- The Articles of Confederation
- Structure of Government
- The Powers of the Confederation Congress
- What is Missing
- Northwest Ordinance (1787)
- Problems Develop with the Confederation Government
- Each State is Sovereign
- Foreign Affairs
- Weaknesses of the Government
- Shays' Rebellion
- The Constitutional Convention
- Madison
- The Delegates
- Ideas that shaped the Writing of the Constitution
- English history
- John Locke Two Treatises on Government
1690
- Baron de Montesquieu Spirit of the Laws
1748
- The Debate of Representation
- The Virginia Plan (Edmund Randolph and James
Madison)
- The New Jersey Plan (William Patterson)
- The Great Compromise (Roger Sherman of CT)
- The Debate over Slavery
- How should slaves be counted?
- The Slave Trade
- The Constitution
- Federal System
- Separation of Powers
- Legislative Branch: House of Representatives
and Senate
- Make laws
- Determine taxes
- Regulate foreign and interstate trade
- Declare war
- Approve treaties and presidential appointments
- Override President's veto
- Impeachment
- Executive Branch
- Carry out laws passed by Congress
- Commander in Chief of Armed Forces
- Foreign Relations
- Appoint Federal Judges, Cabinet Officials
and Ambassadors
- Propose Laws
- Veto Laws
- Electoral College
- Judicial Branch
- Interpret laws
- Declare laws unconstitutional
- Declare Executive actions Unconstitutional
- Checks and Balances
- Checks on Congress
- Passes bills that the President must sign
into laws
- President can veto a bill
- Can override the veto with 2/3 vote
- Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional
- Checks on President
- Senate must approve appointments of ambassadors,
Cabinet officials and judges
- 2/3 Senate must approve treaties
- Impeachment
- Checks on the Courts
- President appoints judges who must be
approved by Congress
- Congress can impeach judges
- Improvement on Articles of Confederation
- Ratification
- Finished on Sept. 17, 1787
- Debate
- Federalists
- James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and
John Jay
- The Federalist Papers
- Antifederalists
- Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, John
Hancock, James Monroe and Sam Adams
- Need for Bill of Rights
- Ratification
- June, 1788 NH became the 9th State to Ratify
- NC became the 12th State to Ratify on Nov,
1789
- RI became the last to ratify in May, 1790
- Jan. 1789, George Washington elected President
- Bill of Rights
- Amendment Process
- Bill of Rights