Social Studies Chapter 9
Lesson 1
A New Nation
Creating a Nation
This chapter focuses on
creating a nation. We will
be exploring the government
created by the Articles of
Confederation, the Constitutional
Convention, the Constitution
and the Amendments, and
President Washington
Lesson 1: A New Nation
• During the Revolutionary War, each American
colony became a separate state.
• Each state had its own constitution. A
constitution is a written plan for government.
A New Nation
• Americans had fought the war
for self-government, and they
did not want to give up power
to a strong central government.
•State governments let their
citizens make the laws.
• A citizen is an
official member of
a city, state, or
nation.
Articles of Confederation
• The Articles of Confederation were created to
allow the country to work together as one when
necessary.
• The Articles created a weak national government
that left most power with the states.
• Advantages and Disadvantages of The Articles of
Confederation:
Congress had the power to:
declare war, make peace treaties, and make treaties
with other nations, including American Indian
Nations.
Congress did not have the power to:
They could not set up an army, control trade, or
create taxes.
The Northwest Territory
• Congress had to decide what to do with land won in the
Revolution. This land was known as the Northwest Territory.
• A territory is land ruled by a national government but
which has no representatives in the government.
• Congress passed two ordinances to organize the Northwest
Territory.
• An ordinance is a law.
• The Land Ordinance of 1785 explained how the land would
be measured, divided, and sold.
• The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
explained the government of this
territory as well as made slavery
against the law.
Problems of the New Nation
• The Articles were weak and
could not make the states
work together.
• Congress was having trouble
paying their debt for the War for
Independence. They were not
allowed to tax so they had a
hard time getting the money.
They could not make states pay
taxes.
• Farmers were growing
frustrated too. Many did
not have money to pay
state taxes and had to go
to jail.
Shays’ Rebellion
• Farmer Daniel Shays led a group of about 1,100
farmers in a protest.
• They wanted the state government to give them more time
to pay their debt. They wanted them to stop taking their
farms and putting them in jail.
• Congress could not form an army so they could not stop the
farmers from fighting the state government.
• The state government defeated the farmers.
• Their rebellion showed that a weak national government
could not keep order.
• In 1787, Congress invited the states to send delegates to a
meeting to discuss how the change the Articles of
Confederation.
• Many were worried that the government was not strong
enough to protect citizen’s rights.
Vocabulary Review
constitution
citizen
territory
ordinance
A written plan for government.
An official member of a city, a state,
or a nation
Land ruled by a national government
but which has no representatives in the
government.
A law