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Articles of Confederation
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The first constitution of the 13 American states, adopted in 1781 and replaced in 1789 by the constitution of the United States
Because the Articles of Confederation weren't working right, delegates went to the Constitutional Convention to change it. |
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Shays's followers protested the foreclosures of farms for debt and briefly succeeded in shutting down the court system. Although the rebellion was easily overcome, it persuaded conservatives of the need for a strong national government.
Shay's Rebellion helped show the government that the Articles weren't working, that they needed to be fixed. |
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Ratifying is to confirm by expressing consent, approval, or formal sanction.
The U.S. states had to ratify the Constitution in order for it to go into place. |
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Madison, representing Virginia, became the chief recorder of information (he took a lot of notes). Madison had helped develop Virginia's Constitution 11 years earlier, and it was his "Virginia Plan" that served as the basis for debate in the development of the U.S. Constitution.
James Madison took the minutes for the Constitutional Convention- delegate from Virginia- had asked about Virginia Plan awhile back. |
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George Washington
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Dissatisfied with national progress under the Articles of Confederation, Washington advocated a stronger central government. The following year, encouraged by many of his friends, he presided over the Constitutional Convention, whose success was immeasurably influenced by his presence and dignity. Following ratification of the new instrument of government in 1788, the electoral college unanimously chose him as the first President.
George Washington led the Constitutional Convention to success with a great documeant to govern the people.
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He arrived June 11 and was present through the signing of the Constitution. He rarely spoke at the Convention but on July 2, voted for a proposition which created the Committee that drafted the Connecticut Compromise.
Abraham Baldwin, along with 3 others, was a delegate from Georgia sent to represent the new state in the Constitutional Convention. |
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Few himself missed large segments of the proceedings, being absent during all of July and part of August because of congressional service, and never made a speech. Nonetheless, he contributed nationalist votes at critical times. Furthermore, as a delegate to the last sessions of the Continental Congress, he helped steer the Constitution past its first obstacle, approval by Congress. And he attended the state ratifying convention.
William Few, like 3 others, was a delegate from Georgia; he was also one of the state's first senators. |
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Edmund Randolph proposed the idea of the 3 branches of government, then James Madison came up with the 2 houses idea. It traced broad outlines of what our government is today.
The Virginia Plan (large state plan) wanted a strong central government, proposed by mainly 2 people.
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William Peterson of New Jersey presented the plan to the Convention on June 15, 1787. The plan became known as the New Jersey Plan. Though it included provisions that the larger states would never agree to, it reasserted the smaller states' position.
The New Jersey Plan (small state plan) wanted strong central governments, and almost nothing the large states agreed to. |
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Roger Sherman is credited with proposing the alternative of a "bicameral" congress, made up of a Senate and a House of Representatives. Each state would send an equal number of representatives to the Senate, and one representative to the House for each 30,000 residents of the state.
Sherman’s plan was liked by the large and small states and became known as the Connecticut Compromise of 1787, or the Great Compromise. |
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Three- Fifths Compromise
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This comprimise stated that only 3/5's of the slave population would count toward representation on the south. Without the rule in place, about 45% of the house representatives would be southern.
A northerner proposed this idea of only 3/5's of the slaves counting, and it came around and bit the South in the butt about 10 years later because the population in the North grew so quickly. |
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The advocacy of the federal system of government.
Instead of having a too strong or too weak central government, a federal government was shared powers. |
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Separation of Powers
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The Separation of Powers made sure there wasn't more power in one branch than another- checks and balances sytem.
The Separation of Powers still continues today; however, with President Obama's healthcare plan, there may be some anarchist groups bing formed. |
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Freedoms given to the citizens of the United States.
The bill of rights still marks the difference between early America versus other countries; the freedom our citizens recived compared to theirs'. |
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Sources
Dictionary.com
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/delegates//
Google.com/images
http://www.usconstitution.net/plan_nj.html
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