focus question: was the constitution a fulfilment of their revolutionary aspirations?
TRANSCRIPT
Focus Question:
Was the Constitution a fulfilment of their
Revolutionary aspirations?
• The public didn’t see a need to become one
nation.
•The state leaders didn’t want to become
one nation as they may lose their power.
•There were still those who were loyal to
Britain.
The Problems encountered with writing the Constitution
Washington said "I do not conceive we can exist long as a nation without having lodged somewhere a power which will pervade the whole Union in as energetic manner as the authority of the state governments extends over the several states."
Why was a National Constitution needed?
Some states were in
great debt.
America’s economy
was suffering
The Articles of
Confederation created
at best a loose
government but were
not enough to sustain
the population.
Three branch system of Government:
•The Executive would head the government
•The Legislative would be broken down into the House of Representatives and the Senate.
•The Senate would be the smaller more coolheaded body
•The House of Representatives would be elected directly by the people.
•The Judicial would enforce the Constitution and laws.
Some of the Questions that faced the Delegates:
Should there be a multi person executive or single
head of state?
Should the executive be paid a salary? Or should they
rely purely on patriotism?
If they were paid who would fund their salary?
How long should the executive be in office for?
Could the congress impeach him if he was guilty of
misconduct?
Could they remove him from office?
What if he should die when in office?
Who would take his place?
If there was a vice president what would they do
when the president was still living?
President would preside over the Executive branch
The President would be chosen by electors from each state
He would serve for four years
Should he die whilst in office a Vice president would take over
The Vice would preside over the senate whilst the President was living
Both would be paid out of the treasury of the new government
Resolutions:
Resolutions: The Great Compromise
•Each state would have two members in the senate with equal vote
•The House of Representatives would have one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants. (This was later changed to 30,000)
Arguments against the Constitution:
There was no Bill of rights, were these not what they had been fighting for in the war? It was argued that Confederation offered a more secure future for America.
James Wilson:
"We should consider that we are providing a Constitution for future generations and not merely for the circumstance of the moment."
The Ratifications Began: Delaware December 1787New Jersey December 1787Pennsylvania December 1787Georgia January 1788Connecticut January 1788Massachusetts February 1788Maryland April 1788South Carolina May 1788New Hampshire June 1788
THE UNITED STATES WAS FORMED
Delaware December 1787
New Jersey December 1787
Pennsylvania December 1787
Georgia January 1788
Connecticut January 1788
Massachusetts February 1788
Maryland April 1788
South Carolina May 1788
New Hampshire June 1788
THE UNITED STATES WAS FORMED
Virginia June 1788
New York July 1788
North Carolina November 1789
Rhode Island May 1790
What were their revolutionary aspirations?
Well, they changed…
Thomas Paine wrote:
"The same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues their descendants still."
The Declaration of Independence and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense convey the revolutionary atmosphere of 1776.
What were they fighting for?
•Human rights
•Government representation
•Independence / NO KING!
The Constitution meant:
oThey were independent from Britain
oThey not only a set of rules written by their people for their
people but it established a system of checks that made it
difficult for one person to get too much power
oThe government could not become anything like Britain’s
government.
o Equal representation was provided for all men (and later slaves
and women)
oThe rights of man were protected.
Thankyou for listening!