The Documents of FreedomDeclaration of

IndependenceArticles of ConfederationGA Constitution of 1777

Constitution of the United States & Bill of Rights

Declaration of Independence

• This document was dangerous. • The people who wrote it risked their lives

to do so.• This was our official notice to the King of

England that we were severing (cutting) our ties to the “Mother Country.”– Since 1763, colonial governments had been

sending letters and representatives to England requesting that the King lower taxes and repeal some of the Acts

– After repeatedly turning down the colonists’ requests, a Continental Congress was called to do something about the situation.

Declaration of Independence

• What are the two main ideas expressed in the preamble?1. All men are created equal: given the

unalienable rights of LIFE, LIBERTY & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

2. Governments rule through the consent of the governed (the people). If the people don’t like the governments, they have the right to replace them

• The Declaration was ratified by the convention and signed on July 4, 1776– That’s what’s up with all the fireworks on

“Independence Day”…. DUH!!!

Articles of Confederation

• This was our nations’ first constitution

• Why did we need a constitution anyhow?

• Why did the writers create a Confederation government?

Articles of Confederation

Strengths

• Set up a republican form of government

• Established self-government under a written document

Weaknesses• Congress couldn’t levy

taxes• Congress couldn’t

regulate trade• Congress couldn’t force

states to follow laws• Each state got one vote

regardless of population• Only a Legislative

branch– No Executive or Courts

• Congress couldn’t’ raise an armyAfter the problems were recognized, why was the

government hesitatnt to change the country’s first Constitution?

Georgia Constitution of 1777

• Once we were no longer a colony and now a state, we needed a State Constitution.

• Georgia’s provincial congress met to make a governing document to define the branches and powers of state government.

Georgia Constitution of

1777Strengths• Separation of

government branches• Protection of basic

rights

Weaknesses• Most power given to

unicameral legislature– Legislature elected the

governor, his 12-man council & other state officials

• One-house legislature with no check on power

• Governor only served 1-year term limiting his power

• Constitution not ratified by the people

Constitution of the United States

• After recognizing that the Articles were too weak, a Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia in May or 1787.

• The purpose of this meeting was to “fix” the Articles however, the framers quickly realized that the Articles were too messed up to fix.

• They began to write a new document, creating a Stronger central government– Debates regarding slavery and population

shaped the new document– Abraham Baldwin & William Few voted in ways

that shaped the new government

Constitution of the United States• The Constitution created 3 branches

of government and gave each the ability to check the powers of the other branches.– Legislative Branch– Executive Branch– Judicial Branch

• Debates about population and state votes created a Bi-cameral Legislature– The Great Compromise was influenced by

Abraham Baldwin’s vote

Constitution of the United States• A group within the convention decided that individual or personal freedoms needed to be specifically listed.– Why would they feel a need to do so?

• From this group’s demands, the Bill of Rights were created– These are the first 10 Amendments

(changes/additions) to the Constitution

• This document was sent to the states for ratification and by 1789 all states had passed this.– Georgia was the 4th state to ratify so we are the

“4th State”