Download Chapter 1: Section 3

Chapter 1: Section 3
The Constitution
Monday, September 8, 2014
Warm-up 9/8/14
What ideas and debates led
to the Constitution and Bill
of Rights?
Objectives
• Identify the weaknesses of the Article of
Confederation.
• Describe the role compromise played in the
creation of the Constitution and the struggle
for its ratification.
• Define the principles expressed in the
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Video: The Miracle in
Philadelphia
The United States was on the verge of
collapse when 55 delegates gathered in
Philadelphia to devise a framework for a
stronger national government. Watch the
video, The Miracle in Philadelphia, to find
out how the delegates created a remarkable
document called the Constitution.
Why it Matters?
 Dissatisfied by British rule, American colonists
rebelled and created the United States of
America.
 Leaders of new nation faced the task of creating
a system of government which resulted in the
U.S. Constitution.
Terms and People
 Bill of Rights
 List of freedoms guaranteed by state government
 Shay’s Rebellion
 Farmer’s revolt against high taxes in Massachusetts in
1786.
 James Madison
 Known as the “Father of the Constitution” because of his
instrumental role in creating the document that secured
the ratification in Virginia.
Terms and People
 Ratify
 Officially approve
 Federalism
 Political system in which power is shared between the national
government and state government
 Separation of powers
 Principle by which the powers of the government are divided between
the executive, legislative and judicial branches
 Checks and Balances
 System in which each branch of the government has the power to
monitor and limit the actions of the other branches.
Remember…
After Revolution, Americans were both excited and unsure
of how to create a new government.
How do you think the founders will
overcome the differences to create a
government?
A Confederation of States
 Colonists declare independent from Britain in 1776.
 Colonies become states and each write their own
constitutions.
 Republics come about
 Voters elect state legislatures and governor
 Most state constitutions included bill of rights
 Freedom of religion, press and trial by jury.
Articles of Confederation
 In 1781, 13 states adopted first federal constitution known as the
Articles of Confederation.
 Majority of power with states
 Federal government limited powers
 States set its own trade policies discouraging trade between states.
 National government had no say in interstate commence and could
not charge taxes.
 National government has a structural weakness
 Each state had a single vote
 On major issues, 2/3 of states had to approve
 To amend the articles, you needed all 13 states to approve it
Northwest Territory
 Located north of the Ohio River and stretched west from
Pennsylvania to the Mississippi River.
 1787- Congress passed two laws to manage land
 Land Ordinance
 Northwest Ordinance
 Article 3 of the ordinance, which reads in part:
 Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to
good government and the happiness of mankind, schools
and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.
Trouble in Paradise
 No army+ Weak Confederation= cannot defend
American interests.
 During mid 1870s, economic depression reduced prices
paid to famers for their produce.
 In Massachusetts, courts seized
farms from farmers who do not pay
taxes to the states or their loans.

Shay’s Rebellion!
Solution?
Constitutional Convention
 Each states sent delegates to a convention in
Philadelphia in May 1787.
Let’s not forget the…
 Three Fifth Compromise
 Helped the southern states
 Counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a
person to be added to a state’s free population.
 Boosted the number of the South’s seats in
Congress
 However, this gave NO rights to the African
American slaves.
Let’s see if we get it…
http://b.socrative.com/login
/student
Room:9a7a8a6c
Now we need to ratify!
 At least 9 out of the 13 states had to ratify the Constitution
 Supporters of Constitution were known as Federalists.
 Strong central government
 James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay
 Federalist Papers
 Opponents of the Constitution were know as the Anti-federalists
 Gave national government too much power at expense of states
 Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams
How to we get to ratification?
 Antifederalists argued that Constitution lacked a bill of rights
 Federalists proposed to add this bill once the new government
convened.
 1789- Congress approved the 10 constitutional amendments that
become the bill of rights- states ratified them two years later (1791).
Federalism
 Constitution divided power between states and nationdivision of sovereignty known as federalism.
 States could not longer issue their own money
 Federal government could only do that
 However, states had the power to regulate elections
 You win some…you lose some…it is about
compromise!
Section 3 Assessment on page 20 #1-6
Ticket out the Door
What were the main arguments
for and against the ratification of
the Constitution?