Chapter 2 Origins of American Government

1
Chapter 2Origins of American Government

• Section 1
• The Colonial Period

2
An English Political Heritage

• The English colonists brought with them a
  heritage of freedom and principles of government
  that helped shape the development of the United
  States.

3
An English Political Heritage

• The concept of limited government, dating from
  the Magna Carta was an accepted part of the
  English system.

4
An English Political Heritage

• The Petition of Right in 1628 severely limited
  the power of the English monarch.
• The colonists believed in the limits on the
  rulers power and the freedoms protected in the
  English Bill of Rights passed by Parliament in
  1688.

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An English Political Heritage

• The colonists firmly believed in representative
  government, following the model of Parliament.

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An English Political Heritage

• The ideas of 17th century English philosopher
  John Locke deeply influenced the American
  colonists.

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Journal

• Read pages 35 38 and then answer the following
  question
• Why were John Lockes ideas considered
  revolutionary?

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Government in the Colonies

• The present system of American government evolved
  largely from colonial governments and their
  practices.
• Written plans for government were a key feature
  of the colonial period.

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Government in the Colonies

• Representative assemblies elected by the people
  helped establish the tradition of representative
  government in America.

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Government in the Colonies

• The division of government powers among the
  governor, the colonial legislatures, and colonial
  courts helped establish the principle of the
  separation of powers.

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Chapter 2Origins of American Government

• Section 2
• Uniting for Independence

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The Colonies on Their Own

• Although Britain regarded the American colonies
  largely as a source of economic benefits, it
  allowed them limited self-government.

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The Colonies on Their Own

• The British government tightened its control over
  the colonies after the French and Indian War.

14
The Colonies on Their Own

• King George III and his ministers made the
  colonies pay for the war by levying new taxes.

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Journal

• Read pages 42 43, then answer the following
  question
• Why do you think the British government allowed
  the American colonies to develop their own
  governments?

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Colonial Unity

• Harsh British policies and taxes helped unite the
  colonies.
• Stamp Act
• Intolerable Acts

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Colonial Unity

• To protest British policies, the colonists sent
  petitions to the king and also organized
  committees of correspondence.

18
Colonial Unity

• The First Continental Congress held in
  Philadelphia in 1774 debated what the colonies
  should do about their relationship with Britain.
• When the Second Continental Congress met in 1775,
  fighting had begun and Congress acted as a
  central government to carry on the Revolution.

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Colonial Unity

• Thomas Paines Common Sense strengthened the
  independence movement.

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Independence!
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Independence!

• A committee of delegates to the Philadelphia
  Congress, headed by Thomas Jefferson drafted the
  Declaration of Independence in 1776.

• The Declaration set forth the principles for the
  new nation.

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Independence!

• By 1776 eight states had adopted written
  constitutions, which were based on the consent of
  the governed, limited government, and the
  protection of individual rights.

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Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration has three main parts
• A statement of purpose including a description of
  basic human rights.
• A list of specific complaints against King George
  III
• A statement of colonists determination to
  separate from Great Britain

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Declaration of Independence

• Turn to page 770 and read the Declaration of
  Independence.
• Why did Jeffersons words in the Declaration of
  Independence stir the hearts of the American
  people?

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Chapter 2Origins of American Government

• Section 3
• The Articles of Confederation

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Government Under the Articles

• The nations first government included a
  single-chamber, or unicameral, Congress with
  limited powers.
• Each state had one vote, but it had no executive
  branch or court system.

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Weaknesses of the Articles

• The Congress had no power to collect taxes and
  had to depend on the states for money it had no
  power to regulate trade and it had no power to
  enforce the laws.
• Amending the Articles required the approval of
  all the states.

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Weaknesses of the Articles

• The central government had no president or
  executive branch and carried out much of its work
  through congressional committees.
• There was no system of national courts instead
  state courts enforced and interpreted laws.

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Achievements

• Despite its weaknesses, the Confederation
  government established a fair policy for
  developing western land.
• The Confederation government signed the peace
  treaty with England.

