Download Origins and Foundations of American Government

Origins of American
Government
Andy Meehan
Rebekah Bertagnoli
A.J. Mayer
Foundations
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The U.S. Constitutional system has
incorporated democratic ideas from Athens
and Rome.
 Athens-Direct Democracy
 Rome-indirect democracy
Ordered Government
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First English colonists saw the need for an
orderly regulation of their relationships with
one another.
Formed local governments based on their
English ideas.
Examples of offices: sheriff, coroner, assessor,
and justice of the peace….
Limited Government
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Deeply rooted in English belief and practice by
the time the first ships reached America.
Colonists didn’t want the government to be too
strong.
Representative Gov.
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The idea that the government should serve the
will of the people. “government of, by, and for
the people.”
Foundations
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Ideas gained from famous documents:
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Magna Carta
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Limited power of the government
Fundamental rights
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English Bill of Rights
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Limited power of the Monarch
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Trial by Jury
Due process of Law
No standing army in peacetime
Free elections
Right of petition
Parliamentary checks on power
English Petition of Rights
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Early document supporting idea that men have rights and
establishing concept of rule of law
Included basic rights
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Guarantee of trial by jury
Protection against marshal law
Protection against quartering of troops
Protection of private property
Foundations
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Fundamental political principles
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Limited Government-John Locke, Thomas Hobbes
(Constitution of Virginia, Constitution of the
United States, Declaration of Independence)
Government’s authority coming only from the
consent of the governed-John Locke (Declaration
of Independence, Constitution of the United
States)
Foundations
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Separation of powers- Montesquieu (Constitution
of the United States, Constitution of Virginia)
The Charters of the Virginia Company extended
the rights of Englishmen to the colonists
The philosophies of Locke and Rousseau are
expressed in the Declaration of Independence:
Rousseau believed that all men are created equal
 Locke believed that government is based on an
agreement between people and their rulers (“social
contract”). He felt that people have the right to life,
liberty, and property.
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Framework
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Ratification debates
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Nine of thirteen states needed to ratify
Constitution
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Anti-Federalist position
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Suspicious of a strong central government
Wanted Bill of Rights to protect personal liberties
Federalist Position
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Believed that a strong central government was the best way to
protect freedom
Framework
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The Federalist was a series of essays supporting
adoption of the Constitution.
The preamble to the Constitution establishes the
purpose of government
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To form a more perfect union
To establish justice
To ensure domestic tranquility
To provide for the common defense
To promote the general welfare
To secure the blessings of liberty
Framework
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Fundamental principles
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Consent of the governed: People are the only source of
governmental power
Limited government: the government may do only those
things that the people have given it the power to do
Separation of powers: Government is divided into three
branches- Legislative, executive, and Judicial
Checks and balances: this is a system whereby each branch
of government exercises some control on the others
Federalism: In this form of government, powers are
divided between the national and state governments.
Rule of Law: The Constitution of the United States is
supreme and all individuals are accountable under the law
Royal Colonies
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Subject to direct control of the Crown.
There were eight of them: New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Virginia,
N.C., S.C. and Georgia.
The king named a governor to serve as colony’s chief
executive. A council also named by the king, serving
as an advisory body for the royal governor.
they had a bicameral legislature elected by property
owners in the lower house, the upper house was the
governor and the council.
Laws passed had to be approved by the governor and
the Crown.
Proprietary Colonies
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Three of them: Maryland, Pennsylvania, and
Delaware.
Organized by a proprietor, a person whom the
king had made a grant of land.
Also had a governor like the royal colonies.
Maryland and Delaware bicameral and
Pennsylvania unicameral.
Charter Colonies
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Connecticut and Rhode Island were the only
two.
Based on charters granted in 1662 and 1663
respectively to colonists themselves.
Governors elected each year by the white,
male property owners of each colony.
Two house legislature appointed judges.
Coming of Independence
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Britain’s Colonial Policies: The Crown took
little matters in the management of the
colonies, but was interested in the trade.
By this time mostly self-governed, and not
many direct taxes sent back to England.
1760 Britain became more strict and began to
place trade acts, and new taxes.
“No Taxation without Representation.”
Coming of Independence
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Growing Colonial Unity
1643 Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, new Haven, and
Connecticut settlements formed the New England
Confederation. It developed a league of friendship to help in
defense against the Native Americans.
1754 the Albany Plan- 7 northern colonies: Connecticut,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York,
Pennsylvania, and Rode Island.
Plan proposed by Franklin said this: an annual congress of
delegates from each of the 13 colonies. It was used for
military action against the French and Native Americans…it
didn’t go into action, but his ideas would be remembered for
later.
Coming of Independence
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Stamp Act Congress:
New taxes being in imposed by England, one was the stamp
tax.
October 1765 nine colonies-all except Georgia, New
Hampshire, N.C. and Virginia sent delegates to the Stamp Act
Congress in NY.
