AMERICAN REVOLUTION

• Great Britain controlled Canada and the 13 colonies.

• The first permanent settlement was Jamestown (Virginia) – founded in 1607

• For the next 150 years, the British did not interfere with the 13 colonies – 3000 miles away – took two months to get to America.

• By 1757, these colonies contained over one million people and were becoming prosperous

• After the Seven Years War (1751763), the British wanted to increase their revenues from their colonies. – To cover war costs– Pay for the expenses of maintaining the army

that defended to colonies

• The British imposed the Stamp Act– Tax on certain printed documents– Taxes were harsh

• Colonists formed the Stamp Act Congress (1765)– To protest harsh taxes – “Taxation without

Representation”– Sent protest to the king– Stamp Act repealed - but harsher laws were passed– Mob violence and boycotts of British products– Boston Massacre – 1772– Boston Tea Party - 1773

• Colonists formed the First Continental Congress (1774)

– Result of “Intolerable Acts”• Boston Port Act• Massachusetts Government Act• Administration of Justice Act• Quartering Act• Quebec Act

– All colonies but Georgia attended– New boycotts - with committees to enforce boycotts– Sent a Declaration of Rights to George III– All colonies gave support to the work of the 1st

Continental Congress

• Fighting erupted between the Colonists and the British army in 1775 at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

• Second Continental Congress (1775)– All colonies were present– John Hancock chosen President– George Washington selected Commander-in-Chief

of Colonial Army– Became the nation’s first national government

– Appointed Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson to draft a Declaration of Independence.

• On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence and sent it to George III

• The document declared the colonies to be “free and independent states absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown”.

• Foreign countries help the colonists to get back at the British– France supplied arms and money– French officers and soldiers served in

Washington’s army– Spain and the Dutch Republic also entered

the war against the British

• British General Cornwallis was forced to surrender to Washington at Yorktown in 1781.

• The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783– Britain had to recognize the independence of

the American colonies– Colonies were granted control of the western

territory from the Appalachians to the Mississippi River

• The independent colonies were fearful of a strong central government

• State constitutions were written first. All state constitutions included the ideas of:

– popular sovereignty– limited government– civil rights and liberties– separation of powers– checks and balances

• Next came the constitution for the central government: The Articles of Confederation

• Ratified in 1781

• The central government consisted of a legislative body with almost no power.

• All of the power rested with the state governments

• Resulted in chaos and economic hardships

• 1787 – 55 delegates met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation - Constitutional Convention

• The delegates decide to write a plan for a new national government

• The framers of the constitution created a federal system in which power would be shared between the national government and the state governments

• The constitution provided for three branches of government– Executive – the president – enforces the laws– Legislative – congress – make the laws

• House of Representatives• Senate

– Judicial – the Supreme Court and other courts as deemed necessary – interpret the laws

• Each branch of the government has some power to restrain or check the workings of the other branches

THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

CHECKS THE CONGRESS CHECKS THE JUDICIARY

PRESIDENT CAN VETO LEGISLATION

PRESIDENT APPOINTS SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

CAN CALLA SPECIAL SESSION

PRESIDENT APPOINTS OTHER FEDERAL JUDGES

PRESIDENT CAN RECOMMEND LEGISLATION

PRESIDENT CAN APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE

THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

CHECKS THE PRESIDENT CHECKS THE JUDICIARY

CONGRESS MAKE LAWS CONGRESS CREATES LOWER COURTS

CONGRESS CONTROLS THE MONEY

CONGRESS CAN IMPEACH JUDGES

CONGRESS CREATES AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS

SENATE MUST APPROVE JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS

CONGRESS CAN OVERRIDE PRESIDENT’S VETO BY 2/3 VOTE

CONGRES CAN REMOVE PRESIDENT BY IMPEACHMENT

SENATE APPROVES TREATIES AND APPOINTMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT

THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT

CHECKS THE PRESIDENT CHECKS THE CONGRESS

JUDGES APPOINTED FOR LIFE (FREE FROM EXECUTIVE CONTROL)

COURTS CAN DECLARE ACTS OF CONGRESS UNCONSTITUTIONAL

COURTS CAN DECLARE AN EXECUTIVE ACTION UNCONSTITUTIONAL

• 9 states had to ratify (approve) the constitution for it to become the supreme law of the land

The first?

The 9th?

The last?• Ratified on June 21, 1788• First President?

• First Capital?

DelawareNew Hampshire

Rhode Island

New York

• Important to the eventual adoption of the Constitution was a promise to add a bill of rights

• 1789 the new Congress proposed 12

• Eventually 10 are approved by the states and become the Bill of Rights

Amendment I - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.“

Amendment II - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.“

Amendment III - "No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.“

Amendment IV - "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.“

Amendment V - "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.“

THE BILL OF RIGHTS

Amendment VI - "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.“

Amendment VII - "In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.“

Amendment VIII - "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.“

Amendment IX - "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.“

Amendment X - "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."