Chapter Two A Tradition of Democracy Foundations of Government ~~~~~ A New Constitution.

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Chapter Two A Tradition of Democracy Foundations of Government ~~~~~ A New Constitution

Transcript of Chapter Two A Tradition of Democracy Foundations of Government ~~~~~ A New Constitution.

Page 1: Chapter Two A Tradition of Democracy Foundations of Government ~~~~~ A New Constitution.

Chapter Two

A Tradition of Democracy Foundations of Government

~~~~~A New Constitution

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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New Powers for the Government

1. coin and print money

2. raise armed forces

3. regulate trade – domestic and foreign

4. collect taxes

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Ending the ConventionCompleted September 17, 1787

(Constitution Day)

Signed by 39 of the 42 delegates

Delegates return to their home states

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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.

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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

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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.

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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