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The Need for Stronger Government

• Soon after the war, disputes broke out among the
  states the governments debt left soldiers
  unpaid.
• Many were alarmed when an economic depression in
  1786 lead to an armed farmers rebellion in
  Massachusetts known as Shays Rebellion.

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The Need for Stronger Government

• Leaders who favored a stronger government failed
  to accomplish much at the 1786 Annapolis
  Convention, but persuaded the Confederation
  Congress to call a convention in Philadelphia to
  revise and update the Articles of Confederation.

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Journal

• Answer the following question
• What deficiencies in the Articles of
  Confederation made them too weak to ensure the
  peace and tranquility of the United States?

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Chapter 2Origins of American Government

• Section 4
• The Constitutional Convention

34
Did you know

• That the delegates to the Constitutional
  Convention in Philadelphia held all their
  meetings in secret. For five months, May to
  Sept. 1787, guards stood watch at every door of
  Independence Hall to bar the public and reporters
  while the delegates argued and debated the
  provisions of the Constitution. Ironically, the
  great document that guarantees the basic rights
  and freedoms of all Americans was written without
  any input from the people.

35
The Convention Begins

• The delegates to the Constitutional Convention
  had great practical experience in politics and
  government and included many of the signers of
  the Declaration of Independence and the Articles
  of Confederation.

36
The Convention Begins

• The delegates decided to give up the idea of
  revising the Articles and to draft a new plan of
  government.

• The delegates held their meetings in secret,
  deciding each state would have one vote, all
  decisions would be by majority vote, and a quorum
  of seven states was required for all meetings.

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Decisions and Compromises

• Virginia Plan proposed a strong executive, a
  national judiciary, and a strong two-house
  legislature in which the lower house would be
  chosen by the people and the upper house would be
  chosen by the lower housel. This plan favored
  the large, more populated states.

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Decisions and Compromises

• New Jersey Plan proposed a weak executive of
  more than one person elected by the Congress, a
  national judiciary with limited powers, and a one
  house legislature, with one vote for each state.
  This plan favored the small states.

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Decisions and Compromises

• Connecticut Compromise proposed a legislative
  branch with two parts the House of
  Representatives based on population, and the
  Senate with two members from each state. This
  gave large states an advantage in the House and
  protected small states in the Senate.

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Decisions and Compromises

• Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise allowed the
  slave trade to continue until1808. Congress was
  forbidden to tax exports and was granted power to
  regulate both interstate commerce and trade with
  other nations.

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Decisions and Compromises

• The delegates agreed to include a four-year term
  for the president and an Electoral College rather
  then direct election of the president.

42
Decisions and Compromises

• One of the largest issues the constitution faced
  was slavery. Northern states wanted to eliminate
  slavery in the country but knew that this would
  upset the Southern states. Therefore the issue
  of slavery was not addressed.
• Three-Fifths of a states slave population was
  counted toward the total population.

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Journal

• Read pages 53 56 of the textbook and answer the
  following question
• Why were the delegates to the Constitutional
  Convention able to work together despite their
  disagreements?

44
Ratifying the Constitution

• Supporters and opponents of the Constitution
  began a great debate over whether to accept or
  reject it.

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Ratifying the Constitution

• Federalists support the ratification of the
  Constitution for a strong central government to
  solve the nations issues and deal w/ foreign
  countries
• A. Hamilton

46
Ratifying the Constitution

• Anti-Federalists opposed ratification. Claimed
  that important powers were taken away from the
  states and there was no Bill of Rights.
• Thomas Jefferson

47
Ratifying the Constitution

• When the Federalists promised to add a Bill of
  Rights, and the small states learned about the
  Connecticut Compromise, the battle over
  ratification was finally won.

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Ratifying the Constitution

• The new national government was launched in 1789
  when Congress met for the first time in New York
  City. Soon after, George Washington took the
  oath as the nations 1st President.

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Journal

• Read pages 56 58 in the textbook and answer the
  following question
• Why did ratification of the Constitution cause
  great debate among people in the various states?