Transcript 2A and 2B American Revolution to Constitution

Causes of the American Revolution and the U.S.
Constitution
Chapter 1: Early America
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ckKids#p/u/1/p0LmYEjXNIg
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Many causes, one outcome; independence
Causes of the American Revolution

The French and Indian War (1754-1763)
1. In 1749, FR laid claim to land along the Allegheny
and Ohio rivers and built Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh is
found today). At stake was control over a vast amount
of land granted to VA by the GB.
2. In 1754, a young Virginian officer named George
Washington was sent into disputed territory, where
he
engaged in skirmishes with the FR. When the
smoke cleared, Washington was obliged to sign
conditions of surrender that required the Virginians to
leave the Ohio Valley. (It was the opening salvo of the
war between the FR and GB known as the
French and Indian War.)
Causes of the American Revolution
French and Indian War Continued
3. French and Indian War raged for 9 yrs, during
which British forces concentrated on securing
New France.
4.The F.I.W ended with signing of the Treaty of
Paris 1763. G.B. gained all of New France, and all
other land east of the Mississippi River except for
New Orleans.
5. Spain, an ally of FR, ceded most of Florida to
Britain in exchange for control of Havana, Cuba,
which G.B. had captured in 1762.
Causes of the American Revolution

French and Indian War continued
6. The result of the FIW was an entire
redrawing of the political map of North
America. The provisions of the Treaty of
Paris set the stage for British
confrontation with the colonists in the
near future, and along with it, renewed
conflict with FR.
Background
Victory in the French and Indian War was costly
for GB. At the war's conclusion in 1763, King
George III and his gov’t looked to taxing the
American colonies as a way of recouping their
war costs. They were also looking for ways to
restore control over the colonial gov’ts that had
become increasingly independent while GB was
distracted by the war.
Core of the Dispute
A series of actions including the Proclamation
of 1763, the Sugar Act (1764), Stamp Act
(1765), the Townsend Acts (1767), the Boston
Massacre (1770), and the Intolerable Acts
(1774) agitated the colonists, straining relations
with the mother country. But it was the Crown's
attempt to tax tea (Tea Act of 1773) that spurred
the colonists to action and laid the groundwork
for the American Revolution.
PROCLAMATION LINE
OF 1763
•An order issued by the
King of Britain forbidding
the colonists from settling
the recently acquired
lands west of the
Appalachian Mountains.
•Ideally the order was
issued to avoid future
conflicts with the NA.
Wars are EXPENSIVE.
•The measure also
contained the colonists
making it easier for GB to
maintain control.
The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was
created by the King of
GB & the British
Parliament in an effort
to recoup some of its
costs from the French
Indian War.
 Made the colonists
upset…sugar was a
staple that all people
enjoyed.

The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was issued in 1765, at the urging
of George Grenville, the British PM.
 The act placed a tax on all printed materials
created within the colonies. (internal tax)
 The colonists responded by boycotting British
sold goods. Some responded violently by
attacking the tax collectors, putting tar and
feathers on them and sometimes worse.
 It was finally repealed in 1766.

Causes of the American Revolution

Planting the Seeds of Revolution
Most colonists viewed themselves as loyal British subjects.
They traded goods with Britain, maintained British customs,
and believed they were subjects of the British crown.
1. Started with the Navigation Acts
2. Parliament passed the, Currency Act of 1764,
making
it illegal for the colonies to issue their own paper $.
3. Proclamation of 1763 prohibited westward expansion
beyond an imaginary line extending along the crest
of the Appalachian Mts.
Causes of the American Revolution
3. (cont. Proclamation of 1763) Parliament
felt some 10,000 British soldiers were
needed to protect the western boundary
of the colonies.
4. Moreover, the FIW had been costly; a new
source of revenue was needed to pay for
fortifying the colonies.
5. Then the British Parliament passed the
Sugar Act of 1764. Although this law
reduced an est. tax on molasses, it
added new duties on textiles, wines,
coffee, and sugar.
Causes of the American Revolution
6. To gain additional revenue, Parliament
passed the Stamp Act in 1765. This law
required that a stamp be placed on legal
documents, leases, licenses, deeds,
newspapers, playing cards, and even
dice.
7. Parliament followed the Stamp Act with the
Quartering Act of 1765. This law required
colonists to provide housing and supplies
needed by British soldiers stationed in the
colonies.
Causes of the American Revolution
8. Colonial opposition to taxation was strong.
The tax, many reasoned, was illegal since the
colonists had no representation in
Parliament, and thus no voice in the decision
to be taxed. The House of Burgesses passed
a set of resolutions protesting British
taxation.
Many colonists simply ignored the tax. In
March 1766, Parliament repealed the Stamp
Act, but only after affirming its right to tax the
colonies.
Causes of the American Revolution
9. In 1767, Parliament passed the
Townshend Acts. This set of laws
placed a tax on glass, paper, lead,
paint, and tea. Moreover, GB
required that each of these items
be purchased from GB.
10. In response, colonists participated
in a widespread boycott of British
goods.Tensions ran high,
especially in port cities such as
Boston, where British soldiers
and colonists often taunted each
other. Boston Massacre
happened on March 5, 1770 when
British soldiers in Boston opened
fire on a group of colonists, killing
5 of them.
The Townshend Act






