Chapter 2 Historical Roots of American Government

1. Chapter 2 Historical Roots of American Government

2. Beginning of United States • Started in 1600’s • Explorers, traders, and settlers from French, Dutch, Spanish, Swedes, and others combined with Native Americans to inhabit the continent • English (13 Colonies) • Brought with them knowledge of political system • Established laws, customs, practices, and institutions

3. Basic Concepts of Government • Ordered Government • Need for “ordered” regulations • Created local governments based on what they knew (England) (Sheriff, coroner, assessor, and grand jury) • Limited Government • Government is not all-powerful and can’t take away individual rights • Representative Government • People should have a voice in government decisions

4. Landmark English Documents • The Magna Carta (1215) • First document to ever limit the power of a king • Guaranteed some rights of citizens – king could not punish someone without jury trial and due process of law

5. Landmark English Documents • Petition of Right • Limited the Kings power and required jury of peers • Even monarch must obey law of land • English Bill of Rights • Right to a fair trial, prevented cruel or unusual punishment

6. Leading Up to the Declaration • John Locke’s 2nd Treatise on Government • Natural Rights – men had rights given to them by God before governments were ever created. John Locke

7. 3 Natural Rights • LIFE • LIBERTY • PROPERTY • Government’s purpose is to protect these, not take them away! John Locke

8. English Colonies • Colonies established over 125 year span by a charter (written authority from king) • Royal Colonies • Proprietary Colonies • Charter Colonies

9. The Stamp Act 1765 • Required every published piece of paper to receive a British stamp of approval, and pay a tax with it • True intention was likely to stop colonists from publishing essays and newspapers critical of Britain’s government

10. Stamp Act Congress (1765) • 9 colonies joined together to protest England’s Stamp Act, and England repealed it

11. First Continental Congress (1774) • Trying to repair relationship with Britain • Sent a “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” to the king, boycotted trade with England

13. Second Continental Congress (1775) • Trying to defeat Britain • Convened in the middle of the Revolutionary War

14. Second Continental Congress (1775) • Elected George Washington Commander-in-Chief of the ArmyColonial Unity

15. The Declaration of Independence July 4th, 1776

16. Jefferson Explains the Trouble With Writing This Thing:

17. Fundamentals of the Declaration • Men have inalienable natural rights • Governments exist by the consent of the governed • Abusive governments can be replaced

18. Our First Government • The Articles of Confederation • A huge mistake, but a good learning experience

19. The Articles of Confederation

20. The Articles of Confederation • Was not a strong national government • Rather, it was a “firm league of friendship” between 13 independent states

21. Problems with the Articles • National Government could not: • Collect Taxes • Regulate Trade Between States • Create a Court System • Use Troops Without Permission from the States

22. Problems with the Articles • As a result: • States never sent the government any money • States boycotted each other’s goods and currency • States made trade agreements with foreign countries

23. Features of the Articles Government • Legislative Branch (Congress) • Unicameral (One House) • States could send as many or as few Reps. as they wanted • Each state gets 1 vote regardless of number of Reps. • Any change to the Articles required approval of all 13 states

24. Features of the Articles Government • Executive Branch • No national executive branch • All executive and judicial powers were given to the states

25. The Constitutional Convention May 25th to September 17th, 1787

26. The Constitutional Convention • Original purpose was to slightly edit the Articles of Confederation • What ended up happening was a secret meeting where the Founding Fathers created a brand new government

28. lol ;-> lol :) Ben Franklin: Holla!

29. The Framers • Who were the Framers (Writers)? • A gathering of 55 of the most brilliant minds in history? • Most were in their 30’s and 40’s • All upper class, well educated, white males • Middle and lower classes, women and racial minorities were not given the opportunity to participate • Most famous names : George Washington, James Madison, Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton

30. The Framers: Demi-Gods? • The Framers are really just men – or “politicians,” even • They are fighting with one another on every issue, and forming compromises to resolve the fights

32. The Framers • James Madison becomes known as the “Father of the Constitution,” as he became the leader of the convention, and did much of the writing James Madison

33. Two Competing Ideas • The Virginia Plan • The “Big State Plan” • 3 Branches – Legislative, Executive, Judicial, each with checks and balances against the others • Bicameral legislature with representation based on population alone

34. Two Competing Ideas • The New Jersey Plan • The “Small State Plan” • Unicameral legislature with all states represented equally • Executive would be three presidents, who chose the Judicial branch

35. Compromises • The Connecticut Compromise • “The Great Compromise” • Bicameral legislature, one house based on population, one on equality

36. How the Great Compromise Works

37. Compromises • The 3/5ths Compromise • Southern states wanted to count slaves as part of their populations to get more votes in Congress • Compromise allowed them to count slaves as 3/5ths of a person in the census • *Note* - slaves did NOT get 3/5ths of a vote!

39. Compromises • The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise • Southern states feared that slavery would be banned by more heavily populated Northern states in Congress • Compromise prevented Congress from acting on the matter of slave trade for at least 20 years

40. Sources of the Constitution • Framers pulled from a number of places to get the final product: • Ancient Greece’s Democracy and Rome’s Republic • John Locke’s 2nd Treatise on Government • Charles de Montesquieu’s ideas about separating the powers of government • Great Britain’s government

41. New Constitution Bicameral Legislature (House and Senate) Strong Executive (President) Supreme Court System Federal Government British Government Bicameral Legislature (House of Lords and Commons) Strong Executive (King) Royal Court System Federal Relationship w/ Colonies Articles of Confederation Unicameral Legislature No Executive No Court System Confederation of States

42. Ratifying the Constitution • Ratify – vote on and pass • Constitution required that 9 of the 13 states needed to approve it to take effect Did someone say “Rat”ify?

44. Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists • Federalists – favored ratification of the Constitution and a new federal government • Anti-Federalists - opposed the new Constitution on almost all grounds • Especially wanted to add a bill of rights

45. Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists • Famous Federalists: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, George Washington • Madison, Hamilton, and Jay write The Federalist Papers – persuasive essays to explain why the new Constitution can be effective and preserve personal liberty

46. Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists • Famous Anti-Federalists: Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, Samuel Adams, John Hancock