Chapter 2, Section 3, outline                                            The Critical Period Section Objective: To understand the Critical Period and the governmental arrangements set up by the Articles of Confederation.   A.  The First National Constitution         1.  The Articles of Confederation formed a confederation among the States.         2.  Government Structure - Government under the Articles was a unicameral legislature  with no executive or judiciary.         3.  Powers of Congress - Most powers related to the common defense.         4. State Obligations - The States agreed to accept several obligations to the central government, but retained many powers of government for themselves.         5.  Weaknesses - The government lacked the power to tax, or to regulated trade between the States, and had no power to make the States obey the Articles.   B.  The Critical Period, 1780's         1.  Disputes among the States highlighted the need for a stronger, more effective National Government.         2.  Economic chaos also resulted from a weak central government.    C.  The Meetings at Mount Vernon and Annapolis         1.  A Majority of States called for a convention in Philadelphia to improve the Articles of Confedearation.         2.  this meeting became the Constitutional Convention.                                         Chapter 2, Section 4, Outline                                        Creating the Constitution A.  The Framers      1.  The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were young.      2.  They were remarkably well educated and experienced in politics. B. Organization and Procedure      1.  George Washington was elected president of the convention.      2.  Each State could cast one vote on an issue, and a majority of  votes were needed to carry any proposal. C.  The Decision to Write a New Constitution      1.  The Philadelphia Convention was called to revise the Articles of Confederation.      2.  Most delegates agreed that writing a new constitution was necessary. D.  The Virgina Plan      1.  The Virginia Plan called for a strong National Government with three separate branches.      2.  It favored large States because the number of votes in the legislature would be based on a States' population. E.  The New Jersey Plan       1.  The New Jersey Plan resembled the Articles of Confederation, but with increased power of the Federal Government to tax and regulate trade.       2.  It favored small States because each state was given equal representation in the legislature. F.  The Connecticut compromise      1.  Disagreement over representation in Congress caused tempers to flare.      2.  The Connecticut Compromise settled the conflict. G.  The Three-Fifths Compromise      1.  The question arose of whether slaves should be counted in the populations of Southern States.      2. The delegates agreed to count slaves as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation and taxation. H.  The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise      1.  Congress was forbidden to tax exports.      2.  Congress could not act on slave trade for at least 20 years. I.  A "Bundle of Compromises"      1.  Great differences of opinion existed among the delegates.      2.  Compromise was necessary on many issues. J.  Sources of the Constitution      1. The Framers were well educated.      2.  Delegates drew from history, current political thought, and from their own experiences.  K.  The Convention Completes Its Work      1.  The convention approved the Constitution.      2.  Most delegates agreed that the Constitutiton was not perfect, but was the best that they could produce. Chapter 2, Section 5, Outline                                             Ratifying the Constitution   Objective:  To understand the events and processes involved in the ratification of the   Constitution of the United States A.  Ratification       1. Federalists favored ratification.       2. Anti-Federalists opposed it.        3.  Debate about ratification involved the increased power of the central government and the lack of a federal bill of rights.       4.  Success was achieved when Virginia and New York ratified the document in the summer of 1788. B.  Inauguration of the New Government       1.  The new government assembled in its temporary capital, new York City, in march 1789.       2.  In April 1789, George Washington was elected President of the United States.
	Texts Used: World History Patterns of Interaction, McDougal Littell American Government, William A. McClenaghan

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