BA 01/21
1. Who wrote Common Sense? What was its
importance?
2. Why was the French alliance important to the
Revolutionary War?
3. Why was Marquis de Lafayette important?
4. What was the last major battle in the Revolutionary
War?
Treaty of Paris 1783

Peace talks after Revolutionary War

Includes United States, Great Britain,
France, and Spain

John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, & John
Jay sent to negotiate treaty for US
3 Effects of 1783 Treaty
1. US granted independence
2. US gains all land east of Mississippi River
& from Maine to Georgia
3. British businesses receive money owed
4. Loyalists able to sue for lost property
Post Revolutionary War continued
 Many
colonists scared of large
government & want states to rule
independently
Don’t
 US
want to be run like British King
creates Articles of Confederation
Adoption of the U.S.
Constitution
Chapter 5
SSUSH5
The student will explain specific events and key ideas that brought about the adoption
and implementation of the United States Constitution.
a. Explain how weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and Daniel Shays’ Rebellion led to
a call for a stronger central government.
b. Evaluate the major arguments of the anti-Federalists and Federalists during the debate on
ratification of the Constitution as put forth in The Federalist concerning form of government,
factions, checks and balances, and the power of the executive, including the roles of
Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.
c. Explain the key features of the Constitution, specifically the Great Compromise, separation
of powers (influence of Montesquieu), limited government, and the issue of slavery.
Post Revolutionary War
 With
Britain gone, US must create
its own government
 Difficult
to decide role of states &
national government
Most
countries still ruled by kings
Articles of Confederation

Original US government
Creates powers for 2 levels of government:
1. State government
2. National government

State government more powerful than
national
3 Problems with Articles of
Confederation
1. Articles unable to solve major problems
affecting US
2. States cannot agree on issues & national
government is useless
3. US going broke & cannot tax
 Owe
war
millions to European countries from
Shays’ Rebellion

Shay: MA farmer & veteran of
Revolutionary War

In heavy debt

Afraid of losing farm to debtor's court and
going to debtors’ prison

Demand debt courts shut down to stop
people from losing farms
Shays’ Rebellion continued

1786: creates army of 1,200 farmers to
attack Springfield Arsenal
 Take
guns and move to shut down courts

Causes panic & talk of new, stronger
government

Importance: leads to creation of US
Constitution
13 Colonies
Creation of the Constitution
 After
Shays’ Rebellion, states meet to
create new, stronger government
 Meet
in Philadelphia, PA
 Called
 RI
Constitutional Convention
only state not to show
3 Major Constitutional Issues
1. Type of government
2. Slavery
3. Separation of powers
1. Type of Government

Argument over power between big & small
states
 Small
states afraid of being overrun by larger
states
Led to the creation of 2 plans:
A. Virginia Plan
B. New Jersey Plan
A. Virginia Plan

Created by James Madison
 4th
US President

VA Plan: bicameral legislature based on a
state’s population

Bicameral: two houses of government
 House

of Representatives & Senate
Legislature: lawmakers of US
Virginia Plan continued

In VA Plan, voters elect members of
House of Representatives who elect
Senate

Small states hate plan
 Gave

power to states with big populations
Ex: Virginia, New York, Massachusetts
B. New Jersey Plan

One house Congress where each state
has equal vote

Favored by states with small populations
 Ex:

New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland
Disagreement over plans leads to Great
Compromise
Great Compromise

Bicameral legislature that rewards big & small
states
Bicameral Legislature:
1. House of Representatives: lower house where
representatives based on state’s population
 More
people in state=more people in House of Reps
2. Senate: upper house where each state has
equal vote
2
Senators per state
The great compromise
2. Slavery

Question whether slaves count as state’s
population when deciding number of members in
House of Representatives

South wants slaves to count
 Had
more slaves than North

Creates Three-Fifths Compromise

Three-Fifths Compromise: 3/5ths of state’s slaves
to be counted as population
 Ex:
1 million slaves= 600,000 people
Slavery continued

Next, southern states afraid North would
push to end slave trade

North more concerned with voting and
economic power than morality of slavery

Convention agrees to allow slave trade for
20 more years (1787-1807)
 Will
become a problem in 1807
3. Separation of Governmental
Powers

Designed to strengthen national
government while preventing dictatorship
Constitutional power divided into 2 groups:
A. State vs. Federal power
B. Limited powers of Federal positions
A. State vs. Federal

Create federalism

Federalism: system of government that divides power
between national & state governments

Federal (national) powers: foreign policy, national
defense, trade between states, create money

Washington, D.C.

State powers: education, marriage laws, trade in state

Both governments can tax, borrow money, and make
courts
B. Federal Positions

Create 3 branches of government:
1. Legislative: make laws (Congress)
 House
of Representatives & Senate
2. Executive: carries out laws (President)
3. Judicial: interprets the law (Courts)
Federal Positions continued

Next, create system of checks and balances

Checks and balances: limit powers granted to each
branch ensuring one branch does not dominate
government

Idea from French philosopher Charles Montesquieu
Examples:

President can veto Congress’ laws

Congress can remove President

Supreme Court decides meaning of Congress’ laws
Separation of Powers