REVOLUTION IN GA AND

FOUNDATIONS OF

GOVERNMENT

TOWARD A NEW CONSTITUTION

Articles of Confederation: rules that governed United States after the Revolutionary War

Weaknesses of the Articles: congress could not pay soldiers states could not be forced to pay trade between states not regulated trade with other countries not controlled

George Washington and other leaders agreed to gather to discuss the problems

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

1787: Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia Fifty-five representatives attended George Washington presided over the convention Founding Fathers: James Madison Most members well-educated and conservative Delegates knew problems of the weak national

government and sought solution http://

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James Madison is considered the father of the constitution because of his note taking and early drafting at the convention.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF 1787 William Few and Abraham Baldwin

represented Georgia at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia; George Washington presided

U.S. Constitution established three governmental branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial

Senate and House of Representatives established; only three-fifths of slave population would count toward representation

GA’S ROLE IN THE

CONSTITUTIONAL

CONVENTION

Define Constitution?

A fundamental plan of operation for a government

Highest level of law telling what government can and can’t do.

Sets up different branches of government

Includes important rights and liberties of the people

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ORGANIZING GOVERNMENT Large states and small states had different interests Virginia Plan:

strong national government three branches (legislative, judicial, executive) legislative branch (House of Representatives and Senate)

elected by proportional representation (large states get more votes)

Small states did not like Virginia Plan because they could be dominated by large states

New Jersey Plan: gave more power to small states, but had a weak national government; number of representatives would be the same for each state.

THE GREAT COMPROMISE Great Compromise, or Connecticut Compromise:

House of Representative would have “proportional representation” and Senate “equal representation”

2 Houses would make up Congress aka the Legislative Branch, not 1:

The House of Reps – States would be represented according to population.

The Senate – Each state would have 2 senators, regardless of state population.

COMPROMISES ON SLAVERY Slaves were a large part of population in the South Debate as to whether to count slaves in “proportional

representation” of House of Representatives Three-Fifths Compromise: States were allowed to

count 3 of every 5 slaves in their census for purposes of representation

Agreed to stop importing slaves after 1808

COMPROMISE ON THE PRESIDENCY

Should citizens or Congress elect the President? Decided on electoral college system:

Each state’s legislature allowed to have as many “electors” as they had members of Congress

State representatives voted for the electors who would vote for President and Vice-President

A REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT

Delegates studied many types of government republic: a form of government in which power

resides with the citizens who elect representatives to make laws

James Madison described a government in which a large number of people voted for the representatives

RATIFICATION ratification: to approve or make valid September 17, 1787: Constitution approved Federalists: people who wanted a strong national

government Antifederalists: wanted states to have more

power than national government By 1791, ten amendments approved – known as

The Bill of Rights – to protect citizens’ rights Delaware was first state to ratify; Georgia was

the fourth state to ratify June 1788 – Constitution ratified by 9 states and

becomes the framework for US government

U.S. CONSTITUTION RATIFIED IN 1788

Georgia was fourth state to ratify (approve) the new Constitution

Constitution could be amended (changed); first 10 amendments became Bill of Rights

George Washington became the first President

GA SUPPORTED THE CONSTITUTION B/C… The Arts of Confederation failed to create

an effective national government for the new nation.

Georgia needed the protection that a strong national government could provide against the aggressive Indian population.

They liked the Bill of Rights idea and the compromises in the constitution b/c individual liberties would be protected, and the national government would not be too strong.

Also, Spain was a potential threat, b/c they controlled East and West Florida b/c of the Treaty of Paris of 1783.

- In May of 1787, delegates from each state except Rhode Island got together again to draft the Constitution.- GA sent 4 delegates: William Pierce, William Houstoun, William Few, and Abraham Baldwin.

- Few and Baldwin had the greatest influence and impact as they were the only 2 to stick around the Constitutional Convention to sign the final draft of the Constitution of America.

PRINCIPLES OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

1. Sovereignty: supreme power of government rests with the people

• electorate (voters) choose leaders to make laws and run the country

• US is not a “democracy” but a representative democracy or republic

2. Constitutionalism: all representatives are bound by the rules of the Constitution

• lawmakers cannot just make up laws as they see fit

3. Federalism: national government and state governments share power and authority

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POSTWAR GEORGIA Economy in ruin; government provided food

basics as farmers tried to reestablish their farms

Capital moved to Augusta Georgia delegates met in 1788 and 1789;

adopted state constitution similar to national government, with three branches

General Assembly had two houses, Senate and House of Representatives; appointed governor and judges; controlled spending decisions

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SECTION 1: CREATING A NEW GOVERNMENT

Essential Question What was Georgia’s role in the

Constitutional Convention?