PowerPoint from lesson one

1. Unit 2- The Constitution and the New Republic
Set 1: The Young Nation
New State Constitutions (pg. 125)
• In the new U.S. a republic was formed - in
a republic power resides with citizens who
are entitled to vote and elected leaders
must govern according to laws or a
constitution

2. The Revolution Changes
Society (pg. 125)
• A concern for individual
liberty led to a greater
separation of church and
state where states no
longer had an official
church and taxes could
not be collected to
support the church
• Voting rights also
expanded in the post-war
years - many states
allowed any white male
taxpayer to vote whether
he owned property or not
can you think of an example of
separation of church and
state?

3. A Weak National Government (pg. 126)
• In 1781, the U.S. adopted the plan for a central
government known as the Articles of
Confederation
• The states did not want to create a new
government that might become tyrannical
• One of the Articles greatest achievements was
the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 which was a
plan for selling and governing new lands

4. Articles of Confederation
Powers of National
Government
-declare war
-negotiate treaties
-manage foreign
affairs
-coin money
-establish postal
system
-establish military
Limits of National
Government
-no power to
enforce laws
-no power to tax
-no national court
system to settle
disputes between
the states
-no power to
regulate trade or put
tariffs on foreign
goods
Structure of
National
Government
-one branch of
government; a one
house legislature
called Congress
-each state had one
vote in Congress

5. • In 1787, Daniel Shays led a rebellion in
Massachusetts in protest of new taxes - this
rebellion was put down by the state militia but
raised fear over the powers of the new
government and could they handle problems in
the future

6. Unit 2- The Constitution and the New Republic
Set 2: A New Constitution
A New Constitution (pg.
126)
• In 1787, every state
except Rhode Island met
to revise the Articles of
Confederation - instead
of changing the Articles
they decided that they
should write a brand new
framework of government
• This meeting was known
as the Constitutional
Convention

7. Debate and Compromise (pg. 127)
• All the delegates wanted a stronger
national government - they also accepted
the idea of dividing the government into the
executive, legislative, and judicial branches
(Montesquieu)
• The smaller states proposed the New
Jersey Plan where each state would have
one vote in a unicameral congress, but the
larger states insisted upon the Virginia
Plan where representation would be based
on population

8. • The solution was
resolved by the Great
Compromise or the
Connecticut Compromise
• The Congress would be
divided into two houses:
the Senate and the
House of
Representatives
(bicameral)
• The Senate would have
equal representation and
the House would be
based on population

9. • The framers decided upon the 3/5
Compromise where every five enslaved
people in a state would count as three
free persons for determining both
representation and taxation

10. A Framework for
Limited Government
(pg. 128)
• The new Constitution
was based on the
principle of popular
sovereignty - rule by
the people
• The new Constitution
created a
representative
government in which
elected officials
speak for the people
How is voting an example of
popular sovereignty?

11. • To strengthen the federal government but still
preserve the rights of the states, the
Constitution created a system known as
federalism - the power is divided between
the federal and state governments
• The Constitution has three types of powers:
delegated (or enumerated), reserved, and
concurrent

13. • The Constitution also provided for a separation
of powers among the three branches of the
federal government
• The two houses of Congress make up the
legislative branch and make the laws
• The executive branch, headed up by a
president, would implement and enforce the
laws Congress passed amongst other
responsibilities
• The judicial branch (a system of national courts)
would interpret federal laws and render
judgment cases involving those laws

15. Checks and Balances (pg. 128)
• The framers also created a system of checks
and balances
• For example, the president could veto
Congress, and the Congress can override the
veto with a 2/3 vote
• The president can nominate judges including a
chief justice of the Supreme Court but the
Senate has to confirm or reject such
nominations

17. Unit 2- The Constitution and the New Republic
Set 3: The Fight for Ratification
Debating the Constitution (pg. 129)
• For the Constitution to go into effect it
needed to be ratified by 9 of the 13
states
• Supporters of the Constitution were
known as Federalists

18. • Many of the Federalists were large
landowners, artisans, and merchants in
large coastal cities who believed a strong
national government was necessary to
regulate the economy
• The Antifederalists were concerned
about state rights - many Antifederalists
believed the Constitution needed a bill of
rights to protect individual liberty

20. • Those in favor of the
Constitution wrote
The Federalist
Papers - a collection
of essays written by
James Madison,
Alexander Hamilton,
and John Jay

21. Ratification in Massachusetts (pg. 130)
• To try and win ratification in
Massachusetts, the Federalists promised
to attach a bill of rights once it was
ratified - they also agreed to give the
states or the people all powers not
specifically granted to the federal
government - Massachusetts ratified
• In 1791 the promises led to the addition of
the Bill of Rights which is the first ten
amendments to the Constitution
• After Massachusetts, many states ratified
the Constitution

22. Bill of Rights video
22

23. Amendment 1
Guarantees freedom or religion, speech, petition,
assembly, and press
Amendment 2
Right to bear arms
Amendment 3
Prohibits the quartering of soldiers in private
homes in peacetime
Amendment 4
No unreasonable search and seizure
Amendment 5
Rights of the accused (double jeopardy, due
process, prohibiting government from taking
private property without just compensation
Amendment 6
Right to a fair and speedy trial
Amendment 7
Guarantees a jury trial in most civil cases
Amendment 8
No cruel and unusual punishment; no excessive
bail
Amendment 9
Powers reserved to the people
Amendment 10
Powers reserved to the states
BILL OF RIGHTS