Topic: The Articles of Confederation Ch. 5.1
MAIN IDEAS
Ideas about Government
English Law and the
Enlightenment
NOTES:

Colonists needed a new Constitution
o Pulled from a wide range of political ideas

Rule of Law
o Even Gov’t officials subject to law
English documents
o Magna Carta
o English Bill of Rights
 Declared supremacy of Parliament
 Did not allow monarchy to change laws
Enlightenment
o A philosophical movement that emphasized the
use of reason to examine old ideas and traditions
 John Locke – social contract
 Montesquieu – separation of powers

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American Models of
Government

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Self-government models
o Town meetings
o Virginia House of Burgesses
o Mayflower Compact
Connecticut created first colonial constitution
To keep individuals from gaining too much power
o Created limited governments
Different states had different rules
o Rights of citizens
o Those accused of crimes
o Some banned slavery
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
o Stated no person could be forced to attend a
particular church or pay for a church with tax
money.
Right to Vote

Only free, white men that owned land could vote
o Changed to allow any white man who paid taxes
Topic: The Articles of Confederation Ch. 5.1
MAIN IDEAS
Articles of
Confederation
NOTES:


SUMMARY
Committee of Thirteen
o Representative from each colony.
o Assigned to draft new national constitution
 Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation
o New single branch of national government.
o Each state gets one vote in Congress
o Congress can
 settle conflicts among states
 issue coins
 borrow money
 make treaties
o No president or national court system
o After disputes over western lands, it was ratified
by every state in 1781