Creating State Constitutions in Revolutionary America
After declaring independence from British rule in 1776, the American colonies embarked on forming new state governments. The focus was on protecting natural rights, establishing a republican form of government, and implementing limitations on governmental powers through constitutional frameworks. The principles of checks and balances, separation of powers, and higher law guided the drafting of state constitutions, ensuring that the government derived its power from the people and operated within defined constraints.
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BELL WORK WHAT SORT OF GOVERNMENT DO YOU THINK THE AMERICAN COLONIES SHOULD CREATE AFTER THE STATES HAVE DECLARED THEIR FREEDOM FROM THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN 1776? JOT YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT THE NEW STATE GOVERNMENTS WOULD LOOK LIKE. ARE THERE ANY FORMS OF GOVERNMENT THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED? WE WILL DISCUSS AS A CLASS.
TIME FOR VOCABULARY!! BILL OF RIGHTS CHECKS AND BALANCES EXECUTIVE BRANCH HIGHER LAW JUDICIAL BRANCH LEGISLATIVE BRANCH SEPARATION OF POWERS
WHAT IDEAS WERE USED TO CREATE STATE CONSTITUTIONS? PROTECT NATURAL RIGHTS (INALIENABLE RIGHTS) THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT IS TO PROTECT A PERSON S RIGHTS TO LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PROPERTY
WHAT IDEAS WERE USED TO CREATE STATE CONSTITUTIONS? CREATE A REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT ALL POWER COMES FROM THE PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE GIVE SOME OF THEIR POWER TO THE GOVERNMENT. THE PEOPLE ELECT MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT TO REPRESENT THEM.
WHAT IDEAS WERE USED TO CREATE STATE CONSTITUTIONS? FORM A CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT THE CONSTITUTION LIMITS THE GOVERNMENTS POWER OVER THE PEOPLE
WHAT IDEAS WERE USED TO CREATE STATE CONSTITUTIONS? FORM A CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT THE CONSTITUTION IS HIGHER LAW; LAWMAKERS CAN NOT MAKE LAWS THAT VIOLATE THE LIMITS ON GOVERNMENT FOUND IN THE CONSTITUTION ALL PEOPLE MUST OBEY THE CONSTITUTION
WHAT IDEAS WERE USED TO CREATE STATE CONSTITUTIONS? FORM A CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT THE POWERS OF THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE SEPARATED; DIVIDED AMOUNT THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH (PASS LAWS), EXECUTIVE (EXECUTE LAWS), AND JUDICIAL BRANCH (JUDGE LAWS)
SUMMARY WORD WALL ON YOUR CLASS GUIDE COMPLETE A SUMMARY WORD WALL FROM THE SLIDES ON WHAT IDEAS WERE USED TO CREATE STATE CONSTITUTIONS? CREATE A WALL OF KEY WORDS AND CONCEPTS THAT SUMMARIZES THE MAIN IDEAS.
STATE CONSTITUTIONS COMMONALITIES MOST POWER WAS GIVEN TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH PEOPLE ELECTED REPRESENTS DIRECTLY TO MAKE LAWS PEOPLE BELIEVED IT WAS THE SAFEST BRANCH TO MAKE LAWS AS IT WAS CLOSEST TO THE PEOPLE MOST LIKELY TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE
STATE CONSTITUTIONS COMMONALITIES EXECUTIVE BRANCH CARRIED OUT THE LAWS THE STATE EXECUTIVE WAS THE GOVERNOR THE PEOPLE DISTRUSTED A SINGLE PERSON WITH TOO MUCH POWER (THINK KING GEORGE III) NOT AS EASY TO CONTROL THE GOVERNOR (NORMALLY TERMS WERE LONGER THAN THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES)
STATE CONSTITUTIONS COMMONALITIES JUDICIAL BRANCH DECIDED WHAT LAWS MEANT NOT ALL STATES HAD A FULL JUDICIAL BRANCH MOST HAD SOME FORM TO JUDGE LAWS MOST STATES TRIED TO AVOID COURTS THAT COULD ABUSE THE PEOPLE AS HAD HAPPENED UNDER BRITISH RULE
STATE CONSTITUTIONS COMMONALITIES SET UP SYSTEMS OF CHECKS AND BALANCES EVERY STATE HAD CHECKS BETWEEN THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE BRANCHES MANY HAD JUDICIAL REVIEW ON THE LAWS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
SUMMARIZE THE STATE CONSTITUTION COMMONALITIES WRITE A THREE-SENTENCE SUMMARY OF THE COMMONALITIES BETWEEN STATE CONSTITUTIONS. HIGHLIGHT, AT LEAST, THREE SPECIFIC FACTS.
