US Government and Constitution

Article of Confederation

  • First constitutional document.
  • Governing document needed after the Declaration of Independence to govern the colonies and move away from British rule.
  • Fundamental weakness: lacked a strong central army.

Annapolis Convention

  • Purpose: To address the issues with the Articles of Confederation.

Shays' Rebellion (1787)

  • Magnified the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, especially regarding the need for a strong army.
  • Daniel Shays, a farmer and former army captain, led a rebellion due to foreclosures and high taxes in Massachusetts.
  • The goal was to prevent land foreclosures by obstructing the county court.
  • The rebellion was suppressed by the government, but it highlighted the necessity for a stronger central government and army.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

  • 55 delegates from 12 colonies (Rhode Island did not participate).
  • Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for five months.
  • Purpose: To fix the Articles of Confederation, not initially to create a new constitution.

The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

  • Resulted from the clash between the Virginia Plan (big states) and the New Jersey Plan (small states).
  • Virginia Plan:
    • Representation based on state population and revenue contribution.
    • Bicameral legislature (two chambers).
    • All revenues contributed must go to the national government.
  • New Jersey Plan:
    • Unicameral legislature with one chamber (House of Representatives).
  • Compromise:
    • Bicameral Legislature: combining the Virginia and New Jersey plans.
      • Senate (upper house): Equal representation with two senators per state (100 total).
      • House of Representatives (lower house): Representation based on population size.
  • Architects of the Great Compromise: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.

Three-Fifths Compromise

  • Southern states wanted slaves to be counted as equal to free people to increase their states power.
  • Each slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person for taxation and representation purposes.

Bill of Rights

  • The last compromise at the Constitutional Convention.
  • The first ten amendments to the Constitution.
  • The Constitution has been amended 27 times since 1787.
  • The Bill of Rights were the first ten amendments.
  • Authored by James Madison.

Key Features of the Constitution

  • Establishment of a Supreme Court.
  • Supremacy Clause: National government is superior to state governments when there are conflicts between the laws.
  • Separation of Powers: Three separate branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) with coequal powers.

Federalist Papers

  • 85 papers written in support of the Constitution.
  • Authors: Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison.
  • Purpose: To explain why the constitution was necessary.