Презентация на тему The Constitution of the USA

war for independence The most important disagreement was how

to govern the new country.



Some people wanted the nation to be a loose organization of states. They believed that citizens in each state should govern themselves.
Others wanted a powerful national government to solve the problems of the new country. Each state had to give up some of its power so that the nation could be stronger.

(a lawmaking body) consisted of the Senate and the

House of Representatives.
Congress was given authority to declare war, to establish an army and navy, to issue and borrow money.
The Articles gave most power to the states. Each one could cast one vote in Congress. A law could be passed only if nine of the thirteen states voted for it.

practice.
The states had too much power: They often acted

like separate nations. Each state could coin its own money, arm its own soldiers and build its own navy. Each could, and sometimes did, make laws to hurt neighboring states.
There was confusion about currency: Some used coins minted by the states, others used foreign coins, still others traded with goods like salt or pork.
One of the biggest problems concerned foreign policy: Like any nation, the US needed to make treaties with foreign countries, but in 1785 most European nations did not respect American power.

55 representatives to Philadelphia in order to take part

in the Constitutional Convention and to write a new plan of government.
This group included: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison.

James Madison.

of government is to protect natural rights of people

to life, liberty and property. If a government fails to do so, the people have the right to rebel against it.
Locke also rejected the belief that the power of kings came directly from God. He was convinced that political power came from the people.
The idea that a government could only exist with the consent of the governed was also used by Madison.
The latter included Rousseau’s statement that all citizens must take part in their government all the time.
The principle from the Magna Carta that those who govern are subject to the law of the land as well as those who are governed, too.
James Madison added the idea that private property should be the backbone of liberty.

17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

Twenty-seven amendments
A paragraph certifying its enactment by the

constitutional convention.

Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,

insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Preamble

new American government was completed.
It created the House of

Representatives and the Senate.
Divided the political power among the three branches of government:
The legislative branch
The executive branch
The judicial branch

took almost a year before nine out of thirteen

states ratified it as there was a strong opposition to the project.
People feared that under the constitution the president would become as powerful as a king. They thought that states were the best defenders of the people’s liberties because state constitutions guaranteed personal freedoms, while the US constitution did not have a bill of rights.

are entitled to … and what no just government

should refuse”.

Wrote Thomas Jefferson in 1787, when found out that the constitution had no bill of rights

amendments, concerning the rights of the people.
In December

1791, 10 of them became part of the constitution.

grow strong and united.
George Washington was easily elected

as the first US president.
Cabinet of advisers consisted of 4 members:
Thomas Jefferson
Alexander Hamilton
Henry Knox
Edmund Randolph