The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution

1
The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution

• French and Indian War (1754-1763) causes English
  debt, revenue enforcement
• Admiralty Courts (No jury trials, trials at sea)
• Stamp Act of 1765 (Taxation
• without representation)
• The Writs of Assistance
• Quartering Act (1766) and Army housing
• Republicanism, home rule, and self-government

2
The Articles of Confederation (1781-1787)

• Negative government, fear of
• centralized power
• Unicameralism (single chamber)
• Each state has one vote
• Two-thirds vote to pass law
• Unanimous vote to amend Articles
• No tax power, Executive branch, judiciary
• No navy, power to sign foreign treaties
• Large national debt, fear of foreign intervention

3
Toward the Constitution of 1787

• Shays Rebellion (1786)
• The Annapolis Convention (1786)

4
The Philadelphia Convention (1787)

• 55 delegates in closed sessions
• The Virginia and New Jersey Plans
• The Connecticut Compromise (Representation)
• The Three-Fifths
• Compromise (slavery)
• Import taxes
• Interstate commerce regulation
• Representative democracy
• The amendment process (living document)

5
An Ideological Party System Develops

• Federalists (Loose interpretation, national
  power, fear of democracy)
• The Anti-Federalists (Strict construction, states
  rights doctrines, need for a bill of rights)

6
Limitations on Government Power

• Federalism
• Separation of powers and Judicial Review
• Bicameralism
• Republican form of government
• Reserved powers (9th and 10th amendments)

7
The Ratification Struggle

• Submitted to state conventions for approval
• Three fourths of states necessary for approval
• The Federalist Papers