CHAPTER 2

ORIGINS OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

 

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

 

-         THE ENGLISH CAME TO CONTROL THE AMERICAN COLONIES

 

-         3 ENGLISH IDEAS THAT SHAPED AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

o      ORDERED GOVERNMENT

§       GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE STRUCTURED

o      LIMITED GOVERNMENT

§       POWER IS FINITE

o      REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

§       PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN RULE

 

-         COLONIES OF AMERICA

o      ROYAL COLONY (8)

§       SUBJECT TO DIRECT CONTROL OF THE CROWN

§       LEAST AUTONOMOUS

o      PROPRIETARY COLONY (3)

§       PA, MD, DEL

o      CHARTER COLONY (2)

§       RI, CONN

§       MOST AUTONOMOUS

 

-        COLONIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ENGLAND

o      IT HAD BECOME FEDERAL IN FACT AND FORM

§       ENGLAND PROVIDED FOR

·       NATIONAL DEFENSE

·       FOREIGN AFFAIRS

·       MONEY

§       THE COLONIES HAD A GREAT DEGREE OF SELF RULE IN LOCAL AFFAIRS

o      GEORGE III TRIED TO REINSTITUTE THE AUTHORITY OF THE CROWN

§       NEEDED MONEY TO PAY FOR THE WAR AGAINST FRANCE

§       HE DENIED COLONIAL REQUESTS FOR REPRESENTATION WHICH LED TO REVOLUTION

§        

-        EARLY ATTEMPTS AT UNION

 

o      NEW ENGLAND CONFEDERATION – 1643

§       A LEAGUE OF FRIENDSHIP CREATED FOR PURPOSES OF DEFENSE AGAINST THE INDIANS

o      ALBANY PLAN OF UNION – 1754

§       FIRST ATTEMPT AT SELF-RULE COLLECTIVELY

§       ATTEMPTED TO REGULATE TRADE, TAXATION, WAR, AND RAISING OF AN ARMY

§       GENERALLY NOT SUPPORTED

§       THE BRAINCHILD OF BEN FRANKLIN

o      COMMITTEES OF CORRESPONDENCE

§       THE INITIAL FORM OF RESISTANCE TO THE CROWN

o      STAMP ACT CONGRESS - 1765

§       ATTENDED BY 9 COLONIES

§       ISSUED THE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

§       URGED A BOYCOTT OF ENGLISH GOODS

o      IST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS – 1774

§       ATTENDED BY ALL COLONIES EXCEPT GEORGIA

o      2^ND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS – 1775

§       ATTENDED BY ALL THE COLONIES

§       SOME SAY THAT THIS WAS OUR FIRST GOVERNMENT

·       LASTED 5 YEARS FROM 7/4/76 TO 3/1/81

o      ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION – 1781

§       UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURE

·       EQUAL REPRESENTATION

§       NO EXECUTIVE

§       WEAKNESSES

·       COULD NOT ENFORCE LAW

o      NO NATIONAL COURT SYSTEM

·       COULD NOT TAX

·       COULD NOT RAISE AND SUPPORT AN ARMY

o      THE CONSTITUTION – 1788

o       

o      THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

 

o      CALLED FOR PURPOSES OF AMENDING THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

o      THE THRUST FOR CALLING THE CONVENTION CAME FROM THE MONIED AND PROPERTIED CLASSES

o      EARLY AT THE CONVENTION, A CONSENSUS DEVELOPED THAT A NEW GOVERNMENT WAS NEEDED (ONE THAT HAD POWER)

 

o      THE VIRGINIA PLAN – RANDOLPH PLAN – LARGE STATES

§       BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE

·       REPRESENTATION BASED UPON POPULATION OR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TREASURY

·       LOWER HOUSE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE

·       UPPER HOUSE TO BE ELECTED BY THE LOWER HOUSE

§       A SINGLE EXECUTIVE CHOSEN BY CONGRESS

§       A NATIONAL JUDICIARY CHOSEN BY CONGRESS

§       RESEMBLES PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT

 

o      THE NEW JERSEY PLAN – PATTERSON PLAN – SMALL STATES

§       UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURE

·       EQUAL REPRESENTATION

§       MULTIPLE EXECUTIVE CHOSEN BY CONGRESS

·       FEARED A CONCENTRATION OF AUTHORITY

§       NATIONAL JUDICIARY CHOSEN BY THE EXECUTIVE

 

o      THE NEW YORK PLAN – HAMILTON PLAN

§       CALLED FOR AN ESTABLISHMENT OF A MONARCHY

·       GEORGE WASHINGTON TO BE   FIRST KING

·       SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT DEMONSTRATED   THAT SENTIMENT CONTINUED TO EXIST FOR THAT WHICH WAS FAMILIAR I.E. MONARCHIAL GOVERNMENT

o      THAT SAW THAT GOVERNMENT UNDER THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION WAS A FAILURE

§       THE EXPERIMENT IN DEMOCRACY WAS NOT PRACTICAL

§       COMPROMISES THAT EMANATED FROM THE CONVENTION

 

o      CONNECTICUT COMPROMISE – GREAT COMPROMISE – LYNCHPIN OF THE CONSTITUTION

 

§       BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE

§       LOWER HOUSE – HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

o      ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE

o      REPRESENTATION BASED UPON POPULATION

·       UPPER HOUSE – SENATE

o      ELECTED BY STATE LEGISLATURES

o      EQUAL REPRESENTATION

§       SINGLE EXECUTIVE CHOSEN BY AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE

§       A NATIONAL JUDICIARY APPOINTED BY THE EXECUTIVE SUBJECT TO SENATE RATIFICATION

 

o      3/5THS COMPROMISE

§       FOR EVERY 5 SLAVES THAT LIVED IN A STATE, 3 WOULD BE COUNTED FOR PURPOSES OF REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

o      NEW HAMPSHIRE COMPROMISE

§       A BILL OF RIGHTS WOULD BE ADDED AS A PREREQUISITE TO RATIFICATION

 

-         STUMBLING BLOCKS TO RATIFICATION

 

o      PEOPLE FELT BETRAYED

o      TOO MUCH POWERCONCENTRATED IN THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

o      NO BILL OF RIGHTS

o      POLITICAL PARTIES DEVELOPED DURING THE FIGHT FOR RATIFICATION

§       FEDERALISTS – THOSE WHO SUPPORTED RATIFICATION

§       ANTI-FEDERALISTS – THOSE THAT OPPOSED RATIFICATION

·       STATES RIGHTS ADVOCATES