#1 State Constitutions
The American Revolution began the process of creating a new nation in a number of different
ways. On May 10, 1776, the Continental Congress directed the colonies to suppress royal
authority and to create institutions based on popular rule. As a result, new governments at the
state level began to make new rules for
themselves, most wrote constitutions.
The states now faced serious and complicated
questions about how to make their rules. What
did it mean to replace royal authority with
institutions based on popular rule? How was
"POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY" (the idea that the
people were the highest authority) to be
institutionalized in the new state governments?
For that matter, who were "the people"?
Every state chose to answer these questions in
different ways based on distinctive local
experiences, but in most cases colonial
traditions were continued, but modified, so that
the GOVERNOR (the executive) lost significant
power, while the ASSEMBLIES (the legislative
branch, which represented the people most
directly) became much more important. Some
like Virginia looked to protect individual rights.
The Virginia Declaration of Rights, protected freedom of the press and religion and ensured trial
by jury. It heavily influenced later documents. Thomas Jefferson is thought to have drawn on it
when he drafted the United States Declaration of Independence in the same month (June
1776). James Madison was also influenced by the Declaration while drafting the Bill of Rights.
The importance of the Virginia Declaration of Rights is that it was the first constitutional
protection of individual rights, rather than protecting only members of Parliament or consisting
of simple laws that can be changed as easily as passed.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
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4)
After independence was declared who began to organize new governments?
How did these new governments incorporate popular sovereignty?
How did most states alter their government in comparison to their colonial versions?
What is the significance of the Virginia Declaration of Rights?
#2 The Articles of Confederation
While the state constitutions were
being created, the Continental
Congress continued to meet as a
general political body. Despite being
the central government, it was a
loose confederation and most
significant power was held by the
individual states. By 1777 members
of Congress realized that they
should have some clearly written
rules for how they were organized.
As a result the ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION were drafted and
passed by the Congress in
November.
Strengths of the Articles of Confederation
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Government signed a treaty of alliance with France in 1778.
Government successfully waged a war for independence against the British.
Government negotiated an end to the American Revolution in the Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783.
Government granted the free inhabitants of each state “all the privileges and immunities of free citizens
in the several states.”
Government provided for the eventual admission of Canada into the Confederation.
Government passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which allowed the Northwest Territories to
organize their own governments. It allowed the eventual admission to the Union of no more than five
states, and no fewer than three, “on an equal footing with the original states.” The Ordinance also banned
slavery from the region.
Government established the Departments of Foreign Affairs, War, Marine, and Treasury
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
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Congress had no power to coin money, therefore each state developed its own currency.
Congress was unable to regulate interstate and foreign commerce; some states refused to pay for goods
they purchased from abroad.
Congress was unable to impose taxes; it could only borrow money on credit.
No national court system was established to protect the rights of U.S. citizens.
No executive branch was established to enforce laws.
Amendments could be added only with the approval of all 13 states.
Approval of 9 of 13 states was required to pass a law in Congress.
One vote was allotted for each state, despite the size of its population.
It was just a “firm league of friendship.”
1) Create a T chart , titled Articles of Confederation that compares and contrasts its
strengths & weaknesses
2) What do think was the greatest weakness of the Articles of Confederation? Explain Why.
#3 Shay’s Rebellion
Shays’ Rebellion is the name given to a series of protests in 1786 and 1787 by American farmers
against state and local
enforcement of tax
collections and
judgments for debt.
Although farmers took
up arms in states from
New Hampshire to
South Carolina, the
rebellion was most
serious in
Massachusetts, where
bad harvests, economic
depression, and high
taxes threatened
farmers with the loss of
their farms. The
rebellion took its name from its symbolic leader, Daniel Shays of Massachusetts, a former
captain in the Continental army. The federal government could do nothing to stop the uprising.
The Articles of Confederation hindered their ability to solve the problems. As a result Americans
began to call for changes to the government.
…We are fast verging to anarchy and confusion! How melancholy [sad] is the reflection, that in so
short a space, we should have made such large strides towards fulfilling the prediction of our
transatlantic foe [Our enemy the British]! "leave them to themselves, and their government will
soon dissolve." Will not the wise and good strive hard to avert [prevent] this evil?...What stronger
evidence can be given of the want of energy in our governments than these disorders [Shays’
Rebellion]? If there exists not a power to check them, what security has a man for life, liberty, or
property?
Source: George Washington’s letter to James Madison, November 5, 1786
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1) Why were American farmers rebelling?
2) According to Washington’s letter what had the British predicted would happen in
America?
3) According to Washington how was the government failing to protect Natural Rights?
4) What was the result of Shay’s Rebellion?
#4 The Great Compromise
The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia met between May and September of 1787 to
address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of
Confederation. Over the months of meetings several ideas argued over and several
compromise were made.
The Virginia Plan
Written primarily by James Madison, laid out a plan for the new government. It consisted of
three branches with checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power. It was bicameral (2
house): one with members elected by the people for 3-year terms and the other composed of
older leaders elected by the state legislatures for 7-year terms. Both would use population as a
basis for dividing seats among the states. Large states like Virginia backed the plan that was
based on proportional representation.
The New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan, on the other hand, proposed a unicameral legislature in which each state,
regardless of size, would have one vote, using equal representation. The same as under the
Articles of Confederation. It was supported by smaller states with less population.
The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman proposed a "bicameral," or two-chambered Congress,
made up of a Senate and a House of Representatives. Each state, suggested Sherman, would
send an equal number of representatives to the Senate, and one representative to the House
for each 30,000 residents of the state. Combining the ideas of equal and proportional
representation. At the time, all the states except Pennsylvania had bicameral legislatures, so
the delegates were familiar with the structure of Congress proposed by Sherman.
1) Create a 3 column chart titled the Legislative Branch, label the columns Virginia Plan,
Great Compromise, NJ Plan and then list details of each.
2) Why would large states prefer proportional representation?
3) Why would small states prefer equal representation?
#5 The 3/5’s Compromise
The Constitution was a document based upon compromise: between larger and smaller states,
between proponents of a strong central government and those who favored strong state
governments, and, above all, between northern and southern states. Of all the compromises on
which the Constitution rested, perhaps the most controversial was the Three-Fifths
Compromise, an agreement to count three-fifths of a state's slaves in towards population when
calculating
Representatives,
Presidential electors, and
direct taxes.
The Three-Fifths
Compromise greatly
augmented southern
political power. In the
Continental Congress,
where each state had an
equal vote, there were
only five states in which
slavery was a major
institution. Thus the
southern states had about
38 percent of the seats in
the Continental Congress.
Because of the 3/5’s
Compromise, the
southern states had
nearly 45 percent of the
seats in the first U.S. Congress, which took office in 1790.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
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What issue did the 3/5’s compromise settle?
Why would the South want slaves to be counted toward population?
Why would northern states be against?
What effect did the 3/5’s Compromise have on southern political power?