Put together a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, this
marked the first time a significant number of the colonies had
joined to oppose Britain.
More laws caused riots at ports and a boycott on all English
goods. (Boston Massacre)
Committees of Correspondence formed by Samuel Adams, the
Boston Tea Party 1773.
Coming of Independence
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The First Continental Congress:
Intolerable Acts
Formed the Congress to discuss and send a
declaration to England telling them to repeal
the taxes. (Sept. 5 1774-Oct. 26)
Agreed to meet again in may for a second
time.
Coming of Independence
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Second Continental Congress:
Refusal of compromise by England
May 10, 1775 they met by this time the Revolution had
begun…Hancock was the President of the Congress and
Washington was in charge of the military. Thomas Jefferson
took Washington’s place in the Virginia delegation.
This Congress served as government fighting a war, raising
armies, a navy, borrowed funds, bought supplies, created a
money system, and made treaties with foreign nations.
Unicameral Congress exercised both legislative and executive
powers.—Large State—had one vote.
Declaration of Independence
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July 2, 1776 Benjamin Franklin, John Adams,
Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and
Thomas Jefferson, drafted the Declaration.
July 4, 1776 we are free!
First State Constitutions
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1776-1777 most of the states adopted written
constitutions-bodies of fundamental laws setting out
the principles, structures, and process of their
government. Massachusetts constitution of 1780 is
the oldest present-day State constitutions.
Common features: Popular sovereignty, they were
brief documents giving limitations on the
government.
Elective terms of office were made purposely short,
seldom more than one or two years. Voters were
white, male, property owners.
The Critical Period
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Articles of Confederation-established “a firm
league of friendship” among the States. Under
this plan, each State kept “its sovereignty,
freedom, and independence, and every Power,
Jurisdiction, and right…not… expressly
delegated to the U.S., in Congress assembled.”
States than ratified it on March 1, 1781.
Structure, Powers, Weakness
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Unicameral, made up of delegates chosen yearly by the States
in whatever way their legislatures might direct. Each state had
one vote in the Congress. No executive or judicial branch.
They chose one of the members to preside over the Congress
Power consisted of making war and peace; send and receive
ambassadors; make treaties; borrow money; set up a money
system, ect…
Weaknesses- no power to tax, raise money only by borrowing
and by asking for State funds. No executive to enforce acts of
congress. No national courts system and 9/13 states had to
ratify for every law.
A need for a stronger government
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Mount Vernon-Maryland and Virginia, plagued
by bitter trade disputes, took the first step in
the movement for change. Resulted in “a joint
meeting of all the States to recommend a
federal plan for regulating commerce.
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Annapolis-5/13 States showed up…1787 seven
named delegates to the Philadelphia meeting,
this became the Constitutional Convention.
Creating the Constitution
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The Framers: twelve of the thirteen states, all but
Rhode Island attended sending 74 delegates to Philly.
55 attended the convention and all of them were
outstanding and intelligent people.
They were of a new generation of political minds.
They met at Independence Hall, the same room the
Declaration was signed 11 years earlier.
Washington was president of the convention.
They worked in secrecy. It was at first used to revise
the Articles but than was decided that they should
rewrite everything.
Virginia Plan
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This plan called for a new government with
three separate branches: legislative, executive,
and judicial.
Divided into two houses the House of reps.
and the senate, which were chosen by the
House from a list of persons nominated by the
State legislatures.
Smaller states thought these ideas were too
radical.
New Jersey Plan
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A unicameral system with each of the States
equally represented.
Called for a federal executive of more than one
person. This person would be chosen by
Congress and could be removed by it at the
request of a majority of the States’ governors.
Compromises
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The Connecticut Compromise- agreed that
Congress should be composed of two houses.
In the small Senate, the States would be
represented equally. The House would be
based on population. AKA Great
Compromise.
3/5ths Compromise- Provided that all “free
persons” should be counted, and so, too should
“three-fifths of all other persons.”
Compromise
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The commerce and slave trade compromiseCongress was forbidden the power to tax the
export of goods from any State. It was also
forbidden the power to act on the salve trade
for a period of at least 20 years.
The Constitution is said to be a “bundle of
compromises.”
Ratifying the Constitution
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Two groups emerged from the States
Federalists who approved ratification and AntiFederalists who apposed the ratification.
Two major features of the proposed
Constitution drew the heaviest fire: The greatly
increased powers of the central government
and the lack of a bill of rights.
Nine States ratify
Inaugurating the Government
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September 13, 1788 11 of 13 States “under the
federal roof,” the Congress of the Confederation
paved the way for its successor.
New York-temporary capital, first Wednesday in Feb.
was set as the date on which those electors would
vote, and the first Wednesday in March as the date for
the inauguration of the new government.
On April 30th Washington took the oath of office as
the first President of the U.S.
Sources
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Prentice Hall- Magruder’s American
Government text book.
http://www.sullivancounty.com/bush/constitution.htm