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