Chapter 3

Chapter 3 VocabularyQuiz 1- Thursday 9/25• Amendment• Anti-Federalist• Article• Article of Confederation• Bicameral• Checks and Balances• Confederation• Concurrent powers• Constitution• Constitutional convention• Electoral College• Enumerated powers• Executive branch• Federalism• Great compromise

Quiz 2- Tuesday 9/30• Judicial branch• Legislative branch• Limited government• Northwest ordinance• Ordinance• Ordinance of 1785• Popular sovereignty• Preamble• Ratify• Reserved powers• Rule of law-principle• Separation of powers• Shay’s rebellion• Supremacy clause• The Federalist Papers• Three-fifths compromise

Bell Ringer

• Brainstorm- what is the purpose and functions of government?

• What is a constitution?

Chapter 3 Lesson 1

Country’s First Governments

State Constitutions• During the Revolutionary War each state wrote

their own constitution.• State constitutions were set up in a similar

format– Legislature to make laws–> Bicameral-___________– Governor elected by citizens– Courts

• Contained a Bill of Rights– Basic freedoms

Articles of Confederation• State’s couldn’t handle everything on their own– i.e. military and unification for independence

• Second Continental Congress– Confederation of States• Confederation- group of individual state government unite for

a common purpose

• Articles of Confederation – 1777- FIRST Constitution of the USA• “League of Friendship”• 1781 13 states had ratified the Articles

– One house legislature- one vote per state Confederation Congress» Army and power to deal with foreign nations

Northwest Ordinances• Ordinance of 1785-plan for surveying western lands– Divided land into townships 6 miles square

• Divided land into 36 sections each one, one square mile

• Northwest Ordinances– Set up government in the Northwest territory*most important action under the Congress of the Articles

helped people settle the Northwest Territory in an orderly way

Weaknesses of the ArticlesLack of Power and Money

Congress had no power to collect taxes.

Congress had no power to regulate trade.

Congress had no power to enforce its laws.

Lack of Central Power

No single leader or group directed government policy

No national court system existed

Rules too Rigid

Congress could not pass laws without the approval of 9 states

The articles could not be changed without the agreement of all 13 states

Exit Slip

• Which weakness do you think was most significant? Why?