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The first government & constitution of USA
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Lasted a decade (’77-’87)
STRUCTURE:
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weak central gov’t – opposite of Parliament.
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1 Branch of gov’t (Legislative)
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made up of 13 members, one from each state.
Passing laws required 9 of 13 yes votes.
Amending Articles required all 13 states.
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Land Ordinance of ’85 – set up boundaries and
developed area into townships
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6x6 miles = 36 square miles per town
Provided for government & education
NW Ordinance of ’87 – set up a formula for
territories to become new states
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Needed to have a republican gov’t
At least 60,000 people
Weakness
No power to tax
Result
No Money
No Executive Branch
No enforcement of laws
1 house Legislature
1 vote / state
unequal representation
No Judicial Branch
disputes not settled
problems in interstate
relations
Weakness
No Regulation of commerce
Result
Economic quarrels
NO foreign trade
No power to maintain army
NO DEFENSE
Power in the States
No Unity
Voting consent
or change
Impossible to make
laws
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Economic depression hurt businesses and
individuals after the Rev. War.
States issued own money, developing inflation
making it worthless.
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Farmers can’t pay any of their debt.
Farmer’s lost property for lack of payment.
Shays Rebellion in MA leads to change
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Farmers, led by Daniel Shays attacked courthouses in MA
Want to stop the judges from taking properties away.
Rebellion stopped by militia, not national government!
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Causes the elite in other states to worry that other
revolts could sprout up.
The Articles didn’t give national gov’t power to stop
this from happening.
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More power had to be given to the national gov’t
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May ‘87 in Philadelphia, PA to address the
Articles…
They end up changing the gov’t
Two plans lead the way
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NJ plan – small state plan – wanted equal (2)
representation in a unicameral legislature
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VA plan – BIG STATE PLAN – wanted population of ea.
state to set representation in a bicameral legislature.
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AKA The CT Plan – brought big & small state plans
together to form the new government.
Bicameral Legislature:
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3/5 compromise:
Deals with slave population and total population count.
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US Senate – reps based on equality (every state has 2)
US House of Representatives – reps based on population
Slave states (south) want slaves counted in total pop = more reps
Free states (north) rather taxes paid on slaves than reps count
Compromise ends with 3/5 of state slave pop counting
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every 5,000 slaves – 3,000 is counted to the white population.
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States were not willing to give up all of their power.
US Constitution sets up a Federalist government that
has shared powers between the National and State
govt’s.
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Each gov’t has unique powers as well as shared.
NATIONAL
• Declare War
• Maintain armies
STATE
SHARED
• Elections
• Local gov’ts
• Enforce Laws
• Regulate Trade
• Business within a state
• Collect Taxes
• Marriage laws
• Admit new states
• Borrow Money
• Public safety
• Coin money
• Establish courts
• Foreign policy
• Provide for
public welfare
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Legislative (laws), Executive (Pres), and Judicial
(Court)
Multiple branches of gov’t provide for a Separation
of Power between the different branches.
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No one branch can become more powerful than another.
Checks and Balances so that each branch could
prevent the other two from greed.
Executive Branch
Checks
Legislative:
Judicial:
Adjourn Congress
Appoint Judges
Veto Bills
Legislative Branch
Checks
Executive:
Judicial:
Reject appointments
Amendments
Reject treaties
Impeach Justices
Withhold funding
Impeach
Override veto
Judicial Branch (Supreme Court)
Checks
Executive:
declare executive actions unconstitutional
Legislative:
declare laws unconstitutional