Friday September 2, 20111.02 Analyze the philosophy and ideologies that influenced the

formulation and adoption of the Constitution.1.03 Investigate the experiences that influenced the beginnings of

American government.Adoption of the US Constitution

FIRST 5: (Do this NOW) Take out Home work on Rev and AoC Do the following:

1. List and Rank 5 causes for the American Revolution

2. List and Rank 3 causes for scrapping the Articles of Confederation

AMERICAN REVOLUTION TO

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION…

Alexis De Tocqueville’s Democracy in America

Like a human being, you can track its future by its childhood, so you can track a country by its origins to determine its natural character or destiny.

We can see such a national infancy in America Emigrants to the colonies differed in goals and principles but similar in language. British – factious past, importance of how to protect, parish system Emigrants have no notion of superiority – happy and powerful do not go into exile If the elite did come they found the soil not suited for territorial aristocracy Too poor to support anyone but the owner Because the land can only support a few people – the land is naturally broken

into small portions which the proprietor cultivates himself A nation may include the rich or poor but unless there is no territorial wealth then

there is no aristocracy Law of equal division breaks up large estates Since land is more valuable if owner works it himself it creates a disincentive to

buy huge portions of land Colonies love money but it moves fluidly and wealth rarely remains over

generations– political equality will be inevitable in the colonies

There were five sectors in colonial society

1)      New England Merchants2)      Southern planters3)      Holders of royal lands, patents, and

officers4)      Shopkeepers, artisans, laborers5)      Small farmers

Power in the Colonies The merchants, planters and royalists comprised

the colonial elite the ruled

1720-1750 was a period of salutary neglect as distance and limits of communications mean the colonies are neither heavily regulated nor heavily taxed. – between 1740 and 1748 only about 148,000 pounds are spent on the colonies

Whig ideology, Lockean philosophy and English history- power can be abused, so it must carefully be watched

Why start taxing? 1754-1763 – the French-Indian War costs

about a million pounds French threat is removed and allows

colonists to look inward British post soldiers in people’s homes

and colonists told they don’t have same rights as the English

Rise in colonial patriotism British debt motivates parliament to start

taxing the colonies

Stamp Act The Stamp Act and other taxes in the 1760s threaten

the interests of the merchants and the planters – an alliance between the 1, 2, 4, and 5 is created

The act is eventually repealed and the alliance disbands with the traditional elite supporting the soldiers during the Boston Massacre

In 1773, the British grant a monopoly on the export of tea from Britain and the company works to sell directly to the colonies instead of through merchants

Merchants unite with 4 and 5 – the Boston Tea Party (radicals hoped it would provoke a response,

merchants just hoped it would rescind the monopoly)

Response to Boston Tea Party

Britain responds with by closing the Boston port, changes the provincial government of Massachusetts, accused persons could be taken to England for trial, and restricted movement to the West (this further alienated the Southern planters)

1775 – Battle of Lexington – troops go to Concord to destroy arms

Declaration of Independence (1776) written Calls for inalienable rights Attempts to unify a disparate country by articulating a

history and set of principles to forge a national unity

The causes of the revolution: economic – taxes, monopolies challenge

economic interests political – the rights of the people are

being taken away – Lockean The shift from salutary neglect sparks a

powerful reaction because of Locke, Whig ideology and British history

Articles of Confederation (1777)

No executive branch Enforcement left to the states No judicial branch No agency for resolving disputes between

the states Just a unicameral legislature

one member selected by the state legislature

Articles of Confederation (1777)

No means of regulating interstate commerce States could tax each others goods

No federal enforcement powers As a result: foreign countries could play states

against each other in trade deals radical elements control Pennsylvania and

Rhode Island Leg – instituting currency inflation – frightens the elite but the federal gov is powerless to intervene

Annapolis Conventions (1786) Calls for Congress to send delegates to a

convention in Philadelphia to revise the articles

Shay’s Rebellion Shay attempts to stop foreclosure of farm

by keeping courts in Mass. from sitting Shay tries to capture the federal arsenal

at Springfield Appeal made to federal gov gets no

response State militia is able to disperse mob

within a few days Insurrection is embarrassing and

worrisome

Constitutional convention (May 1787)

29 delegates selected by state governments – none from Rhode Island

Hot Philadelphia summer, windows shut to keep deliberations secret

Homework Research your Delegate: You will become

this person on Wednesday

Know: Background Where are they from and how this affects their

position… What is their belief on NJ Plan or VA Plan? Who are their allies and adversaries?