The Townshend Acts created a tax on goods the colonists
imported, such as paper, lead, glass, paints, and tea
shipped from England and English possessions. (external
tax)
Merchants in Boston and NY boycotted most British
goods.
At a town meeting held in Boston, Ma. the residents were
told to bear arms in case they were needed to fight the
coming British soldiers.
British warships arrived in Boston Harbor in September
and two regiments of infantry moved permanently into
Boston neighborhoods.
George Mason wrote a set of resolutions that were
presented to the Virginia House of Burgesses by George
Washington. The resolutions opposed taxation without
representation.
The Townshend Acts were finally repealed in March of
1770; EXCEPT FOR THE TAXES ON TEA.
“No Taxation
Without
Representation!”
Colonists react…
The Boston Massacre
March 5, 1770 A merchant and one of the
soldiers were arguing and some of the
townspeople gathered. They began to throw
snowballs and rocks at the soldiers. Soon Cpt.
Thomas Preston and a small group of soldiers
arrived. Private Hugh Montgomery of the British
troops was hit by a club thrown from the crowd.
When he got up, he fired into the crowd. Soon
other British soldiers fired at the crowd.
 Five unarmed colonists killed.
 The Boston Massacre added to the hatred
between the British soldiers and the colonists.
 The hostility and the Tea Act of 1773 sparked the
Boston Tea Party.

Causes of the American Revolution
11.The Sons of Liberty, a
colonial group organized to
protest British taxation,
intensified anti-British feelings.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/10b.asp
12. Appeals to Parliament
resulted in a repeal of most
of the Townshend Act taxes,
or duties in 1770.
13. In 1773, the British Parliament
passed the Tea Act. The
legislation gave the East India
Company complete
control of the colonial tea
trade, and placed a new tax on
tea. For many Bostonians,
paying the tax acknowledged
Britain’s right to tax the
colonists.
Causes of the American Revolution
14.
In response to the Tea Act colonists
orchestrated the Boston Tea Party. 50
men in disguise, possibly led by the Sons
of Liberty founder Samuel Adams, threw
about 90,000 lbs of tea into Boston
Harbor, destroying the entire cargo.
Parliament quickly passed a series of
harsh measures.
15.
The Coercive Acts of 1774 (Intolerable
Acts) closed Boston Harbor, revoked
parts of the Massachusetts Charter,
imposed British control over town gov’t,
and imposed a new Quartering Act,
forcing all colonies to house and support
the king’s troops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AvPoPOaRqU
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was held in December of
1773.
 The Sons of Liberty held the “tea party,” in protest
of the tea tax.
 They dressed up as Mohawk Indians and then
dumped 342 chests of tea, into the ocean.

