Ch 8 Background Information

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Ch 8 Background Information

• Objective 1
• - Describe the ideas, practices and documents
  that shaped American beliefs about government.

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Vocabulary Terms

• constitution
• republicanism
• limited government
• suffrage
• ratification
• Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
• Articles of Confederation
• Land Ordinance of 1785
• Northwest Ordinance 1787
• Northwest Territory

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English PracticesMagna CartaEnglish Bill of
Rights Parliament
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The Enlightenment During the Enlightenment,
philosophers often discussed their ideas at
elegant social gatherings. British philosopher
John Locke was widely respected. For his idea on
Social Contract
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I. Ideas about Government

• Sources of Inspiration
• English Law, particularly Magna Carta and English
  Bill of Rights.
• Enlightenment ideas, such as John Lockes belief
  that a social contract existed between political
  leaders and the people they ruled.
• American Political Traditions
• Representative government, including the New
  England town meeting and legislative assemblies
  such as the Virginia House of Burgesses.
• Religious traditions, such as Great Awakening,
  which may have led colonists to questions
  political institutions and look for more local
  control.
• Documents Support Self-Government
• Mayflower Compact
• Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, an example of
  a written constitution- set of basic principles
  and laws that states the powers and duties of the
  government.
• Declaration of Independence

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II. The State Constitutions

• Showed the belief in republicanism- support for a
  system of government in which citizens elect
  representatives responsible to the people.
• Created limited government- government in which
  leaders must obey laws and no one has total
  power.
• Most states constitutions protected citizens
  individual rights, such as trial by jury.
• Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom promoted
  separation of church and state to protect
  religious freedom.
• Many states constitutions expanded suffrage, or
  voting rights.
• Voting rights for men varied from state to state.

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• - Virginia Declaration
• of Rights
• Virginia Statue for
• Religious Freedom
• State Constitution/Voting rights
• - Mayflower Compact
• Fundamental Orders
• of Connecticut
• Declaration of
• Independence

-Magna Carta -English Bill of
Rights -Parliament -Enlightenment -John
Locke -Democracy of the Roman Republic

• - New England town
• meetings
• Virginia House of
• Burgesses
• - Republicanism
• limited governments
• Religious freedom-The Great Awakening

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Important Questions

• What ideas influenced American as they planned
  their new government?
• English Law
• Enlightenment ideas
• American political traditions
• documents supporting principles of self
  government

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Important Questions

• What are some of the rights that state
  constitutions protect?
• Trial by jury
• Religious freedom
• Right to vote

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8.1Introduction

• Essential Question
• - What compromises emerged from the
  Constitutional Convention?

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Members of the Second Continental Congress knew
that the former colonies needed to create a
central government.
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III. Forming a Union

• National Government
• Created Articles of Confederation, which defined
  the national powers.
• Articles created a Confederate Congress, which
  had limited powers.
• Approval
• Second Continental passed Articles of Confederate
  and then sent document to each state legislature
  for ratification, or approval.
• Final state, Maryland, ratified Articles of
  Confederation in March 1781

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Western Lands
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Important Questions

• What worried James Madison about the future of
  the United States?
• He worried that the states would not work
  together.
• Why did many members of Congress fear a strong
  central government?
• They feared such a government would trample their
  rights.
• What were some of the governments powers under
  the Articles of Confederation?
• Coin and borrow money, declare war, raise
  army/navy, negotiate treaties, could settle
  disputes between states, ask states for money and
  soldiers, set up postal system.
• What were some of the governments limitations?
• Could not impose taxes, had no president or
  national court system, had no power to settle
  disputes, collect money or supply troops.

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8.2Early Quarrels and Accomplishments

• Objective
• - Explain what quarrels occurred under Articles
  of Confederation.
• - Explain what the Confederate Congress
  accomplished under Articles of Confederation.

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IV. The Northwest Territory

• Western Lands.
• Confederation Congress planned to sell western
  lands to raise money.
• Land ordinance of 1785 set up system for
  surveying and dividing public lands.
• Northwest Territory of 1787.
• Northwest Ordinance of 1787 created Northwest
  Territory- included what is now Illinois,
  Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin- and its
  political system.
• Created a system for adding new states banned
  slavery in the Northwest Territory

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Northwest Territories
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Land Ordinance of 1785
Congress surveyed the land into squares 6 miles
on each side. (townships)
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Land Ordinance of 1785
Each town was divided into 36 smaller sections,
640 acres each. (the cost was a minimum of 1 per
acre)
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Land Ordinance of 1785
People pooled their money in order to be able
to afford a piece of land.
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Township Map Sargent County, North Dakota
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Northwest Ordinance (1787)
When 5,000 free males of voting age settled an
area, it became self-governing.
When the population reached 60,000 free
citizens, the area could apply for statehood.
Ex.) OH, IN, IL, MI, WI
Slavery was outlawed.
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Moving West After the Revolutionary War Americans
began heading west in greater numbers. Thousands
of people settled in the lands of the Northwest
Territory. Many of these people were farmers from
New England, where good farmland was scarce. As
the population of the Northwest Territory grew
and the region was divided into states, more
settlers came from throughout the nation and from
overseas.
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Important Questions

• What were the terms of the Northwest Ordinance of
  1787?
• Created Northwest territory and its political
  system, created system for forming new states,
  banned slavery in Northwest Territory

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8.1/8.2 Homework Quiz

• List three documents that were used in creating
  the Articles of Confederation.
• What was John Locks idea about government and the
  people?
• List two ideas that state constitutions
  contributed to the Articles of Confederation.
• What were the terms of the Northwest Ordinance of
  1787?
• Describe the Northwest Territory using geographic
  features.