American Government

Independence
In this section you will
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travel back in American history to the time of the thirteen
colonies struggling to free themselves from the rule of
the British monarch.
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be provided with helpful information about the creation of
the Declaration of Independence - a dramatic story.

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The power and strength of US government come
from the people in a democracy. The word
“democracy” comes from two Greek words:
“demos” meaning “people” and “kratos” meaning
“power” or “authority.”
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Some countries have autocratic governments. The
word “autocracy,” the opposite of democracy, comes
from the Greek words: “autos” meaning “self” and
“kratos” meaning “power.” In an autocratic
government, one person or group holds all the
power, without the participation, or sometimes even
the consent, of the people.
Independence: Democracy

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During America's first 150 years, most of the settlers

came from Great Britain. Along America's Atlantic
coast, these colonists built settlements that became
what are commonly called the "Original Thirteen
Colonies."
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The British settlers lived under the rule of the King
of England. They worked hard building homes,
farms and towns, even though they did not own
these places. Therefore, they wanted to be involved
in making decisions about their lives and property.
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The British knew that the colonists wanted
independence. But the British, instead, tried to take
more control of the colonists. Colonists objected to
British interference with their practices.
The Original Thirteen Colonies

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The Revolutionary War broke out on April 19, 1775.
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In May 1775 the Second Continental Congress met to discuss
stronger action for independence, tensions in the American
colonies ran very high between "Patriots" and "Loyalists." .
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On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed
a committee of five men to write a Declaration of
Independence from British Rule. Those five men were Thomas
Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston,
and Roger Sherman.
- Jefferson wrote the first draft.

- The committee presented the document to the Congress
after making a few corrections.
- Following a few more changes, Thomas Jefferson's work was
approved.
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Church bells rang out on July 4, 1776, the day the Declaration
of Independence was adopted and the nation was officially
born.
The Declaration of Independence

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The Declaration of Independence has five parts. They are the
Preamble, the Statement of Human Rights, Charges Against
Human Rights, Charges Against the King and Parliament, and the
Statement of Separation and Signatures.
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The main purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to
- announce the colonies separation from England.
- the principles that were the foundation for seeking
independence.
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The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created
equal and are entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness." These ideas would be expressed again in the new
republic's Constitution. These ideas form the basis of our beliefs
about the role of our government in American lives today.
The Declaration of Independence

Constitution
This section covers the history of the Constitution

of the United States including information about:
- the writing the Constitution,
- the Great Compromise,
- the Constitution’s signers,
- the Bill of Rights,
- the Amendments to the Constitution
- what they mean to Americans,
- and much more.

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The Constitutional Convention of May 1787 was held in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The delegates worked for 4
months behind closed doors of the State House to draft
a new document known later as the "Constitution."
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In Philadelphia, more than fifty delegates from twelve of
the original thirteen colonies met to begin writing the
Constitution of the United States.
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These delegates were selected by their states. They
were educated, patriotic, and experienced men, ranging
from the ages of 40 to 81. Benjamin Franklin was the
oldest delegate. Some men were landowners and some
were lawyers or judges. This group is sometimes called
the "Founding Fathers." There were no women or
minorities.
Delegates to the Constitutional Convention

They wanted to make sure that
- the new nation and its citizens would be free and independent.

- the government of the United States would protect the people
So the writers of the Constitution planned a very special kind of
government and put their plan in writing.
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Washington was elected to be the president of the Constitutional
Convention because they held him in high esteem. His job as the
president was to keep the meetings orderly and effective.
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Before the Constitutional Convention began, a rules committee
decided how the process would work.
- No matter how many delegates a state sent, each state was given
only one vote.
- Any delegate could voice an opinion.
- All proceedings would be kept secret until the Constitutional
Convention presented a finished Constitution.
The Work Begins

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The Constitutional Convention met for 4 months.
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The 55 delegates were seldom all together at once
because the weather was bad and travel was difficult.
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About 35 delegates were present during the process of
writing the Constitution.
Writing the Constitution

