THE

AMERICAN
FOUNDING
DOCUMENTS
Princess Ann B. Dimaano
MAED Social Studies
 Documents to be Examined
• Declaration of Independence
• Constitution
• Bill of Rights
 Declaration of Independence
• Richard Henry
Lee of Virginia
proposed idea in
Continental
Congress on
June 7, 1776
 Declaration of Independence
• Committee of
five chosen to
draft the
document
 Committee Members
• John Adams
• Ben Franklin
• Roger Sherman
• Robert
Livingstone
• Thomas
Jefferson
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
• Jefferson used
his eloquent style
to craft most of
the famous
document
 Declaration of Independence
• Approved by
Congress on
July 2, 1776
• 56 men from 13
colonies signed
on July 4, 1776
 Constitution
• Constitutional
Convention
called to meet in
Philadelphia
during summer of
1787 to discuss
remedies for the Independence Hall, Philadelphia
ailing Articles of
Confederation
 Constitution
• George
Washington was
elected president
of the convention
 Constitution
• Delegates from 12 states decided
early on to scrap the Articles and
proceed with writing a new plan
for government
• Differences between delegates
soon erupted
 Crucial Compromises
• Representation
• Slavery
• Trade
 Virginia Plan
• James Madison
wrote this plan
which based
representation on
population
• Favored big
states
 New Jersey Plan
• William Paterson
crafted this plan
which gave each
state equal
representation
• Favored small
states
 Great Compromise
• Roger Sherman
gave idea of
lower house
based on
population and
upper house with
equal
representation
 Slavery
• Three-Fifths Compromise reached
to solve slavery issue
• Slaves would count as 3/5 of a
person for purposes of taxation
and of representation
 Trade
• Compromise reached that allowed
Congress power to regulate
foreign and interstate trade
• Could not apply export taxes
• Could not stop slave trade for 20
years
 Constitutional Principles
• Limited Government
• Separation of Powers
• Checks and Balances
• Federalism
• Popular Sovereignty
 Limited Government
• First and oldest written
constitution in the world
• Designed to prevent tyranny
experienced under Britain which
had an unwritten, open-ended
constitution
 Separation of Powers
• Government divided into three
branches: legislative, executive,
and judicial
• Each branch has specific powers
but must work with the others for
government to function
 Checks and Balances
• Prevents one branch from
becoming more powerful than the
others
• Branches have ways of checking
and balancing the power of the
others
 Federalism
• Divides power between national
and state levels of government
• States needed to sacrifice some
sovereignty for the sake of
national unity
 Popular Sovereignty
• Preamble of
Constitution
expresses idea
that source of
power rests with
the people

Constitution on Display,
Washington, D. C.
 Examples of Popular
Sovereignty
• Vote for representatives to
national government
• Indirect election of president
through electoral college
• Make changes in constitution
through amendment process
 Constitution
• Signed in
Philadelphia on
September 17,
1787
 Constitution
• Rhode Island was 13th and last
state to ratify on May 29, 1790
• New Congress convened in New
York City on March 4, 1789
 Constitution
• Washington
inaugurated as
first president in
New York City
on April 30,
1789
Bill of Rights
• James Madison
finished Bill of
Rights in 1789
• Fulfilled promise
to Anti-federalist
opponents
 Bill of Rights
• Approved by three-fourths of
states in 1791
• Bill of Rights were first ten
amendments to the Constitution
 Key Rights Protected
• Religion
• Speech
• Press
• Security Rights
• Judicial Rights
Bill of Rights on Display,
Washington, D. C.
 Bill of Rights
• Intended to limit national power
• Designed to protect rights of
individuals
• States still had much freedom to
govern as they pleased
 Photo Credits
• Horydczak, Theodor. “U.S. Capitol paintings. Signing of the
Declaration of Independence, painting by John Trumbull in U.S.
Capitol IV.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs
by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959.
[http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/thc.5a51230.jpg] [thc 5a51230]
(December 1, 2001).
• Pendleton's Lithography. “John Adams, second President of the
United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the
Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present.
[http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a53000/3a53200/
3a53276v.jpg] [cph 3a53276] (December 1, 2001).
 Photo Credits
• “Benjamin Franklin.” c[between 1900 and 1920]. Touring Turn-of-
the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing
Company, 1880-1920.
[http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a20000/4a28000/4a28500/4a28534r
.jpg] [det 4a28534] (December 1, 2001).
• Pendleton's Lithography. “Thomas Jefferson, third president of the
United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the
Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present.
[http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c10000/3c17000/3c17100/
3c17117v.jpg] [cph 3c17117] (December 1, 2001).
 Photo Credits
• Pendleton's Lithography. “James Madison, fourth President of the
United States.” 1828(?). By Popular Demand: Portraits of the
Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present.
[http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a53000/3a53200/
3a53278v.jpg] [cph 3a53278] (December 1, 2001).
• Horydczak, Theodor. “Paintings. Signing of Constitution by Howard
C. Cristy II.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs
by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959.
[http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a50000/5a50800/5a50829r.jpg]
[thc 5a50829] (December 1, 2001).
 Photo Credits
• “Independence Hall [Assembly Room], Philadelphia, Pa.” c1905.
Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit
Publishing Company, 1880-1920.
[http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a10000/4a12000/4a12500/4a12587r
.jpg] [det 4a12587] (December 1, 2001).
• Horydczak, Theodor. “Democratic Digest. Attorney General Tom
Clark looking at Bill of Rights II.” ca. 1920-ca. 1950. Washington as
It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959.
[http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a43000/5a43100/5a43174r.jpg]
[thc 5a43174] (December 1, 2001).
 Photo Credits
• Horydczak, Theodor. “Library of Congress (Jefferson Building).
Display of U.S. Constitution, Library of Congress.” ca. 1920-ca.
1950. Washington as It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak,
1923-1959
[http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a50000/5a50700/5a50785r.jpg]
[thc 5a50785] (December 1, 2001).
• “George Washington, head-and-shoulders portrait]. Stuart, Gilbert,
1755-1828, artist.” c[between 1900 and 1920]. Touring Turn-of-the-
Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing
Company, 1880-1920.
[http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/det/4a20000/4a26000/4a26500/4a26549r
.jpg] [det 4a26549] (December 1, 2001).
• Additional images and sounds courtesy Microsoft Office 2000.