the governor of the land.

• Unicameral system – governors council was the decision maker.

Charter Colony

• – Earliest Land Grants awarded by the king. 1662-1663.

• Largely self governed• Bicameral legislatures• Judges were from the colony, but appeals

were brought to London to the king.

Coming of Independence

• Britain’s Colonial Policies• 1. Management of the colonies• 2. Regulate Trade• 3. Growing tension due to taxation without

representation• 4. Colonists either submitted to British Rule

or they would revolt

Growing Colonial Unity

• Colonies needed to learn how to work together

• Formed a early confederation – for common purpose

• -Know as the “league of friendship

The Albany Plan

• – Called a meeting of the 7 northern colonies at Albany. (Mass, Maryland, NH, NY, Penn, RI, Connecticut)

• To discuss colonial trade• Discuss the attacks of the French and the

Native American (allies)• Ben Franklin Headed the meeting – Ended up

known as the Albany Plan of the Union.

The Albany plan of the Union

• Proposed the formation of an annual congress of delegates from the 13 colonies

• Power to raise a military and naval force• Make war and peace with the Native

Americans• Regulate trade, taxes and custom duties

First Continental Congress• Spring 1774 the Intolerable Acts by the British• Prompted the colonies to meet.• Every delegate met in Philadelphia on Sept 5th,

1774 (Except Georgia)• For two months these delegates of the First

Continental Congress met to discuss the worsening situation with the British.

• Delegates deliberated for plans of action• Sent the Declaration of Rights – protesting

British policies.• Meeting adjourned on October 26th

Second Continental Congress

• Fall-Winter of 1775-1776• British government continued to refuse

reversal of their policies.• Philadelphia May 10, 1775 - 2nd Congress Met.• Revolution had begun• Representatives• Hancock of Mass. - was chosen president of

the Congress.

• 2nd congress served 5 tough years as the first gov. of the U.S.

• Declaration of Independence July 1776• Articles of Confederation March 1, 1781• • **Declaration of Independence• Largely the work of Thomas Jefferson• Announced the United States independence in the

first paragraph• 2/3 of the document spoke of repeated injuries the

British put on the colonists which led to revolt• 13 colonies become free and independent states

• 1st State Constitutions• January 1776 New Hampshire adopted a

written constitution• Mass. In 1780 – still in effect – the oldest state

constitution• Common Features of State Constitutions• Popular Sovereignty – government can only

exist with the consent of its people.

• Limited Government – Major feature of state constitutions

• Civil Rights and Liberties – people have certain right that the government had to respect

• Separation of powers and Checks and Balances – Division of three branches all 3 equal in power.

• • Need for stronger central Government• Articles of Confederation created a government

unable to deal with the nations troubles

Problems with the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789),

• our first but short-lived constitution• Financial Difficulties – Congress had no power to tax the

people directly. 90% of requested funds were never paid.• Commercial obstacles – states could and did tax the goods

of other states as they were shipped through their territories. This led to too much interference by the individual states and much commercial confusion and even smuggling.

• Currency problems – states printed their own money and circulated it. This lead to a great deal of monetary instability (inflation).

• Civil disorder – the government was rather powerless to suppress radical or insurgent groups (Shay’s Rebellion in Massachusetts).

The Framers

• 12 of the 13 states sent delegates to Philadelphia (Rhode Island did not)

• 74 delegates chosen by the 12 state legislatures• Of those 74 – 55 delegates had much to say• Considered a remarkable group of people• Known as the framers of the Constitution• Average age of these men 42• Ben Franklin age 81• Met in Independence Hall – Where the Declaration of

Independence was authored 11 years earlier.• Worked in Secrecy

Conflict in PhiladelphiaA. Representation – How will the number of

representatives in Congress be determined? 3 proposals were put forward

1. Virginia Plan (favored by large states) –Two house legislature with the lower house (House of Rep) size determined by states’ population and the upper house will be elected by the lower house.

2. New Jersey plan (favorite of small states) – One house legislature, with equal state representation, regardless of population.

3. Connecticut Comprise – Two house legislature, with the House directly elected based on state population (each state would automatically receive one House representative) and the Senate selected by the state legislatures; two senators per state, regardless of population.

B. Slavery• Argued less about its existence or validity and more

about its impact on state representation; will the slaves be counted towards a state’s overall population and representation in Congress?

• Large slave states wanted then counted for population (and therefore representation). Small slave states wanted population to be based NOT on the slave population.

• The Connecticut Plan included the “3/5’s compromise. It stated that three-fifths of the slave population of each state would count for total population (and representation).

C. Voter Qualifications – The founders left these to the states. Every state basically allowed only land owning white males to vote.

• Democracy – While government rests upon the “consent of the governed,” decision making is to be done by the people’s representatives, not the people themselves. No referenda is ever provided or called for by the constitution

• . Ratification – the act of state legislatures to approve or reject decisions made by other bodies. The new constitution was sent to each state government for ratification. The entire country engaged in a national debate over the new constitution and whether or not their individual state should adopt it. Two groups emerged (our first political parties):

III. Protecting National Security• War and Military Forces – Congress was given

power to “declare War” and to raise and support and regulate an army or navy. Congress was given power to prevent or put down insurrections.

• Commander-in-Chief – The President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He is authorized to carry out the war, while congress is authorized to declare it.

• Foreign Affairs – States are prevented from entering or negotiating treaties, alliances or confederations with foreign governments. The President can make treaties, but not without the consent of the Senate.

VII. Resolving Economic Issues in the New Constitution

• Levying Taxes – Congress could forcefully collect its own taxes to pay for national needs, like military and debt. Most of the taxes it did levy took the form of tariffs (taxes placed on imported goods).

• Regulate commerce – Congress may “regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states.” This helped to resolve the interstate commerce chaos surrounding the Articles.

• Protecting money – the new national government alone controls the money supply (print and coin money). They hoped that this uniform monetary system would prevent inflation seen under Articles.

Structure of Government• National Supremacy – Supremacy Clause of

Article VI – states that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, taking priority over all other laws within the United States.

• Federalism – power is divided (shared) between national and state governments. Each have independent legal authority and are sovereign (can not be dissolved by the other).

• Republicanism – republican government means that powers are delegated to a small number of presumably gifted or qualified individuals.

What is the reason for the preamble?