Origins of American Government Magruder Chapter Two
Our Political Beginnings Section One
Basic Concepts of Government • Ordered Government • Colonists from England saw the need for orderly regulation of their relationships with one another.
Basic Concepts of Government • Limited Government • Colonists brought with then the idea that government should not be all-powerful.
Basic Concepts of Government • Representative Government • Colonists brought with them the idea that government should serve the will of the people.
Landmark English Documents • Magna Carta • The Magna Carta established the principle of limited government and fundamental rights of English citizens. • Signed in 1215 in Runnymede, England • Signed by King John at the “request of his Barons”
Landmark English Documents • The Petition of Right • The Petition of Right limited the monarch’s authority and elevated the power of Parliament wile extending the rights of the individual.
Landmark English Documents • The Bill of Rights • The Bill of Rights redefined the rights of Parliament and the rights of individuals.
Government in the Colonies • The Royal Colonies • Royal Colonies were subject to the control of the crown and run by appointed governors, who were advised by councils.
Government in the Colonies • The Proprietary Colonies • Proprietary Colonies were owned by wealthy individuals who appointed governors, who were advised by councils.
Government in the Colonies • The Charter Colonies • Charter Colonies were governed by the colonists themselves through elected governors, who were advised by councils.
The Coming of Independence Section Two
Royal Control • Because of the distance from England to America, royal control of the colonies was relaxed for much of the colonial period. • Each colonial legislature assumed broad lawmaking powers. • After 1760, Parliament imposed new taxes and restrictive regulations, acts that provoked colonial protests of “no taxation without representation.”
Growing Colonial Unity • Early Attempts • In the 1600s some colonies banded together temporarily to defend themselves, but the need passed and unity failed.
Growing Colonial Unity • Early Attempts (con) • The Albany Plan of Union • Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union called for annual meetings to deal with issues of common concern, but colonial governments turned down the plan.
Growing Colonial Unity • Early Attempts (con) • The Stamp Act Congress • Harsh tax and trade policies caused colonists to meet to denounce the practices and to organize boycotts and other acts of protest.
The First Continental Congress • In 1774, the Intolerable Acts caused colonists to send delegates to a meeting to discuss matters and to make plans for action. • The Congress sent a Declaration of Rights to the King, protesting taxes and restrictions.
The Second Continental Congress • In 1775, Congress met again, but by now the Revolution had begun. • The Congress organized a government and established an army, led by Gen. George Washington. • The Congress served as government until the Articles of Confederation went into effect.
The Second Continental Congress • The Congress was unicameral, exercising both legislative and executive powers.
The Declaration of Independence • The Declaration of Independence announced the independence of the United States from Great Britain and listed the reasons for rebellion. • The Declaration proclaimed equality and the rights of the people.
The First State Governments • Most States wrote their own constitutions. • Most States adopted their own constitutions.
Common Features of New States • Popular Sovereignty • The States’ governments existed by the consent of the governed. • Limited Government • The power of the States’ governments was restricted.
Common Features of New States • Civil Rights and Liberties • Each State clearly announced the rights of its citizens. • Separation of Powers and Checks and Balance system • Each new State government was organized with independent branches of government
The Critical Period Section Three
The First National Constitution • The Articles of Confederation formed a confederation among the States. • Government Structure • Government under the Articles was a unicameral legislature with no executive or judiciary
The First National Constitution • Powers of Congress • Most powers related to common defense • State Obligations • The States agreed to accept several obligations to the central government, but retained many powers of government for themselves.
The First National Constitution • Weaknesses • The government lacked: • The power to tax • The power to regulate trade between the States • The power to make the States obey the Articles.
The Critical Period • Disputes among the States highlighted the need for a stronger, more effective National Government. • Economic chaos also resulted from a weak central government.
The Meetings at Mt. Vernonand Annapolis • A majority of States called for a convention in Philadelphia to improve the Articles of Confederation • This meeting became the Constitutional Convention
Creating the Constitution Section Four
The Framers • The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were young. • They were remarkably well-educated and experienced in politics.
Organization and Procedure • George Washington was elected president of the convention. • Each State could cast one vote on an issue, and a majority of votes were needed to carry any proposal.
The Decision to Write a New Constitution • The Philadelphia Convention was called to revise the Articles of Confederation. • Most delegates agreed that writing a new constitution was necessary.
The Virginia Plan • The Virginia Plan called for a strong National Government with three separate branches. • It favored large States because the number of votes in the legislature would be based on a State’s population.
The New Jersey Plan • The New Jersey Plan resembled the Articles of Confederation, but with increased power of the Federal Government to tax and regulate trade. • It favored the small States because each State was given equal representation in the legislature.
The Connecticut Compromise • Disagreement over representation in Congress caused tempers to flare. • The Connecticut Compromise settled the conflict.
The Three-Fifths Compromise • The question arose of whether slaves should be counted in the population of Southern States. • The delegates agreed to count slaves as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation and taxation. • Article I, Section 2, Clause 3
The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise • Congress was forbidden tax exports • Congress could not act on the slave trade for at least 20 years.
A “Bundle of Compromises” • Great differences of opinion existed among the delegates. • Compromise was necessary on many issues.
Sources of the Constitution • The Framers were well-educated. • Delegates drew from history, current political thought, and from their own experiences.
The Convention Completes Its Work • The convention approved the Constitution. • Most delegates agreed that the Constitution was not perfect, but was the best that they could produce.
Ratifying the Constitution Section Five
Ratification • Federalists favored ratification. • Anti-Federalists opposed it. • Debate about ratification involved the increased power of the central government and the lack of a bill of rights. • Success was achieved when Virginia and New York ratified the document in the summer of 1788.
Inauguration of the New Government • The new government assembled in its temporary capital, New York City, in March 1789. • In April 1789, George Washington was elected President of the United States.
