Download Unit 3: The constitution

UNIT 3: THE
CONSTITUTION
WARM UP
1.
2.
3.
4.
What were the weaknesses of the
Articles of Confederation
What is the Sugar Act?
At which event was the Declaration
of Independence signed?
What are some rights you have
listed in the US Constitution?
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION 1787- PHILADELPHIA
 55
Delegates attended… all states except Rhode
Island
 George Washington was asked to preside (lead)
over the convention.
 James Madison kept notes of the discussions and
is often called “The Father of the Constitution.”
 All the participants in the Convention were
wealthy, white, males… considered to be the
“Founding Fathers”
WHAT’S THE PURPOSE?
The goal was to fix
the Articles of
Confederation….
but they soon
realized the best
approach was to
toss it
CONSTITUTIONAL COMPROMISES
Founding Fathers had a lot of issues to
work out…
 Voting
 Slaves
 Trade
 Representation
ISSUE 1- HOW SHOULD STATES BE
REPRESENTED IN CONGRESS?
Virginia Plan
 3 branches of government
 Each state should be represented based on
POPULATION
 Bicameral legislature- 1st house elected by
people----- 2nd house elected by 1st house
 Supported by larger states
New Jersey Plan
 Unicameral legislature based on EQUAL
representation
 Supported by smaller states
SOLUTION: CONNECTICUT COMPROMISE

AKA The Great Compromise

BICAMERAL legislature
One house based on population (house of representatives)
 One house based on equal representation (senate)

ISSUE 2: SLAVES POPULATION OR PROPERTY?

Southern States
Wanted slaves to
count as
population to get
more voting power
in the House
 Feared they
would lose slavery


Northern States
Wanted to count
slaves as taxable
property
 Wanted more
control and voting
power

SOLUTION: 3/5 COMPROMISE
Counted each slave as 3/5 a white man
 Southern states benefited with greater
representation
 Northern states benefited because slave owners
had to pay taxes on slaves that were counted

ISSUE 3: SHOULD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
CONTROL INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE?
Trading or selling of goods

Northern States


Wanted Congress to have the power to control ALL
trade
Southern States
Didn’t want Congress to control any trade
 Feared taxes and regulation would end slave trade–
feared their economy would fall without slaves

SOLUTION: SLAVE TRADE AND COMMERCE
COMPROMISE
Congress
couldn’t
interfere with
slave trade
until 1808
 Congress
COULD
regulate foreign
and interstate
trade
 Congress could
tax imports, but
not exports

ISSUE 4: HOW WOULD THE NATION’S
LEADER BE CHOSEN?

Congress chooses
Citizens elect Congress… Congress elects President

Citizens choose
Citizens directly
elect President
SOLUTION: ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Citizens vote in each election
 Congressional Representatives use their votes to put
towards the candidate that the citizens chose
 Actual election is put in the hands of the Electoral
College… but each states uses the voice of their
citizens

# of electoral votes is based on how many each state has
in Congress…. NC has 15
2 in Senate
13 in House of Representatives
Candidate with 270 votes wins the election
ISSUE 5: WHO IS STRONGER?
STATE VS FEDERAL

Federalists
Supported a new constitution
 Supported strong central government
 Led by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison


Anti-Federalists
Opposed new constitution- thought it would give too
much power to central government
 Favored by the wealthy
 Believed civil liberties would be taken away- not
protected by a Bill of Rights
 Led by Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry

FEDERALIST PAPERS- SUPPORT OF A
STRONG CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
85 letters written to newspapers to encourage the
ratification of the Constitution
 Made popular the idea of federalism (strong
central government)

Federalist Paper 51--James Madison
If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If
angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal
controls on government would be necessary. In framing a
government which is to be administered by men over men, the
great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the
government to control the governed; and in the next place,
oblige it to control itself.
What would you say was Madison's general opinion of
people in government: angels? devils? something else?
SOLUTION: BILL OF RIGHTS
If Federalist would
add a Bill of Rights,
then Anti-Federalists
would ratify
VIOLA!
Ratified in 1789
WARM UP
Trying not to use your notes, describe:
1. Electoral College
2. VA and NJ Plans
3. Federalists and Anti-Federalists
4. 3/5 Compromise
5. Slave trade and Commerce
compromise
SIX BIG IDEAS FOUND IN THE CONSTITUTION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Limited government
Republicanism
Checks and balances
Federalism
Separation of powers
Popular sovereignty
Using the textbook, or the internet, complete the
first TWO columns on your worksheet titled Six
Big Ideas in the Constitution
US CONSTITUTION
Three Parts
 Preamble: We the People of the United States, in Order to
form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure
domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote
the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.


What are the goals of the constitution?
Is this a good intro? Why? Why not?
Articles I-VII
 Amendments

Bill of Rights 1-10
 27 Amendments total

IN YOUR NOTES
With ONE partner… or alone, read through the
Articles found on page 95
For each Article, write a SHORT (1-4 sentence)
summary. This will be used for your reference
later so be sure to use the descriptions on the side,
ASK QUESTIONS, or last resort use google.
You each must write them in your OWN notes
WARM UP
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How many parts are there in the
Constitution?
The preamble serves as an introduction,
what does it really say?
What is the main idea of article 1? Who
gets these powers?
What is the main idea of article 2? Who
gets these powers?
What is the main idea of article 3? Who
gets these powers?
WARM UP
THIS WILL BE COLLECTED!
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are the first 10 amendments called?
What is the importance of the 7th amendment?
What does it say?
Which amendment of the first 10, do you feel to
be the most important? WHY?
The first amendment gives you five basic
freedoms: speech, petition, assembly, press, and
religion. Come up with a way to remember
these. EXAMPLE: RAPPS!
WARM UP
1.
2.
3.
Define ex post facto
What are the three branches of
government, DESCRIBE what they
are responsible for
What does separation of powers do
for the government?
CLAUSES TO REMEMBER

Necessary and Proper Clause (elastic clause): Article 1
Section 8 Clause 18
Congress has the power to make all laws necessary and
proper to carry out powers
 Allowed to “stretch” the constitution to make things fit


Commerce Clause: Article 1 Section 8 Clause 3
Enumerated power (specifically stated in the constitution)
 Allows to control all forms of commerce


Full Faith and Credit Clause: (Article 4 Section 1)
Ensures that all states follow the court rulings of other
states
 Car accident in NC, but person that hit me lives in FL.
They don’t pay, state of FL enforces judgment.


Supremacy Clause: (Article 6, Clause 2) US
Constitution is Supreme Law of the Land
FEDERALISM
National and State governments share power
 Supremacy clause….but all things not given to
federal government, lies with the state

Expressed powers: federal powers


Reserved powers: state powers


Maintaining an army, declaring war, postal system,
immigration, making money
Trade within state, creating schools, rules for marriages, licenses
Concurrent powers: SHARED between federal & state
Taxes
 Borrow money
 Set up courts
 Prisons
