A NEW NATION (I)

The Treaty of Paris had recognized the United States as an independent nation. But it was not one nation as it is today. In 1783 most Americans felt more loyalty to their own state than to the new United States. Each individual American state had its own government and behaved very much like an independent country. It made its own laws and its own decisions about how to run its affairs. The first big problem that faced the new United States was how to join together these sometimes quarrelsome little countries into one united nation.

In February 1787, Congress asked each state to send delegates to a meeting or «convention» to talk about some changes in the government and in the country. The smallest state, Rhode Island, refused, but the other twelve agreed. The meeting became known as the Constitutional Convention. It began in May I787, and fifty-five men attended. They chose George Washington to lead their discussions.

They set out the plan for this government in a document called the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution still left the individual state governments with a wide range of powers. But it made the federal government much stronger than before. It gave it the power to collect taxes, to organize armed forces, to make treaties with foreign countries and to control trade of all kinds.

Many Americans had fear. This was that the federal government might try to weaken the power of the states to run their own individual affairs. To remove this danger the Constitution said exactly what powers the federal government should have and what powers should be reserved for the states. It said that the states were allowed to run their internal affairs as they wished, provided that they kept to the rules of the Constitution.

The Constitution went into effect in March 1789. But it was still not really complete. In 1791 ten amendments were made to it. Together these tell amendments are called the Bill of Rights. The reason for the Bill of Rights was that the original Constitution had said nothing about the rights and freedoms of individual citizens. The Bill of Rights promised all Americans freedom of religion, a free press, free speech, the right to carry arms, the right to a fair trial by jury, and protection against cruel and unusual punishments.

Vocabulary

1. Name the opposites:

encouragement

to allow

cancel

strengthen

to miss

calm

to do well

to agree

to win

today's

master

hardships

2. Translate the Russian words to complete the sentences:

1. The government приняло закон against drinking in the street.

2. Presidential power was reduced by a constitutional поправкой in 1991.

3. George Washington был председателем at the Constitutional Convention.

4. They had to wait ten minutes for the anesthetic подействовала before they began the operation.

5. In some countries people do not have right to на хранение и ношение оружия.

6. Another defeat in parliament will seriously ослабит the president's ability to govern.

7. You're not разрешается to talk during the exam.

8. It was always our father who administered наказание.

9. A вздорный person repeatedly argues with other people.

10. Passengers can столкнуться long delays.

3. Complete the sentences:

1. According to the Treaty of Paris the United States …

2. Each individual American state had its …

3. The new United States faced big problem …

4. The smallest state, Rhode Island, …

5. The discussions at the Constitutional Convention were led …

6. The Constitution of the United States made the federal government …

7. The states were allowed …

8. The Constitution went into effect in March 1789, but …

9. The Bill of Rights is …

4. Change the following sentences to passive:

Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation. During the Revolutionary War the states formed a central government but they did not give it enough powers. At the Constitutional Convention the delegates worked out a new document which they called the Constitution of the United States. Three men – G. Washington, J. Madison and A. Hamilton – played the leading role in working out the Constitution. For a few months the whole nation discussed the Constitution. People made speeches and wrote newspaper articles both for and against it. Then the state assemblies ratified the Constitution. The majority of the citizens approved it. The Constitution did not satisfy many people because it had said nothing about the rights of individual citizens. In 1791, Congress adopted the first ten amendments which they called the Bill of Rights. It gave the citizens fundamental rights. But it promised no rights to the Native Americans or the African slaves.

5. Answer these questions:

1. Was the United States really one nation after winning independence?

2. What powers did the governments of the states have in 1783?

3. What was the purpose of the meeting of the delegates from the states?

4. What kind of document did the Convention produce?

5. Who played the most important part in working out the Constitution?

6. What state refused to attend the Constitutional Convention?

7.When did the Constitution go into effect?

8. Why was the Constitution not really complete?

9. How did Congress ‘improve’ the Constitution?

10. What is the name of the first Ten Amendments?

11. What rights did Americans consider fundamental?