Causes of the American Revolution
16. The Coercive Acts brought on a firestorm of
protest. Members of the Committees of
Correspondence, colonial leaders from all but
one colony (Penn.), communicated ways to
protest British policies.
17. In September, 1774, delegates from 12 colonies
met together as the First Continental Congress.
Georgia did not take part. They agreed to halt all
trade with G.B. They also expanded the militia of
citizen soldiers, then called minutemen,
throughout the colonies, in anticipation of
armed conflict with Britain.
The Intolerable Acts





Aka: The Coercive Acts.The Intolerable Acts were
passed in 1774 to punish the colonists for the
Boston Tea Party.
There were three major acts involved that
angered the colonists.
The first was the Boston Port Bill and it closed the
Boston Harbor until the people of Boston paid for
the tea that they threw into the harbor. It went
into effect on June 1, 1774.
There was also the Quartering Act which required
the colonists to provide housing and supplies for
the British troops.
The Intolerable Acts united the colonies against
England.To decide on what steps they would take,
the colonists met in Philadelphia at the First
Continental Congress.
First
Continental
Congress meets
in Philadelphia
The First Continental Congress
On September 5, 1774, every colony but GA sent reps to
what is now called the First Continental Congress.
 They signed a petition demanding the Intolerable Acts be
repealed and sent it to England with the demand they
would be repealed.
 When Patrick Henry went to the Virginia Convention in
Richmond, he made a speech. It was from this speech that
his famous quote comes:
"I know not what course others may take, but as for me,
give me liberty or give me death!“
 King George III's decision not to repeal the Intolerable
Acts or any of the other taxes finally caused the
Revolutionary War that led to the colonies’ independence.

Causes of the American Revolution
18. In 1775, Parliament determined that the
rebellion brewing in MA needed to be
controlled further. In the eyes of the British
Parliament, a rag tag bunch of rebelling colonials
were no match for the well-trained and well
equipped British Army. With some 3,000 British
troops
available to him, and more on their way
across the Atlantic, Gen. Thomas Gage was
ordered to confront the colonial
militia,
confiscated its arms and
ammunition, and
arrest its leaders, in
particular members of the
Sons of Liberty.
Causes of the American Revolution
19. In January 1776, Thomas Paine, a friend of
Benjamin Franklin and a recent immigrant to
PA from England, published a pamphlet
entitled Common Sense, break from G.B.
“I challenge the warmest advocate for reconciliation
to show a single advantage that this continent can
reap by being connected with Great Britain,”
wrote Paine. His words resonated deeply with
colonists, but breaking with GB was a difficult
decision.
Closing Questions
1.
What effect did the Townshend Acts have on
the colonists?
A. They willingly paid taxes because they were
loyal British subjects.
B. They sent delegates to parliament to
negotiate the tax rates.
C. They boycotted English goods as a way to
protest the taxes.
D. They allowed for the taxing of English goods
but protested the tax on tea.
Closing Questions
2.What did “no taxation without representation”
mean to the colonists?
A. The taxing power of the British shopkeepers is
represented in Parliament.
B. There should be no taxation of British goods
entering the colonies.
C. Taxation in the colonies should only be for the
British citizens.
D. The colonists should not be taxed without
representation in Parliament.
Closing Questions
3. What followed the Boston Tea Party?
A. The free flow of trade between the
colonies and other countries
B. Harsh restrictions on colonial liberties
and trade.
C. Increased self-government in New
England.
D. The removal of British troops from the
colonies.
Closing Questions
4. In response to the Coercive Acts, the
First Continental Congress…
A. agreed to an increase presence of
British troops.
B. halted trade with Britain.
C. agreed to Parliament’s conditions .
D. took no action.
5. Use the information in the box to
answer the question.
Tax Collector
Elected to the MA Assembly
Leader of the Boston Tea Party
Delegate to the First Continental Congress
The above information describes which of the
following people?
A. Thomas Jefferson
B. Benjamin Franklin
C. Samuel Adams
D. Patrick Henry




6. All of the following issues led to
the American Revolution EXCEPT:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Taxation without representation
Citizens forced to house soldiers
Colonial trade limited to GB
The limitation of government power
7. What effect did Thomas Paine’s
Common Sense have on the
independence movement?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It made people feel like the fight has
been lost.
It inspired Americans to fight the British.
It increased respect for the British
government.
It ended the American Revolution.
Common Sense
Common Sense was a pamphlet that convinced
many people that the time for independence had
come.
 The pamphlet was written by T. Paine, an
Englishman.
 It sold over 500,000 copies in 6 months!!!
 “Society in every state is a blessing, but Government,
even in its best state, is a necessary evil; in its worst
state, an intolerable one.” Thomas Paine

