Lesson 1: The Constitution

Key Idea

After the Revolutionary War, America’s first government was based on the Articles of Confederation. This plan gave states most of the power, leaving the central government very weak. The government could not collect taxes to pay its debts or soldiers.

This weakness became a big problem. In an event called Shays' Rebellion, angry farmers in Massachusetts protested because they were not getting paid. The national government was too weak to stop the fighting.

Key Idea

After Shays' Rebellion showed the government was too weak, leaders met in Philadelphia in 1787. At this Constitutional Convention, they decided to create a whole new plan for a stronger government instead of just fixing the old one.

But the states argued about how to share power. To solve this disagreement, they created the Great Compromise. This plan made a Congress with two parts. The Senate gives each state equal votes, while the House of Representatives bases votes on how many people live in a state.

Key Idea

To prevent any one group from becoming too powerful, the writers of the Constitution divided the government into three branches. This plan, called the separation of powers, splits the government's main jobs into three different parts.

The Legislative Branch (Congress) is in charge of making laws.

Key Idea

The writers of the Constitution wanted to prevent any one part of the government from becoming too powerful, like a king. They remembered what it was like to live under British rule and wanted to ensure fairness and shared power.

To achieve this, they created a system of checks and balances. This system gives each of the three branches special ways to limit, or “check,” the power of the other two. This forces the branches to work together.