The document outlines the major events and debates surrounding the establishment of the United States government following the American Revolution. It describes the First and Second Continental Congresses, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, and the ratification of the Constitution. Key issues addressed included the balance of power between state and national governments and the compromises needed to get the new framework approved.

1. The First Continental Congress
(1774)
• Delegates (representatives) from 12
colonies met in Philadelphia to discuss
problems with Britain
• Sent a Declaration of Rights to complain to
King George III about his administration’s
policies
• Colonists wanted the taxes and
regulations repealed (taken back,
cancelled)

3. *Second Continental
Congress* (1775-1776)
• All 13 colonies sent delegates to
Philadelphia --> became our first
national government
• Britain would not repeal their policies or
compromise (made laws harsher) =
time for colonies to declare
independence!

4. The Declaration of
Independence
• Main writer: Thomas Jefferson
• Lists the offenses of King George and why we
are breaking away from Britain
• Debated and adopted by the delegates on
July 4, 1776
• the colonies became free and independent
states from England and so created the
United States of America
– ALL 13 colonies had to declare independence or it
meant nothing

10. The Articles of
Confederation
• The Continental Congress wasn’t based
on any law; our gov’t needed a law to
run the country and manage the states
• The Articles of Confederation were our
first “rough draft” government
– Formed a “league of friendship” between
the states

11. Gov’t Setup Under the
Articles
• Each state kept its own power, but they
would join with other states for the good
of the country
• the national government = a unicameral
Congress with state delegates
– Congress made all the nation’s decisions,
even enforced laws and judged them

12. Powers of Congress
Under the Articles
• Could declare war and make peace
• Make treaties
• Borrow money
• Set up a money system
• Raise an army by asking for volunteers from
the states
• Settle fights between the states

13. Weaknesses of the Gov’t
Under the Articles
• Did not have the power to tax (had to ask
states for money or borrow it)
• Couldn’t control trade between the states
• Couldn’t make the states obey the Articles
• 9 out of 13 states had to agree on anything
the gov’t did

14. Problems with the States
• The states grew jealous of each other
and began fighting
• taxed each other’s goods and banned
trade with certain states
• made foreign alliances
• Each state acted like a little country

15. Shays’ Rebellion
• Because the economy was bad, farmers
lost their land because they couldn’t pay
taxes
• Rebellions in Massachusetts to shut
down courts and free debtors
• Daniel Shays leads a mob to attack an
arsenal and get guns
• Becomes clear that the government is
not prepared to put down rebellions

16. The Constitutional
Convention (1787)
• We needed a better system of gov’t --
the Articles of Confederation were too
weak
• They originally met to fix the Articles
• 55 delegates from 12 states attended
• These men were known as the Framers
(they “built” the Constitution)

17. Organization of the
Convention
• George Washington was elected
president of the Convention
• 1.) A majority vote was needed to
decide issues
• 2.) Each state got one vote
• 3.) The meetings were done in secrecy

18. The Virginia Plan
• Author: James Madison
• 3 branches of government (legislative,
executive, and judicial)
• bicameral Congress (two houses: House of
Representatives and Senate)
• Each house was based on state population
(states with more people got more
representatives)
• would mostly replace the Articles

19. The New Jersey Plan
• Author: William Paterson
• 3 branches of government (same)
• unicameral Congress (one house) - each
state had equal representation
• Wanted to make small changes/fixes to the
Articles

20. The Connecticut
Compromise
• By Roger Sherman
• 3 branches of government
• Congress would be bicameral (House
and Senate)
– House based on state population
– Senate based on equal representation
• Replaced the Articles

21. 3/5 Compromise
• The South wanted to count their slaves
as their population, but slaves were
considered property
• Compromise: For every five slaves,
three counted as people

22. Commerce and Slave
Trade Compromise
• (The South is afraid the North will
interfere with their trade)
• Congress cannot tax state exports
(goods shipped out)
• Could not interfere with the slave trade
for 20 years

23. A Constitution is Born
• September 17, 1787: Constitution
signed in its final form
• Now it’s up to the states to approve it

24. Ratifying the
Constitution
• Ratification - to pass, approve
• The Constitution couldn’t go into effect
until the states ratified it
• Led to debate between two groups: the
Federalists and the Anti-Federalists
(became like our first political parties)

25. The Federalists
• (ex: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams)
• Believed:
– a strong national gov’t would unite and keep
states under control
– the common people aren’t fit to rule (educated,
experienced people should be in power)
– Didn’t need a bill of rights to be written down
– The Articles of Confederation were weak
– Wanted the Constitution to be ratified as is

26. The Anti-Federalists
• (ex: Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick
Henry)
• Believed:
– State governments knew the needs of the
people better
– A strong national government would abuse the
people’s rights (common people could rule)
– A bill of rights was needed to protect the people
from the gov’t
– The Articles just needed to be fixed
– Did not want the Constitution to be ratified (it
needed to be fixed)

27. Ratification
• 9/13 states were needed to ratify the
Constitution
• Big states like New York needed to be
convinced
• The Federalist Papers - a series of essays
arguing in favor of the Constitution (by Madison,
Hamilton, and Jay)
• Constitution ratified and officially took effect
March 1789
– Bill of Rights ratified in 1791
• Main author: James Madison (Father of the
Constitution)

28. Federalists Anti-Federalists
– a strong national gov’t would
unite and keep states under
control (need weaker state
gov’ts)
– the common people aren’t fit to
rule (educated, experienced
should be in power)
– Didn’t need a bill of rights to be
written down
– The Articles of Confederation
were weak
– God doesn’t need to be
mentioned in the Constitution
– Strong state gov’ts were
closer to the people;
national gov’t can’t be
trusted (need weaker
national gov’t)
– the common people are fit
to rule themselves
– Need a bill of rights to be
written down
– The Articles of
Confederation just needed
to be fixed
– God should be mentioned
in the Constitution

29. Ch. 2 Quiz
• royal colony
• proprietary colony
• charter colony
• delegate
• Framers
• bicameral
• unicameral
• ratify
• boycott
• charter

30. Ch. 2 Political Cartoons
• Interpret the cartoon:
Write 3-5 sentences about what is going
on in the cartoon, why it is drawn the
way it is, and what message the artist is
trying to send.