The American Revolution: Escalating
Conflicts


Escalating conflict 1: On April 18,1775,
British troops set off for Concord, MA Shots
fired at nearby Lexington left 8 minutemen
dead. The British moved on to Concord,
where they destroyed a small amt. of
gunpowder. Minutemen, lining the forest
road, killed 73 British soldiers and wounded
200, concluding the Battles of Lexington and
Concord.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolHouseRockKids#p/c/BEF70B25331D
09DE/8/AhdmDDBjco0
Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride
The American Revolution: Escalating
Conflicts
Escalating Conflict 2: 2 months later, American
and British forces met again at Bunker Hill and
Breed’s Hill, across the harbor from Boston.
Though the battle ended in the retreat of the
Americans, British forces lost 1,000 soldiers.
While the British may have once believed in easy
victory, it was clear that the resolve of the
colonial militia had been underestimated.
 #3:Yet, the colonists themselves remained divided.
Disputes erupted between loyalists supportive of
Britain and patriots opposed to British control of
the colonies.

The American Revolution: Escalating
Conflicts
#4: After the skirmishes at
Lexington and Concord, colonial
leaders like Benjamin Franklin, John
Hancock and Samuel Adams met at
the Second Continental
Congress. The Congress
appointed George Washington
as the head of the new
Continental Army, and adopted
a provisional gov’t linking the13
colonies.
 On June 7, 1776,VA delegate
Richard Lee proposed that “all
political connection” between the
colonies and England should be
dissolved.

Second Continental Congress
Representatives brought money
to help establish…
the Continental Army
(i.e. pay soldiers, buy guns, bullets,
food, and uniforms)
People
Important
Quotes
Declaration of
Independence
Dates
Ideas
The American Revolution:
Declaration of Independence


On July 4, 1776, delegates of the 2nd
Continental Congress issued the
Declaration of Independence,
severing all ties with Britain.
Thomas Jefferson, chosen by the
delegates to write the DOI, carefully
wove Lee’s resolution into the
document.
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=1

In the DOI, Jefferson detailed the
delegates’ belief that gov’t is a social
contract. He explained that if gov’t
became harmful that the ppl. had the
right to change the gov’t. Furthermore,
the declaration outlined what King
George III had done wrong, and it
declared the colonies’ independence.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolHouseRockK
ids#p/c/BEF70B25331D09DE/1/Ym2Ny1Te3LA
declaration: (n)
an official statement
independence: (n)
the freedom to govern on one’s
own.
Who was involved?
Benjamin
Franklin (PA)
 John Adams
(MA)
 Robert R.
Livingston (NY)
 Roger Sherman
(CT)
 Thomas
Jefferson (VA)

Who signed
it first?
The American Revolution:
Declaration of Independence

The colonists wanted a gov’t that served
the people, rather than serving its rulers.
They believed King George III had imposed
“an absolute tyranny.” The declaration stated
that, although the colonists had tried to
resolve their differences with GB, they
continued to ignore them. The colonies now
wanted to be a self-governing people.
When they signed the declaration they
became traitors in the eyes of the British.
The American Revolution:
Declaration of Independence

The principals embodied in the Declaration
of Independence were heavily influenced by
Enlightenment thinkers.
1. Philosopher John Locke, for example,
held life, liberty and property as natural
rights. Declaration reads,
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the
Pursuit of Happiness.”
The American Revolution:
Declaration of Independence
2. In 1748, French philosopher Charles
Montesquieu wrote in The Spirit of the Laws,
“that power in government should be divided
among an executive and a legislative body.”
Montesquieu influenced both the writing of
the DOI and the crafting of the Articles of
Confederation, which governed the new
nation from 1781 to 1789.
http://www.history.com/topics/read-the-declaration-ofindependence/videos#declaration-of-independence
The American Revolution: Battles



Gen. George Washington lost the critical
battle of Long Island in August 1776, and
soon after, had to retreat from Manhattan to
NJ & into PA.
Washington’s soldiers were battle-weary,
lacked shoes and blankets, and were critically
low on supplies.
“These are the times that try men’s souls,”
Thomas Paine wrote in The Crisis. Moved
by Paine’s words, many of Washington’s men
stayed with him.
The American Revolution: Battles

On the evening of December
25,1776, Washington launched a
surprise attack with about 2000
men, first crossing the icy and
treacherous Delaware River under
the cloak of darkness.
Washington’s forces managed to
capture over 900 Hessians in
Trenton, NJ w/o losing a soldier.
The Hessians were Germans who
fought with the British Army.
The American Revolution: Battles
The American Rev. lasted for 7 yrs.
Success at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777,
including the surrender of almost 5,000
British soldiers, proved America’s ability
to fight, bolstering American resolve and
attracting European support.
 Yet the war dragged on. Washington’s
soldiers all but abandoned the fight during
the difficult winter of 1778 at Valley Forge.

