Chapter V 美国概况 constitution and confederation.pptVIP

Chapter V The Confederation and the Constitution 王尔慧 吴微 阿依古再丽 Articles of Confederation 《联邦条例》 Background 1.After they had won independence from Great Britain, Americans faces the problem of governing themselves and holding together the union formed during the Revolutionary War. 2.Shortly before declaring independence in 1776, the Second Continental Congress(第二届大陆会议) appointed a committee to draft a written constitution for the new nation. Process 1.The Articles of Confederation was adopted by Congress in Nov. 1777. 2.And this first written constitution was sent to the 13 states for their approval. 3.It was approved by all the states in 1781 when Maryland, the last state, signed the Articles. Definition A confederation is a government in which the constituent governments, called states in the US, create a central government by constitutional compact but do not give it power to regulate the conduct of individuals. Content Under the Articles of confederation the national government consisted of only a legislature; it had no separate executive and judicial divisions. The state government had sole right to legislate matters concerning debts, contracts, family affairs and it could tax their citizens. Constitutional Convention “制宪会议” Time: May 25, 1787~Sept.17,1787 Spot: Independence Hall in Philadelphia Members: 55 delegates from all states except Rhode Island including George Washington( presided over the Convention), Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison Compromises of the final Constitution Three ‘betweens’ Strong government; government limited in freedom National authority; local authority Interests of the large states; interests of the smaller states