Chapter Four A Tradition of Democracy Rights and Responsibilities ~~~~~ The Bill of Rights.
Chapter Two A Tradition of Democracy Foundations of Government ~~~~~ A New Constitution.
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Transcript of Chapter Two A Tradition of Democracy Foundations of Government ~~~~~ A New Constitution.
Chapter Two
A Tradition of Democracy Foundations of Government
~~~~~A New Constitution
Meeting to Fix Problems
May 1787
Independence HallPhiladelphia, PA
original purpose – fix the Articles of Confederation and improve the national government
Constitutional Conventionmeeting that created a completely new plan of government – the Constitution
Significance of the Document
The current Constitution of the United States is the world's oldest written constitution still governing a country today - 224 years.
British Ideas Used in the Constitution
Magna Carta 1215 (Great Charter)• guaranteed due process of law• trial by a jury of peers• people judged according to law• protected the rights of Parliament against the monarch
English Bill of Rights 1689• right to petition the government• right to a fair punishment if found guilty of a crime
Parliamentary Government
• two-house (bicameral) lawmaking body• one appointed, one elected by the people• checks and balances
Secret Meetings
Delegates agreed not to discuss any of the Convention business outside the Convention
could speak freely during their meetings
no pressure by outsiders
allowed delegates to change their minds
allowed agreement on difficult issues
Records of the Convention
James Madison kept a journal of the proceedings of each meeting
• only delegate who attended every meeting all summer
• notes released after his death
• chief source of info about the Convention
A New System of Government
Federalism (Federal System) = A system of government in which the powers of government are divided between the national government, which governs the whole country, and the state governments, which govern the people of each state.
Settling DifferencesSerious disagreement over representation in the new national legislature.• Larger states wanted representation based on population• Smaller states wanted equal representation
Great (Connecticut) Compromise• Created a bicameral lawmaking body called Congress• Senate - all states would have equal representation• House of Representatives - each state would be
represented according to the size of its population
New Powers for the Government
1. coin and print money
2. raise armed forces
3. regulate trade – domestic and foreign
4. collect taxes
Ending the ConventionCompleted September 17, 1787
(Constitution Day)
Signed by 39 of the 42 delegates
Delegates return to their home states
Approving the Document
Ratification = Approval by a formal vote.
Before the Constitution could go into effect, it had to be ratified by 9 of the 13 states. Each state set up a special convention of delegates to vote on the Constitution.
Ratifying the Constitution
Federalists Anti-FederalistsSupporters of the
Constitution who urged its adoption.
Opponents of the Constitution who urged its
rejection.• needed a strong national
government to keep the country united
• feared that the United States would break up into 13 separate countries
• feared a strong national government defeated the purpose of the Revolution
• believed that the new document would not protect the states' power or the people's freedoms
Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison
Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Sam Adams
Convincing the People
Federalist Papers series of 85 articles or essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, and published to help increase public support for approving the new Constitution.
Many citizens were upset that the Constitution did not contain a list of the rights of the people. Some states suggested that a Bill of Rights should be added if the new Constitution was ratified.
The New Government Begins
New U.S. government began to operate in March 1789• Members of the new Senate and House of
Representatives arrived to begin their work
George Washington was sworn in as the first president• inaugurated on April 30, 1789
Required ninth state ratified Constitution in June 1788• North Carolina and Rhode Island did not approve
the new Constitution until after it went into effect
New York City chosen as the temporary U.S. capital• Washington DC did not yet exist