American Revolution: Battles

Washington needed to est. a winter quarters
that allowed observation of the British army
without exposure to surprise attack.Valley
Forge provided that location. Washington led
12,000 men into Valley Forge in Dec. 1777.
The winter was severe. Housing was
overcrowded and food shortages were
acute. Dispirited soldiers were poorly
clothed and undernourished. Illness kept
many from duty. Nearly 2,000 American
soldiers died of disease.
The American Revolution: Battles
Washington’s troops received much
needed training from Baron Von
Steuben, a former officer in the
Prussian army who turned undisciplined
troops into professional soldiers.
 American patriot and diplomat B.
Franklin helped secure a FR alliance that
provided military and financial aid.
 At the age of 19, a French soldier, the
Marquis de Lafayette, volunteered to
serve in the Continental Army at his
own expense. Congress appointed him
a major-general. His military expertise
proved invaluable; he worked closely
with Washington and thereafter became
a lifelong friend.


http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/valleyf
orge.htm
Soldier’s huts
Inside the hut
American Revolution: Battles
Winter soldiers
muskets
American Revolution: Battles
Washington’s headquarters
Washington at Valley Forge
American Revolution: Battles
Battle of Saratoga: Surrender of
Burgoyne
The consequences of Burgoyne’s surrender were catastrophic. France and
Spain declared war on Britain and the American effort was galvanized.
The American Revolution: Battles

The FR saw the weakening of British
forces as an opportunity to finally
conquer their long-time enemy and regain
control of the seas. With the French
help, in 1781, the continental Army
defeated General Cornwallis, trapping
8,000 British and Hessian soldiers at the
Battle of Yorktown. It proved to be the
definitive battle of the American
Revolution.
Yorktown
The American Revolution: Battles
Peace came with the signing of the Treaty
of Paris 1783.
 Once again, the political map of north
America changed. Americans were free to
move west, their territory bordered
now by the Mississippi River, while
Canada remained under British control.
Liberty brought Americans freedom, but
also challenges beyond what ever have
been imagined.

Closing Questions
1. Of what significance were the Battles of
Lexington and Concord?
A. They brought the American Revolution to an
end.
B. They were the first battles in America’s fight
for independence
C. They gave the upper hand to great Britain
against the Continental Army
D. They indicated that the war for independence
would be swift.
Closing Questions
2. William Franklin, the royal governor of New Jersey,
was a loyalist. His father, Benjamin Franklin,
signed the Declaration of Independence . What does
this example indicate about colonial sentiment?
A. The loyalists and patriots were able to find common
ground.
B. Most colonists felt that the American Revolution was
a just cause.
C. The Declaration of Independence had the support of
loyalists.
D. The cause of liberty resulted in great division among
colonists.
Closing Questions
3. How did the Treaty of Paris 1783 change
the political map of North America?
A. Great Britain gained land.
B. The United States claimed land that had
been under British control.
C. France ceded Florida to Spain.
D. The United States gained Florida from
Spain.
Closing Questions
4. Of what importance were men such as
Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von
Steuben to the American cause?
A. They served as spies.
B. They provided expertise .
C. They assisted the British.
D. They served in Congress .
THE US CONSTITUTION
THE U.S.
CONSTITUTION:
ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
After declaring
independence, the
big challenge faced
by the 2nd
Continental
Congress was to
establish a central
gov’t.
The U.S. Constitution: Articles of
Confederation
•
•
In 1777, delegates wrote the Articles of
Confederation, America’s first
Constitution. The articles est. a “firm league
of friendship” btwn. states and created a
Congress with each state having 1 vote.
Powers not given to the federal gov’t were
retained by the states.
The articles did not create an office of
chief executive, a system of federal courts,
or authorize Congress to raise an army.
Ratification was required by all 13 states and
was accomplished in 1781.
The U.S. Constitution: Articles
•
By 1787, it was apparent that the AOC were not
strong enough to govern.
a. America now extended to the Miss. River, with
claims for land btwn. the Appalachians and the
Mississippi made by several states.
b. Moreover America was in debt, with no ability to
resolve its financial woes. Though the federal
gov’t could ask for $ from the states, it had no
pwr. to tax.
c. Also the critical issue of slavery, which was
abolished in northern states, divided the states.
The U.S. Constitution: Articles
5.Shay’s Rebellion: Times were particularly difficult for
America’s farmers. Many were unable to sell their goods
and pay the heavy taxes states levied against their land
to pay each state’s war debts. Many farmers landed in
jail- their land seized by the states to pay their debts.
Many farmers viewed the actions of the gov’t as a new
form of tyranny.
a. In January 1787, Daniel Shays, along with some 1,000
farmers, attempted to storm the federal arsenal in
Springfield, MA.
b. To some, the rebellion showed that the gov’t was
too weak to govern the new nation.
c. Others, like Thomas Jefferson, believed rebellion
served to correct the ills of gov’t.
Shay’s Rebellion

