Constitutional History

American Independence

Movement• The British gov’t ________ that

violated the rights of the colonies-

• British needed ________ to defend the colonies & the French and Indian war

• Sugar & Stamp Act- ________ without a voice in ________

• Quartering Act- invade the colonial ___________

• Declaration of _______ and ___________- American asked nicely for _________, request denied

Inspired by Enlightenment Ideals

• For no government can have a right to obedience from a people who have not freely consented to it;-John Locke

• That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,-Thomas Jefferson

• Both guys-If your gov’t isn’t protecting your unalienable natural rights- overthrow it!

• After the king ignores the colonies accusing him of _________ power…

• We make our own gov’t- __________ __________

Articles of Confederation- A “league of ___________” between

states• In 1781, the 1st government

in the US was the __________• Most power was in the

_______, not in a national Congress.

• It was _________:o _____________ between stateso Congress couldn’t _______ or

regulate _____________(trade)o No President to __________ law or

control militaryo _____________consent to amend

(every state would have to agree to change it)

• Shays Rebellion- farmers ______________ against judges ______________ on their farms

On the Road to a Constitution

• ____________ Rebellion highlighted AOC weaknesses

• _________ political leaders called a convention in Annapolis, MD- not many states sent representatives

• Agreed to meet in Philly PA in the Summer of 1787 for a constitutional convention- set up a _______ government

Constitutional Convention

• Purpose to ________ the AOC but delegates decided they would start ___________

• Delegate- a __________ from a state- __________ men who were _____________ during the revolution

• Each states’ delegates had their own ideas of what a good government looked like…

Constitutional Controversial PlansVA PLAN (large

states)NJ PLAN (small

states)

• ____________(2 house legislative branch or congress)

• __________of representatives a state would send to Congress is based on the state’s ___________

• One President to head an ________________ branch

• ____________ (1 house legislative branch)

• Representation would be equal-_____ per state

• At least _______ ____________would could be removed by states

Compromises

• 2 Houses- Upper house (the _________) each state gets ___ Senators• Lower House (the __________ of _______) states get more with a

larger population• There will be ________president who can be removed by the House

• Three-Fifths Compromise- ________are 3/5 for population _______

• Commerce & Slave Trade- no ____ on exports , _________slave trade

• Choosing the President- ________ ___________

________ (Connecticut) Compromise- How many representatives be chosen? How many presidents will there be?

Also known as the CT Compromise

Look up-Comparing the Articles of Confederation to

the Constitution • AOC weakness Constitutional Solution- State power - - No power to tax - - No regulation of trade -- No president - - Unanimous consent - amend or change

Ratifying the Constitution

• Ratification- ___________ the Constitution as the gov’t

• Took _____ of _______states• People were divided:• Antifederalist- _________Cons’t

o Feared ___________national gov’to President was too much like a

________o Wanted a ______ of _______to protect

people

• Federalists-____________ of the Consto __________ branches check the

power of the otherso National gov’t will give power to

_______o Wrote persuasive pro-Constitution

essays- ________ ________________ _________

The Constitution Gets Ratified

• The Federalist-led by _______ ________added a Bill of Rights to the Constitution to ease Anti-fed fears

• The ______ _____ ________the 1st 10 Am that promise basic rights to the people and the states

Virginian Delegates Makin’ a Difference

• George Mason - VA ____________ of ____________o Virginians should have rights- freedom of ________ and freedom of

the ______o Inspired the Bill of Rights

• Thomas Jefferson -_____ _________ of _______ ________o People should be free to worship as they ____________o first time religious freedom was protected by _____________o is the basis for the ___________ _________________guaranteeing

religious freedom.

• James Madison- “Father of the ________________” o kept detailed_____________during the Constitutional Convention o Helped make ________________o authored the “_________ __________-,”o authored much of the Bill of Rights.