Unit 2: Creating Our Nation

1. Unit 2: Creating Our Nation Chapter 7: A More Perfect Union

2. Constitutions- Why bother? • Colonists thought written constitutions were important b/c they would: • 1. spell out the rights of all citizens • 2. set limits on the gov’t’s power

3. State Constitutions • In May 1776, Congress urged the colonies to replace the colonial charters they had with new constitutions

4. State Constitutions • These “state” constitutions would set the foundations for the local gov’ts, while Congress worked on a national blueprint for governing the whole country

5. We’ll talk about The Constitution (for the whole country) and the national gov’t later • For right now, everything we talk about will focus on individual state constitutions & state gov’ts

6. What were the colonists’ main concerns as they wrote new state constitutions? • One was fear of giving too much power to a few people (gov’t leaders) • Why would they have been so concerned about this?

7. Their solution: • Divide power between 2 branches of gov’t: • Legislative & Executive

8. Legislative Branch Writes laws Executive Branch Enforces laws

9. The Legislative Branch of State Gov’ts • The lawmaking branch • The states’ voters directly elected their representatives

10. All states except PA & GA created bicameral (2-house) legislatures Members of each house represented geographic districts within the state Let’s get a better idea of how it works The Legislative Branch

11. Every state has its own Senate and its own H of R You get the idea

12. In the Connecticut Senate, • there are 36 members • Each member represents a district with about 94,600 people living there • We live in District 34 and Len Fasano is our representative

13. there are 151 members Each member represents a district with about 22,600 people living there We live in District 87 and David Yaccarino is our representative In the Connecticut House of Representatives,

14. Interesting Legislation • Did you know that at one point in Alabama it was illegal to wear a false moustache in church if it made people laugh?

15. Did you know that… • at one point in Arizona it was illegal to kick a mule, but it was legal for a mule to kick a person?

16. In California, a person had to have a permit to set a mouse trap Unbelievably cute What other weird laws were there?

17. In Colorado, it was illegal to throw shoes at a bridal couple

18. In Florida, all residents had to wear clothes in the bathtub

19. In Idaho, no one could buy a chicken after dark without permission from the sheriff • Yes, that’s a chicken

20. In Illinois, an animal could be sent to jail

21. In Louisiana, whistling on Sunday was forbidden

22. It was illegal in parts of Maryland to mistreat an oyster

23. In Michigan, a woman’s hair was property of her husband

24. In Nevada, it was illegal to drive camels onto main highways

25. More weird laws will be in the next slideshow 

26. The Executive Branch of State Gov’ts • Carried out (“executed”) laws the legislative branch made • A governor headed the branch in each state

27. What about the national gov’t? • Writing a blueprint for a national gov’t was especially hard b/c in 1776, few Americans felt like members of one nation • Instead, they felt loyalty to their own states

28. The Articles of Confederation was finally finished in Nov., 1777, & would go into effect after every state had ratified (approved) it

29. Most states ratified the Articles shortly thereafter • The exception was MD, which, b/c of disputes over land claims, didn’t ratify them until 1781

30. Procrastinating

31. The Articles of Confederation became… • the first constitution of the U.S. • It established a loose alliance of states, rather than a strong central gov’t

32. Under the Articles of Confederation, instead of… one strong, united country It was more like…

33. The Articles made the Continental Congress the national lawmaking body, in which each state had one vote

34. Weaknesses of the Articles • Had no authority over individual citizens • Very little control over state gov’ts • Congress left it to the states to enforce laws

35. Weaknesses • There was no provision for a court system • If states disagreed, they had no place to resolve their differences

36. Weaknesses • The Articles didn’t require the states to send money to the national gov’t (pay taxes) • Money from wartime was worthless, and government had no power to collect from states or citizens

37. George Washington called the Articles- “a shadow without substance,” b/c it gave the gov’t no real national authority • Problems with other countries like Britain and Spain could not be resolved easily.

38. This made for an unstable country that would struggle through many problems until a new constitution could be written

39. Section 1 From Independent States to a Republic The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government and strong state governments. New Land Policies As people moved west, the country needed a process for new states joining the Union. Trouble on Two Fronts Financial problems and disputes with Britain and Spain revealed serious weaknesses of the Confederation government.

40. Vocab1 constitution a list of fundamental laws to support a government

41. Vocab2 bicameral consisting of two houses, or chambers, especially in a legislature

42. Vocab3 republic a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives

43. Vocab4 petition a formal request

44. Vocab5 ordinance a law or regulation

45. Vocab6 depreciate to fall in value

46. Vocab7 abandon  give up

47. Vocab8 clause a condition added to a document