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From Revolutionary War through 1787 –the Articles of Confederation is our first national constitution!

The Confederation PeriodThe Confederation Period

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“Article II. Each state retains its sovereignty, and independence

But most of all

Freedom

13 Separate Governments13 Separate Governments

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•Unicameral legislature (no executive or judicial branches)•Each state had one vote in Congress•7 votes needed to pass a lawall 13 votes needed to amend it

Weak Central GovernmentWeak Central Government

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Congress could not --• levy or collect taxe$• maintain army or navy• control foreign or interstate trade• establi$h a $ound economy• enforce its own laws• effectively settle disputes between states

7Weaknesses of ArticlesWeaknesses of Articles

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• Kept states together during Revolutionary War

•Established relations w/ foreign nations

Successes of ArticlesSuccesses of Articles

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•guaranteed religious freedom

• prohibited slavery

• established rules for entering new states into Union

Successes of ArticlesSuccesses of Articles

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• States issued their own money, led to inflation• Post-war depression hurt farmers• Protests against higher state taxes• Govt led by wealthy, ignored common people’s problems

Economic TroublesEconomic Troubles

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Daniel Shays -- veteran of Rev. War, led rebellion of farmers, laborers -- wanted state govts to help them pay their taxes and debts -- seized court-houses, freed debtors from jails, led abortive attempt to loot US arsenal.

Shay’s RebellionShay’s Rebellion

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The Constitution Is Written and Ratified

Road To Constitution

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Delegates• 74 delegates were appointed• 55 actually attended• 39 signed the finished document

The Constitutional ConventionThe Constitutional Convention

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Characteristics of the delegates• Relatively young (average age 42)• ½ attended college• ½ trained in the law• Others merchants, doctors, landowners

The Constitutional ConventionThe Constitutional Convention

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• Most had political experience in colonial legislatures

• 7 were state governors

• Many were former military

Characteristics of the delegates

The Constitutional ConventionThe Constitutional Convention

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Organizing the Convention

• G. Washington named presiding officer (president)

• Each state got one vote, regardless of its population

The Constitutional ConventionThe Constitutional Convention

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I Never Told A Lie!I Never Told A Lie!

•Did Someone say my name?

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• Quorum (minimum number of states in attendance to do official business) was 7 of 13

• To pass proposals a simple majority of those present was required

The Constitutional ConventionThe Constitutional Convention

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Delegates decided all proceedings would be kept secret from press and non-delegates (allowed delegates to speak freely)

8The Constitutional ConventionThe Constitutional Convention

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• 3 separate branches of govt

• Legislature would select executive & judicial branch officials

• Bicameral legislature (2 houses)

The Virginia PlanThe Virginia Plan

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Main objection came from smaller states – they felt the Virginia Plan favored states with larger populations

The Virginia PlanThe Virginia Plan

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• One-house legislature w/ reps selected by state legislators

• Each state would cast 1 vote in the national legislature

The New Jersey PlanThe New Jersey Plan

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Main objection came from states with large populations, felt it short-changed their citizens and gave too much power to smaller states.

The New Jersey PlanThe New Jersey Plan

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• Membership in lower house of Congress would be based on population of each state & elected by the people

“Connecticut Compromise”

The Great CompromiseThe Great Compromise

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• Upper house of Congress would represent the states, each state to have 2 senators who were chosen by the state’s legislators

The Great CompromiseThe Great Compromise

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• House of Reps would favor states with large populations

• House given power to write all bills to raise & spend money

• State govts would have a friend in the U.S. Senate

The Great CompromiseThe Great Compromise

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• Southern delegates wanted to count slave population to figure how many reps each state would have in House of Reps

What About Slaves?

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The “Three-Fifths Compromise”

•Northerners agreed that 3/5 of slave population would be counted to determine how many reps. they could send to Congress AND to figure taxes

The Three - Fifth’s CompromiseThe Three - Fifth’s Compromise

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Congress given power to regulate foreign trade and interstate commerce.• President given power to negotiate treaties w/ foreign nations•Treaties had to be approved by 2/3 of Senate

Powers of CongressPowers of Congress

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• 9 of 13 states had to ratify for the Constitution to become “law”• There was significant opposition among powerful groups• This led to the creation of the second political party in U.S., the Anti-Federalists

Struggle for RatificationStruggle for Ratification

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• Federalists supported a stronger national government, and wanted ratification of the new Constitution• Anti-Federalists were strongly opposed to both

Struggle for RatificationStruggle for Ratification

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George Masonargued forcefullyagainst ratificationof new Constitution– and insisted onadding a Bill of Rights.

More ArgumentsMore Arguments

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• Ratifying conventions were selected by voters in each state• Federalist Papers were written by Hamilton, Jay and Madison in support of ratification, published in newspapers of day under pen-name Publius

The FederalistsThe Federalists

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We’re Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John

Jay, and WE WROTE THE FEDERALIST PAPERS!

The FederalistsThe Federalists

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• Federalists promised to make creation of a Bill of Rights the first order of business for the new Congress to try and get support from Anti-Federalists such as George Mason

The FederalistsThe Federalists

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The Constitution became law on June 21, 1788 after 2/3 of the states ratified it.

RatificationRatification

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The End

El Fin

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Hooray for America!!!Hooray for America!!!