CONSTITUTION Unit 5 FROM CONFEDERATION TO THE CONSTITUTION

CONSTITUTION Unit 5

FROM CONFEDERATION TO THE CONSTITUTION Issues Facing the New Nation: Northwest Ordinance of 1787. 1. Shays’ Rebellion. • Established the Northwest Territory and the precedent by which the government would be sovereign and expand westward with the admission of new states. • Armed rebellion led by Daniel Shays in Massachusetts. • Dispersed by state militia. 2. Native American hostilities. 3. Financial instability. 4. Foreign relations. • States were unable to independently establish national treaties with foreign nations.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION Twelve states sent delegates. Rhode Island refused to attend due to its size and limited involvement. The Great Compromise. Ratifying the Constitution. • Required 9 out of 13 states to ratify. • Created two houses within the legislature that would allow for equal power among the states in regards to their size and sovereignty. • Some states chose not to ratify in fear that it gave too much power to the central government; required a bill of rights. Three-Fifths Compromise. Federalist Papers. • Proposed by James Wilson and Roger Sherman; slaves were counted as three-fifths of the population when considering representatives. • Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Attempted to influence voters and state delegates to ratify the constitution. The Virginia Plan. • Suggested that the president be appointed by congress. Plan was rejected an electoral college was created to vote for the office of president.

ARTICLES OF THE CONSTITUTION Article 1: The Legislative Branch. Article 4: The States. • Establishes elections, powers, and limitations of Congress (House of Representatives and Senate). • Outlines the level of respect among the states, the privileges and immunities of citizens, and the method by which new states shall enter the union. Article 2: The Executive Branch. • Establishes the office of the president, the manner of election (electoral college), and the process of impeachment. Article 5: Amendments. • Outlines how new amendments to the constitution can be proposed (two-thirds vote) and ratified (three -fourths vote). Article 3: The Judicial Branch. Article 6: Debts, Supremacy, and Oaths. • Establishes the supreme court, as well as other inferior courts, as well as the process of trial by jury. • Establishes constitution as supreme law of the land outlines oaths of office for public officials and responsibility of national debts. Article 7: Ratification. • Outlines manner in which the constitution was to be ratified.

LIMITED GOVERNMENT Each branch has authority to limit the other. Legislative Branch: • Approves executive appointments to judicial branch. • Can overturn presidential vetoes. • Can impeach president and judges. • Power of the purse. Executive Branch: • Can veto legislative bills. • Appoints judicial officers. Judicial Branch: • Determines constitutionality of actions of both the legislative and executive branches.

AMENDMENTS Bill of Rights: 1. Protects freedom of religion, of the press, of assembly. 2. Protects the right to bear arms. 3. Protects citizens from quartering. 4. Protects citizens from illegal searches and seizures. Other Significant Amendments: 11: Limits the kind of cases that are heard in federal courts. 12: Changes how the electoral college votes for president and vice president. 13 -15: known as the Civil War amendments. 13: outlaws slavery. 14: defines citizenship and rights of citizens. 5. Protects citizens against double jeopardy and selfincrimination. 15: guarantees the right to vote for all citizens. 6. Guarantees citizens the right to trial by jury. 17: senators elected by popular vote. 7. Guarantees jury trials in federal civil cases. 16: permits federal income taxes on individuals. 18 & 21: created prohibitions which were later outlawed. 19: guarantees women the right to vote. 8. Protects citizens against excessive bail and fines as well as cruel and unusual punishment. 22: limits a president to two terms in office. 9. Establishes the rights of citizens beyond the constitution. 24: outlawed the poll tax. 10. Protects the rights of the states that are not delegated to the central government. 26: guarantees the right to vote to citizens 18 years and older. 23: guarantees right to vote for citizens of the District of Columbia. 25: provides for presidential succession.

THE BIBLE AS SPIRITUAL CONSTITUTION Attributes of Scripture (adopted from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology): 1. Inerrancy: Scripture, in the original manuscripts, does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. 2. Perspicuity: Scripture is written in such a way that all things necessary for our salvation and for our Christian life and growth are very clearly set forth. 3. Necessity: Scripture is necessary for knowing the Gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will, but is not necessary for knowing that God exists or for knowing something about God’s character and moral laws. 4. Authority: All the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God. 5. Sufficiency: Scripture contains all the words of God He intended His people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting Him perfectly, and for obeying Him perfectly Quotes on the Inerrancy, Perspicuity, Necessity, Authority, and Sufficiency of Scripture: • “If you want to hear God speak, read the Bible! If you want to hear God speak audibly, read the Bible out loud!” ~Justin Peters. • “If revelations agree with Scripture, they are needless. When revelations disagree with Scripture, they are worthless. ” ~paraphrasing John Owen. • Anything outside of “book, chapter, verse” is an abandonment of the sufficiency of Scripture.

QUESTIONS 1. In what ways were the Articles of Confederation inferior to the Constitution? In what ways were they superior? 2. Are there any aspects of the constitution that you disagree with? Why? 3. If you were given the ability to propose and ratify a new amendment to the constitution, what would it be and why? 4. Why are the attributes of Scripture so important? Which one are you most encouraged by? Which one are you most convicted by?