New Country = New Gov’t
After Revolution, question lingering on
minds of Founding Fathers on what kind
of nation to build
Was it going to be a loose
confederation of largely independent
states?
Was it going to be a tight federation
with a national gov’t?
Second Continental Congress appointed
a committee of 13 to draft a
constitution for a confederated type of
government
Issues to be Resolved
Need to organize a nation and military
Maintain civil order
Establish international recognition and
credit
Defend territory against British
Resolve internal quarrels and
competition
New Country = New Gov’t
Final draft of Articles of Confederation
was approved by Second Continental
Congress in 1777 and was sent to
states for final ratification
The Articles were the unofficial
constitution of the states during most
of the Revolutionary War
Articles became the official
constitution of the states in 1781
All 13 states had to ratify the Articles
of Confederation
Critical Period (1781-1789)
Unity
Most Americans shared a common
English language and culture –
growing sense of one people
Single geographic unit
States had no tradition of hostility
or war against each other
Cooperation to win independence
Critical Period
Disunity
Divided by loyalties to individual
states
Lacked close contact – poor
transportation
Not interdependent economically
No longer faced common enemy
Wholesale
Price
Index:
1770-1789
Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist
Strongholds at the End of the War
Weaknesses of the
Articles of Confederation
A unicameral Congress
[9 of 13 votes to pass a law].
13 out of 13 to amend.
Representatives were
frequently absent.
Could not tax or raise armies.
No executive or judicial
branches.
State Constitutions
Republicanism.
Most had strong governors with veto
power.
Most had bicameral legislatures.
Property required for voting.
Some had universal white male
suffrage.
Most had a “bill of rights.”
Many had a continuation of stateestablished religions while others
disestablished religion.
Occupational Composition of
Several State Assemblies
in the 1780s
Indian Land Cessions:
1768-1799
Disputed Territorial Claims
Between Spain & the U. S.:
1783-1796
State Claims to Western Lands
Northwest Ordinance of 1785
The United States in 1787
American Exports, To & From
Britain: 1783-1789
Annapolis Convention (1786)
12 representatives from 5 states
[NY, NJ, PA, DE, VA]
GOAL  address barriers that
limited trade and commerce between
the states.
Not enough states were represented
to make any real progress.
Sent a report to the Congress to call
a meeting of all the states to meet
in Philadelphia to examine areas
broader than just trade and
commerce.
Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-1787
Daniel Shays
Western MA
Small farmers angered by crushing
debts and taxes.
Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-1787
Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-1787
There could be no
stronger evidence of
the want of energy in
our governments than
these disorders.
-- George Washington