Founding Documents of the United States of America
Michael L. Murphy
ED 195
12/3/01
Documents to be Examined
• Declaration of Independence
• Constitution
• Bill of Rights
Declaration of Independence
• Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed idea in Continental Congress on June 7, 1776
Declaration of Independence
• Committee of five chosen to draft the document
Committee Members
• John Adams• Ben Franklin• Roger Sherman• Robert
Livingstone• Thomas
JeffersonBenjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
• Jefferson used his eloquent style to craft most of the famous document
Declaration of Independence
• Approved by Congress on July 2, 1776
• 56 men from 13 colonies signed on July 4, 1776
Constitution
• Constitutional Convention called to meet in Philadelphia during summer of 1787 to discuss remedies for the ailing Articles of Confederation
Independence Hall, Philadelphia
Constitution
• George Washington was elected president of the convention
Constitution
• Delegates from 12 states decided early on to scrap the Articles and proceed with writing a new plan for government
• Differences between delegates soon erupted
Crucial Compromises
• Representation
• Slavery
• Trade
Virginia Plan
• James Madison wrote this plan which based representation on population
• Favored big states
New Jersey Plan
• William Paterson crafted this plan which gave each state equal representation
• Favored small states
Great Compromise
• Roger Sherman gave idea of lower house based on population and upper house with equal representation
Slavery
• Three-Fifths Compromise reached to solve slavery issue
• Slaves would count as 3/5 of a person for purposes of taxation and of representation
Trade
• Compromise reached that allowed Congress power to regulate foreign and interstate trade
• Could not apply export taxes
• Could not stop slave trade for 20 years
Constitutional Principles
• Limited Government
• Separation of Powers
• Checks and Balances
• Federalism
• Popular Sovereignty
Limited Government
• First and oldest written constitution in the world
• Designed to prevent tyranny experienced under Britain which had an unwritten, open-ended constitution
Separation of Powers
• Government divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial
• Each branch has specific powers but must work with the others for government to function
Checks and Balances
• Prevents one branch from becoming more powerful than the others
• Branches have ways of checking and balancing the power of the others
Federalism
• Divides power between national and state levels of government
• States needed to sacrifice some sovereignty for the sake of national unity
Popular Sovereignty
• Preamble of Constitution expresses idea that source of power rests with the people
Constitution on Display, Washington, D. C.
Examples of Popular Sovereignty
• Vote for representatives to national government
• Indirect election of president through electoral college
• Make changes in constitution through amendment process
Constitution
• Signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787
Constitution
• Rhode Island was 13th and last state to ratify on May 29, 1790
• New Congress convened in New York City on March 4, 1789
Constitution
• Washington inaugurated as first president in New York City on April 30, 1789
Bill of Rights
• James Madison finished Bill of Rights in 1789
• Fulfilled promise to Anti-federalist opponents
Bill of Rights
• Approved by three-fourths of states in 1791
• Bill of Rights were first ten amendments to the Constitution
Key Rights Protected
• Religion
• Speech
• Press
• Security Rights
• Judicial RightsBill of Rights on Display,
Washington, D. C.
Bill of Rights
• Intended to limit national power
• Designed to protect rights of individuals
• States still had much freedom to govern as they pleased
Photo Credits
• Horydczak, Theodor. “U.S. Capitol paintings. Signing of the Declaration of Independence, painting by John Trumbull in U.S. Capitol IV.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959. [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/thc.5a51230.jpg] [thc 5a51230] (December 1, 2001).
• Pendleton's Lithography. “John Adams, second President of the United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present. [http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a53000/3a53200/3a53276v.jpg] [cph 3a53276] (December 1, 2001).
Photo Credits
• “Benjamin Franklin.” c[between 1900 and 1920]. Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a20000/4a28000/4a28500/4a28534r.jpg] [det 4a28534] (December 1, 2001).
• Pendleton's Lithography. “Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present. [http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c10000/3c17000/3c17100/3c17117v.jpg] [cph 3c17117] (December 1, 2001).
Photo Credits
• Pendleton's Lithography. “James Madison, fourth President of the United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present. [http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a53000/3a53200/3a53278v.jpg] [cph 3a53278] (December 1, 2001).
• Horydczak, Theodor. “Paintings. Signing of Constitution by Howard C. Cristy II.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a50000/5a50800/5a50829r.jpg] [thc 5a50829] (December 1, 2001).
Photo Credits
• “Independence Hall [Assembly Room], Philadelphia, Pa.” c1905. Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a10000/4a12000/4a12500/4a12587r.jpg] [det 4a12587] (December 1, 2001).
• Horydczak, Theodor. “Democratic Digest. Attorney General Tom Clark looking at Bill of Rights II.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a43000/5a43100/5a43174r.jpg] [thc 5a43174] (December 1, 2001).
Photo Credits
• Horydczak, Theodor. “Library of Congress (Jefferson Building). Display of U.S. Constitution, Library of Congress.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959 [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a50000/5a50700/5a50785r.jpg] [thc 5a50785] (December 1, 2001).
• “George Washington, head-and-shoulders portrait]. Stuart, Gilbert, 1755-1828, artist.” c[between 1900 and 1920]. Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a20000/4a26000/4a26500/4a26549r.jpg] [det 4a26549] (December 1, 2001).
• Additional images and sounds courtesy Microsoft Office 2000.
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