HOW DID STATE CONSTITUTIONS PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS MOST STATES WROTE A BILLS OF RIGHTS MOST CONSTITUTIONS PUT THE BILLS OF RIGHTS IN THE VERY FRONT OF THE CONSTITUTION SPELLING OUT THE RIGHTS PROTECTED CITIZENS FROM THE GOVERNMENT
WHAT RIGHTS WERE PROTECTED IN EARLY STATE CONSTITUTIONS FREQUENT AND FREE ELECTIONS FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS REPRESENTATION ON TAX MATTERS RIGHT TO A LAWYER TRIAL BY JURY PROTECTION OF ILLEGAL SEARCH AND SEIZURE PROTECTION FROM CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTS
MASSACHUSETTS CONSTITUTION OF 1780 THE MASSACHUSETTS CONSTITUTION SAID EACH TOWN MUST PROVIDE FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION TO ALL CHILDREN. IT ALSO SAID THAT ALL CHILDREN MUST ATTEND SCHOOL. WORK WITH 3 OR 4 OTHER STUDENTS AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: 1. WHY DO YOU THINK MASSACHUSETTS REQUIRED EACH TOWN TO PAY FOR THEEDUCATION OF ITS CHILDREN? 2. SHOULD ALL CHILDREN BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND SCHOOL? 3. SHOULD PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN BE REQUIRED TO PAY TAXES TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS?
CONSTITUTION COMPARISON VENN DIAGRAM Look at the Preambles of the following State constitutions: Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, Indiana Original 1816 Constitution and Indiana s current constitution of 1851. Highlight in each preamble the key words of what the constitution protects. Complete the Venn Diagram once you have finished. Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 PREAMBLE PREAMBLE Indiana Constitution of 1816 Indiana Constitution of 1816 PREAMBLE Indiana Constitution of 1851 Indiana Constitution of 1851 Preamble The end of the institution, maintenance, and The end of the institution, maintenance, and administration of government is to secure the administration of government is to secure the existence of the body existence of the body- -politic, to protect it, and to politic, to protect it, and to furnish the individuals who compose it with the furnish the individuals who compose it with the power of enjoying, in safety and tranquillity, their power of enjoying, in safety and tranquillity, their natural rights and the blessings of life; and natural rights and the blessings of life; and whenever these great objects are not obtained the whenever these great objects are not obtained the people have a right to alter the government, and to people have a right to alter the government, and to take measures necessary for their safety, take measures necessary for their safety, prosperity, and happiness. prosperity, and happiness. We the Representatives of the people of the Territory of Indiana .for the admission of such state into the union, on an equal footing with the original States" in order to establish Justice, promote the welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity; do ordain and establish the following constitution or form of Government, and do mutually agree with each other to form ourselves into a free and Independent state, by the name of the State of Indiana. TO THE END, that justice be established, public order maintained, and liberty perpetuated; WE, THE PEOPLE of the STATE IF INDIANA, grateful to ALMIGHTY GOD for the free exercise of the right to choose our own form of government, do ordain this CONSTITUTION.
Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 Indiana Constitution of 1851 Indiana Constitution of 1816
