Question/Problem 3: How did the Revolutionaries design the first American system of government.

We often forget that during the Revolution (1776-1781) the governing body of the country as a whole was the Second Continental Congress. Members of the Congress were usually selected by the state legislatures. The Congress directed the war effort and ran the affairs of a wartime country. Congressional committees performed the duties normally carried out by the executive branch. At this time when there was no adopted constitutional plan of government, the committees directed affairs for the country.

The states adopted their own constitutions. Most of them set up state governments in similar ways to each other, typically by the state legislature or by special convention. Most of them also had three branches of government (legislative, executive and judicial), although they did not yet have separation of powers as we know it today. As a result, the legislative was the most important branch at that time. An important point to remember is that the states were testing grounds for constitutional design.

Using the resources suggested by your teacher, answer these questions of the similar features of the new state governments. Write the answers in your notes or on a sheet of paper.

1. What do these terms mean?