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Objectives
• Explain how the states’ new constitutions
reflected republican ideals.
• Describe the structure and powers of the
national government under the Articles of
Confederation.
• Summarize the Congress’s plan for the
settlement and governance of western lands.
• List the main weaknesses of the Articles.
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Terms and People
•
republic – a government in which the people
elect their representatives
•
unicameral legislature – a lawmaking body
with a single house whose representatives are
elected by the people
•
bicameral legislature – a lawmaking body with
two houses, a Senate and a House of
Representatives
•
Articles of Confederation – the original federal
constitution drafted by the Continental Congress
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Terms and People
(continued)
•
John Dickinson – a member of the Continental
Congress and leader of the committee that wrote
The Articles of Confederation
•
federal – national
•
Northwest Territory – vast territory north of
Ohio and west of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi
River, which was key to expanding the republic
•
Land Ordinance of 1785 – plan to dispense and
distribute public land in the Northwest Territory
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Terms and People
(continued)
•
Northwest Ordinance of 1787 – plan for
governing and creating new states carved out of
the Northwest Territory
•
Shays’ Rebellion – an uprising of armed farmers
marching on a federal arsenal in Springfield,
Massachusetts, in protest against higher taxes
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What form of national government did
the Patriots create initially, and what
events revealed that a new
government was necessary?
After the Revolutionary War, the Patriots feared
entrusting the Congress with too much power.
Most authority remained with the states.
But strong state governments and a weak
national government led to problems.
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Congress encouraged the former colonies to
create state constitutions.
• Although state
constitutions varied,
each provided for a
republic where
people voted for their
representatives.
• Patriots disagreed over
the design of these
republics, especially
over how much power
to give the common
people.
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Democratic
Patriots like
Thomas Paine
wanted more
power for
common
people.
They favored:
• weak state governments
with most of their power
in a popularly elected
legislature.
• unicameral or one
house legislature with
either a weak governor
or none at all.
• a large House of
Representatives with
small districts so that the
people had more control.
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Conservative
Patriots like
John Adams
feared giving
power to the
common
people.
They favored:
• a governor with broad
powers.
• bicameral legislature,
with two houses.
• an upper house or senate
made up of wealthy, welleducated gentlemen who
would balance a lower house
elected by the common
people.
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There was also debate over who should
vote.
• Democratic states like Pennsylvania allowed all
male taxpayers over age 21 to vote.
• Conservative states preserved colonial
requirements of property ownership for voting.
• None gave the vote to women or to slaves.
• In time, most grew more democratic
with the lower house gaining more power.
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Most new state constitutions guaranteed
freedom of religion.
Previously, colonies collected taxes for religious
institutions.
Now, religious freedom and pluralism became
the norm.
The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom set
the example. It allowed for religious liberty free of
state influence.
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The Articles of
Confederation
was created by
the Continental
Congress.
• This first national
constitution created a
loose confederation or
league of states in 1777.
• Congress drafted the
Articles under John
Dickinson of
Pennsylvania.
• Congress’s power was
limited to prevent the
problems experienced
under Britain.
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With the Articles, government power
was limited.
• Congress implemented and enforced laws.
• Executive power was shared by committees.
• Each state had one vote in Congress.
• Minor issues were passed by a simple
majority. Major issues, like declaring war,
required 9 states.
• Amendments to the Articles required
the agreement of all 13 states.
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Congress had a limited role.
Congress could:
Congress could not:
Declare war or
conduct foreign policy.
Tax
Administer relations
with Indian nations.
Regulate commerce
between states or states
and foreign nations
There was also no federal court system.
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The Articles
created a
method to
settle and
govern the
Northwest
Territory.
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• Surveyors divided the
territory into a N-S and
E-W grid to establish
hundreds of townships.
• Each township was
subdivided into one square
mile (640 acre) squares to
sell at $1 each.
• Many farmers couldn’t
afford the $1 an acre, and
some land speculators got
special deals.
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The Land
Ordinance
of 1785
established
a method to
distribute
public land.
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The Land Ordinance of 1785 grid system is still
evident today.
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Northwest Ordinance of 1787 set up a system
to govern territories and create states.
Congress established a
territorial government
and appointed a
governor.
Settlers were
guaranteed freedom of
religion, trial by jury,
and rights of common
law.
Once there were 5,000
men, an assembly could
be elected. The
appointed governor
retained veto power.
Once there were 60,000
residents, a territory
could apply for
statehood.
It abandoned the British model of keeping
colonies permanently subordinate.
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The
Northwest
Ordinance:
•
barred slavery.
•
required a republican
constitution.
•
promised settlers basic
freedoms.
•
ignored the rights of
Native Americans.
•
resulted in five new
states: Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Michigan,
Wisconsin, and part of
Minnesota.
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Britain denied American
ships access to the
British West Indies and
the right to export
goods to Britain on
American ships.
European
nations did
not take the
new nation
seriously.
Spain forbade American
trade with New Orleans.
Britain kept soldiers in
frontier forts located in
the Northwest Territory.
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• The nation’s debt was
mounting.
Growing
problems led
to calls for a
revision of the
Articles of
Confederation.
• The economic depression
was deepening as debts,
bankruptcies, and
foreclosures grew.
• Shays’ Rebellion
demonstrated the Federal
government’s weakness.
• Foreign nations did not
respect the United States.
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