Interactive Map

http://shaysrebellion.stcc.edu/shaysapp/ma
p.do?shortName=events
Daniel Shay and Job Shattuck, seen on the right, was
a leader of the rebellion in eastern Massachusetts.
Regulators in charge of courthouse.
Shay’s Rebellion
The U.S. Constitution: Articles
6. Alarmed by events, delegates from
each state met in PA in the summer
of 1787. Over ½ of the delegates to
the Constitutional Convention had
served in the continental Congress.
1/3 had fought in the war. Missing
were T. Jefferson and John Adams,
who were ambassadors in Europe. B.
Franklin, the group elder, was 81.
Washington was elected president of
the Constitutional Convention.
No power
to tax or
regulate
commerce
No
executive
or judicial
branch
Weak
Central
Gov’t
No
common
currency
1 vote per
state
regardless
of
population
1.
Complete Chart Below:
Virginia Plan
Individual
Legislature
Representation
Executive
Power of Congress
New Jersey Plan
The U.S. Constitution

U.S. Constitution
1. Great disagreement surrounded the est. of a chief
executive, or president. Many feared placing too much
pwr. in the hands of one individual.
2. The Framers also debated 2 plans for improving the
legislative branch: the Virginia Plan, proposed by
Edmund Randolph, and the New Jersey Plan,
proposed by William Paterson. In the end, the
majority of delegates favored the Virginia Plan.
a. Virginia Plan
1. bicameral legislature: 1 lower house elected
by the people, one upper house chosen by the
lower house.
The U.S. Constitution
a.Virginia Plan continued.
2. Proportional representation in
Congress by state population.
3. Legislative branch to make laws
4. Chief executive chosen by the
legislature
5. Federal judiciary
6. Power to veto state laws
Randolph
Patterson
Virginia Plan & New Jersey Plan
The U.S. Constitution
b. The New Jersey Plan
1. Unicameral legislature: Congress
meets in 1 house
2. Maintain the AOC
3. = representation o/ states
4. Give Congress the pwr. to tax &
regulate trade
5. Est. the laws of the U.S as
supreme over state laws.
The U.S. Constitution
3. U.S. Constitution principles
a. Federalism, or the sharing of power between the
federal & state gov’ts, became the basis for the new
gov’t.
b. The Constitution would be the Supreme Law of the
Land.
c. The country would be a republic, governed by
representation of the people’s will.
d. Moreover, the framers established a limited gov’t in
that it only had powers granted to it by the
constitution.
e.Th e. powers were divided and balanced amongst the
gov’t: executive branch, legislative branch, and
judicial branch.
f. Checks and balances: with each branch given the
ability to check the power of the other 2 branches.
Compromises – pg. 142
Great
Compromise
3/5
Compromise
Slave Trade?
The U.S. Constitution
4. 3 difficult problems arose
a. representation in Congress
b. How slaves would be counted in determining a
state’s population,
c. the slave trade.
5. Great Compromise: proposed by Roger Sherman
(solve 1st problem)
a. Bicameral legislature
-House of Representatives - representation
based on a state's population.
-The Senate - each state equally represented by 2
members.
Sherman
The U.S. Constitution
6. 3/5 Compromise ( solve the 2nd problem)
a. 3/5 of the enslaved counted as part of the
population.
b. Counting formula to be used for
calculating taxation and representation.
7. Slave trade (solve the 3rd problem)
a. Congress agreed not to interfere with the
slave trade for 20 yrs.
b. Congress could limit the slave trade after
that time.
The U.S. Constitution

Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist : A great debate raged between these 2 groups.
1. Federalist: Alexander Hamilton who supported ratification of the U. S.
Constitution
2. Anti-Federalist: Thomas Jefferson who supported strong states’ rights over
federal pwr. Opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Critically
important to many was protection for the people against the
abuse by gov’t.
3. Several states refused to ratify the Constitution until a Bill of
Rights, sponsored by James Madison in 1789 and ratified in
1791,was added. Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments
to the Constitution guaranteed individual rights such as
freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to assemble, the
right to bear arms, the right to trial by jury, and the right to
petition
the government.
The U.S. Constitution
4. 9 States had ratified the Constitution by June 21, 1788, and it went into
effect in 1789.
 George Washington, America’s first president set many precedents.
1. Est. a cabinet, or set of advisors.
2. Shaped the working relationship between the executive and
legislative branches.
3. Foreign policy of isolationism: Not intervening in other countries.
Focus on the home affairs. Though the American Revolution
sparked other Revolutions in France and Latin America, the U.S.
did not want to intervene in political difficulties of other countries.
4.Vice President
5. Serve 2 terms
(Warning if this country wants to be successful avoid political parties
& Europe)
The U.S. Constitution

Whiskey Rebellion:
When farmers in
western PA rose in
arms against the gov’t
over taxation in what
became the whiskey
rebellion, Washington
showed the power of
the federal gov’t by
sending troops to halt
the armed protest.
The U.S. Constitution

Political Parties: By 1796, 2 political parties
had emerged.
1. Federalist led by Alexander Hamilton,
believed the Constitution granted the
federal gov’t implied powers, or
powers not specifically mentioned in
the Constitution.
2. Republicans: leaders such as Jefferson
and Madison where individuals who
believed in the strict interpretation of the
Constitution.
The U.S. Constitution

Election of 1796: political parties played a
major role.
1. John Adams, a Federalist, received the
most votes and was elected president.
2. Under the provision of the Constitution,
the
individual receiving the 2nd highest vote
count became the Vice president.
That
fell to Thomas Jefferson, a
person of
very different political beliefs
from Adams.
Closing Questions
1.
James Madison commented that,
“government composed of such extensive
powers should be well organized and
balanced.” Which of the following helped
to balance power between the large and
small states?
A. the slave trade
B. the Great Compromise
C. the 3/5 compromise
D. the Bill of Rights
Closing Questions
2. What contributed to the demise of the
Articles of Confederation?
A. The lack of representation in Congress
B. The inability of Congress to regulate the
economy
C. The ability to make treaties with foreign
governments
D. The restrictions on debate within
Congress
Closing Questions
3. Why did the Framers believe freedom of the
press to be an essential right?
A. It prevents taxation without representation
B. It helps to balance the power of government
C. It establishes a system of free international
trade.
D. It underscores the importance of a trial by
jury
Closing Questions
4. What was added to the Constitution in
order to ensure its ratification?
A. Bill of Rights
B. an executive branch
C. political parties
D. the right of foreign intervention
What was the significance of the
Battle of Yorktown?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Congress later made George
Washington commander of the
Continental Army.
It was a major military and psychological
defeat for the British.
It was the last battle of the American
Revolution.
General Haratio Gates replaced
Washington as commander.
Use the quote below to answer the question.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,
or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Which part of the Constitution is quoted above?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The Preamble
The First Amendment
The Fourth Amendment
The Fifth Amendment
The U.S. Constitution is built on all
of the following principles EXCEPT:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Governments can act without answering
to the people.
The power of the government rests
with the people.
State and federal governments share
power.
The federal government holds supreme
power.