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Delegates to the Constitutional Convention came from different
backgrounds and held different political views. For example, they

argued about how many representatives each state should be allowed.
- The larger states favored the Virginia Plan: each state would have a
different number of representatives based on the state's population.
- The smaller states favored the New Jersey Plan: the number of
representatives would be the same for each state.
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A delegate from Connecticut, Roger Sherman, proposed a two-house
legislature, consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
- The Senate would have an equal number of representatives from
each state.
- The House of Representatives would include one representative for
each 30,000 individuals in a state.
This two-house legislature plan worked for all states and became
known as the Great Compromise.
The Great Compromise

The Great Compromise
The Great Compromise
The Great Compromise
A delegate from Connecticut, Roger Sherman,
proposed a two-house legislature, consisting of a
Senate and a House of Representatives.
- The Senate would have an equal number of
representatives from each state.
- The House of Representatives would include
one representative for each 30,000 individuals in a
state.
This two-house legislature plan worked for all states
and became known as the Great Compromise.


The Great Compromise Quiz

1) What two plans were combined to form the
great compromise?
2) Who proposed the Great Compromise?
3) The Great Compromise is also known as the
___________ Compromise.
4) How many Senators does each state have?
5) What is the number of members of the House
of Representatives for each state based on?

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Once the debate ended, Governor Morris of New Jersey
put the Constitution in its final form. He competed the
task of hand-writing 4,300 words in two days!
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On September 17, 1787 the Constitution was signed by
- 39 of the 55 delegates
- William Jackson, secretary of the Constitutional
Convention
Signing the Constitution

Signing the Constitution- Quiz

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The Continental Congress received the proposed
Constitution on September 20. It then voted to send
the document to the state legislatures for ratification.
- The people who supported the new Constitution,
the Federalists, began to publish articles supporting

ratification. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and
John Jay eventually compiled 85 essays as The
Federalist Papers.
- These supporters of the Constitution believed that
the checks and balances system would allow a
strong central government to preserve states' rights.
Ratifying the Constitution

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Some delegates, however, would not approve
the Constitution when it was sent to the states
for ratification until it included a bill of rights
listing the individual rights of every citizen.
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So, the Convention promised a bill of rights
would be attached to the final version. Twelve
amendments were presented to the states and
only ten were approved.
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Those ten make up the Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights

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Once ratified, the Constitution set the basis for
the government today.
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Powers are divided between the federal (or
national) government and the 50 states (state)
governments. The Founding Fathers knew they
had to leave enough powers with the states

when they were writing the Constitution.
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All states were granted the right to control
certain things within their borders.
Powers of the Federal Government

Powers of the Federal
Government

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Delegates at the Constitutional Convention
also wanted to divide power within the federal
government. They did not want these powers
to be controlled by just one man or one group.
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To avoid the risk of dictatorship or tyranny,
the group divided the new government into
three parts, or branches:
- the executive branch,
- the legislative branch,
- and the judicial branch.
The Three Branches of Government

Headed by the president. The main task of the
Executive branch is to carry out federal laws. The
president
- carries out federal laws
- recommends new ones
- directs national defense and foreign policy
- and performs ceremonial duties.

Powers include
- directing government,
- commanding the Armed Forces,
- dealing with international powers,
- acting as chief law enforcement officer, and vetoing
laws.
Executive Branch

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Headed by Congress, which includes the House of
Representatives and the Senate.
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The main task of these two bodies is to make the laws.
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Its powers include
- passing laws,
- originating spending bills (House),
- impeaching officials (Senate),
- and approving treaties (Senate).
Legislative Branch

Legislative branch - Congress
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Senate includes 100 Senators 2 from each of
the states.
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The House of Representatives includes 435
Representatives. The number of
representatives each state gets is determined
by its population. (Some states have just 2

representatives. Others have as many as 40.)
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Both senators and representatives are
elected by the eligible voters in their states.

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Headed by the Supreme Court and 9 Justices. Its
main task is to interpret the Constitution.
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Its powers include
- interpreting the Constitution,
- reviewing laws,
- hearing cases that pertain to issues related to
constitution.
The federal judicial system includes
- Supreme Court (highest court)
- and lower courts located in each state to hear
cases involving federal issues.
Judicial Branch

The Three Branches of Government