HISB30H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Xyz Affair, Eleventh Amendment To The United States Constitution, Daniel Shays
Document Summary
Establishing revolutionary state governments, the patriots relied heavily on colonial experience. Colonial legislatures in the royal provinces consisted of two houses: upper chamber (council) and an elected lower chamber (assembly) Resembled parliament"s division into the house of lords and the house of commons, symbolized assumption that a government should represent aristocrats and commoners separately. Pennsylvania tried to establish constitution which established election districts roughly equal in population so that a minority of voters could not elect a majority of legislators. 9 states reduced property requirements for voting but none abolished it. State constitutions: written frameworks of government that defined the people as sovereign: their adoption required ratification by the people, they could be changed only by popular vote. British view of a constitution as a body of customary practices, the state commission were written compacts that defined and limited rulers powers. Revolutionary constitutions contained bills of rights outlining fundamental freedoms beyond government control.
