Bell Ringer!!!
 What
 At
is your favorite pizza topping?
a “get-together” how do you
compromise so everyone gets
something that they like on the
pizza????
The Articles of Confederation
 First
governing document of the United
States
 Ratified
(approved) by all 13 States in 1781
 Established



a Confederation
Group of independent States, mainly only came
together for protection
Each state kept its sovereignty (independence)
and most power
“firm league of friendship” between the states
Unicameral vs. Bicameral
Bicameral
Unicameral

1 house legislature


Quicker decision
making
Less debate on issues

2 house legislature


Both houses must agree
before laws passed
More opinions and
compromise necessary
The Articles of Confederation (Cont)

The entire Federal Government made up of a
Unicameral Congress


No President or King in charge
Each of 13 states got 1 vote
• 9 out of 13 necessary for approval

POWERS of the Federal Government:

Could make war and peace
Make treaties
Borrow money
Establish post offices
Build Army & Navy by asking states for troops

****All powers not listed were given to the states****




Obligations of the States
 Each
state agreed to:

Treat citizens of other states fairly
Surrender fugitives wanted in other states
Allow travel between states

States free to do whatever else they wanted


Weaknesses of the Articles

Congress could not tax to raise money



Had to borrow or ask states for $$$
Couldn’t raise $$$ to pay for Revolutionary War
Congress couldn’t regulate trade between states

States could use their own currency

Congress could not enforce their own laws

Congress = 1 vote per state (no matter how big or
small)

No Executive branch = no power to enforce laws

States could ignore laws that they did not care for
Weaknesses of the Articles
9
out of 13 states had to agree to pass a law
 ALL
13 States had to agree to Amend
(change) the Articles

No national court system existed

Shays Rebellion (1787) – Armed attack by
farmers/former soldiers on Federal weapons
arsenal

Stopped quickly, but prime example of problems the
U.S. faced under the Articles
Quick Quiz…..
Solving the Problems

Summer of 1787: 12 of 13 States (except Rhode
Island) sent delegates to convention in
Philadelphia

Original goal was to meet and amend Articles of
Confederation to give national govt more power


55 men, G. Washington, Ben Franklin, James Madison
As summer progressed, agreed to eliminate
Articles of Confed. and draft a new Constitution

Constitution: American governing document
The Virginia Plan
Representation
 Bicameral Legislative Branch/Congress : How
many reps each state gets in the House of
Representatives and Senate based on
population
 Structure
3


branches: Legislative, Executive, Judicial
Congress would choose the Executive and Court
Gave power to a true national government
Virginia Plan (Cont)
Powers of the Government
 Congress keeps powers from the Articles
of Confederation, but also…
1.
2.
Veto State laws interfering with National Laws, by
force if necessary
Admit new states to the Union
The New Jersey Plan
 Representation

Unicameral Congress, one vote per state
 Structure




Legislature: Unicameral Congress
One vote per state similar to the Articles of
Confederation
Plural Executive (think several Presidents)
Single Supreme Court
The New Jersey Plan (Cont)
 Powers



Similar to those in the Articles of Confederation
Limited power to tax
Limited power to regulate trade between States
 Small

of Congress
States
Same voting power as large states since each state
receives the same amount of votes
The Connecticut Compromise

Suggested by Connecticut
 What



parts of the Virginia Plan did it use?
Congress would be Bicameral
House of Representatives based on population
Federal Government is superior to the states
 What
parts of the New Jersey Plan did it
use?

Each state equally represented in the SENATE (2
per state)
The Three-Fifths Compromise
Representation


Should House of Representatives be based on population,
including slaves?
Northerners said no, African Americans made up 25-45% of
Southern population.
Slaves counted for…

"all other persons" in the country are worth 3/5 of a vote
toward population (could also be taxed by Federal
Government)
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Limits on Congress

Banned from TAXING EXPORTS (tobacco, etc…) & said
that Congress could not make laws about Slave Trade for 20
years
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Limits on Congress

Banned from touched Slave Trade for 20 years
• Importing of Slaves into the Country
Should the new Constitution be ratified or not…
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists




Supported ratifying the
Constitution

Did not support the Constitution

Said Constitution needed Bill of
Rights

Feared states would lose power
= return of a king

Feared taxing power of Federal
Govt

Said U.S. was too big for a
federal govt (republic) to control
Bill of rights not necessary, not
possible to list all of people’s
rights
Believed power was divided up
so that nobody could gain too
much power
Said that size of U.S. meant that
no one faction (group with
common ideas) could take power

Government would have to rule
by force to make all people obey
Federalists
Anti – Federalists
James Madison
Patrick Henry
Alexander Hamilton
John Hancock