American Pageant Guided Reading Ch 9 PDF

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9

CHAPTER CONFEDERATION AND CONSTITUTION, 1776–1790 1. Part Two Intro. (pp. 164–165) This introduction gives you a preview of the authors’ answers to certain key questions about the new nation as it struggled to find its legs and then to grow into adolescence. Look at this section and list three major questions you think the authors will be addressing in the next seven chapters.

1.

Will the american government succeed?

2.

How will the government protect individual rights, engage in foreign policy, defend itself in the future, & create a successful economy?

3.

What will be the distribution of power in American government between branches and federal & state government?

2. Impact of Revolution (pp. 166–168) a. Contrary to the French Revolution, the authors say that the break with England produced an “accelerated evolution” rather than a full-scale social, economic, and political revolution. Nevertheless, list two areas you found interesting where the authors say that “striking changes” did result from the Revolution.

1) After the revolution, people wanted a separation between church and state -in many states, the churches who had power in england were “de-anglicized” (the elimination of british influence) 2) There were changes in the power of people because of the “all men are created equal” clause; people started being allowed to use titles like Mrs. and Mr. (used to be only the wealthy).

b. Summarize the argument of the authors as to why slavery was not abolished in the new, supposedly democratic and egalitarian nation. *** Do you buy this argument?

● ● ●

Authors said that abolishing slavery would damage the unity of America as a new independent nation. ○ Since people would be divided on the idea of abolishing slavery. People thought that slavery was bad, but they thought that abolishing it would do more harm than keeping it. My opinion ○ I agree that this would have cause unsettlement in the new nation, but I think that it was an important issue that needed to be solved, and major changes should have been made sooner.

3. State Constitutions (pp. 168–171) Significantly for the future national constitution, Congress asked the ex-colonies to produce formal documents summoning themselves into being as new states. List two features of these new state constitutions that you found to be particularly significant:

1) It is significant that the constitution took power away from the executive and judicial branches because of their past experiences with negative treatment from those british branches. This shows how America’s system of government was formed entirely as a response to what we disliked about England and their government. 2) I also thought it was significant that after the constitution was formed, they showed it to the people to make sure that it was representing the things they wanted it to.

4. Articles of Confederation and Land Policy (171–175) (Note: It's interesting to think of the similarities between the U.S. under the Articles and the European countries today that are working gradually to come together under the European Union. The method of tax collecting is also similar to the United Nations today which must rely on assessments from member states. The U.S. and other countries often withhold their assessments if they disagree with certain U.N. policies.)

List three features of the Articles of Confederation that differ from our current Constitution:

1) Congress was the chief agency of government and there wasn’t an executive branch. 2) Every state had one vote in Congress. 3) Congress didn’t have control over states travel and trading laws, and they could not enforce taxation.

5. Creating the Constitution (pp. 175–182)

What was the : “Great Compromise”:

The number of seats in the House of Representatives were determined by population which benefitted larger states. Each state had equal representation (two seats each) in the senate which benefitted smaller states. One person elected by Electoral College for the president.

“Three-fifths Compromise”

Every slave counted as ⅗ of a person since they were not citizens, but people still wanted them to count enough to give them more representatives in the House of Representatives.

Electoral College:

The system to vote for and elect the president.

Principle of “Checks and Balances”:

Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches were to check on each other to make sure things were running correctly, and power would be distributed and balanced between them.

c. Look at the chart on p. 181. *** What two changes under the new Constitution do you think did most to strengthen the federal government relative to the states?

1) 2 votes in Senate for each state; representation by population in House 2) Federal courts, capped by Supreme Court 6. Ratification (pp. 182–187) a. *** From your perspective, what were the two best arguments against the new Constitution advanced by the mostly backcountry Antifederalists? 1) The constitution took away freedom from people since there wasn’t a bill of rights. 2) The constitution took power away from people and gave it to the rich.

VARYING VIEWPOINTS The Constitution: Economic or Ideological Interpretation . *** Do you have any view about these differing interpretations? Do you see the Constitution as a revolutionary or reactionary document— or a little of both? Review again the authors’ conclusions on pp. 186–187. On balance, do you see the Constitution as the triumph of a conservative minority out to protect their economic interests or as a triumph of the country’s brightest minds who sought to apply republican theory better to the American situation?

The constitution was a revolutionary breakthrough for the Americans where they were protecting their economic interests, but I do think that the constitution was more an instance of men trying to apply republican theory better to the American situation. In a response to the British government, the constitutions goals were to give power to the people. It also was to create a functioning government that would be able to protect the rights of the people, collect taxes, regulate land, and maintain control. The goal of the constitution was to not let American government turn into the situation with the British, making it so that the three branches of government would have equal power, and would represent the voices and opinions of the people. The men who wrote the constitution tried to apply republican theory better to the American situation, and create a successful and orderly nation....