Articles of
Confederation to
Constitution:
We need to explain why
Founders wanted to
strengthen government
and how they proposed
doing so.
Symptoms of Articles Weakness:

I. H. Debt
 1.
States make war; war makes states; both make debt
 a.
Foreign debts
 b.
Internal debts
 i.
Bonds
 ii.
 c.
Soldier’s pay IOU’s
-
Newburgh Conspiracy 1783 - Gates
-
GW spectacles and land grants
Printed paper currency
 i.
Clash of currencies
 ii.
 Iii.
Rejection of taxes in New England
South had incurred fewer debts as they had
spent less on war (Compare to Mass.)
Symptoms of Articles Weakness, 2:

I. I. Foreign diplomatic and economic problems
 1. United Kingdom – pride hurt
 a.Maintained fortresses on US soil
 i. Pretext – States seizing loyalist prop.
 b. Economic problems
 i. Shortage of hard currency
 ii. Americans are Smithians in abstract terms
 - Cannot compete with British manufactures
 2. Spanish
 a. Disputes about border with Florida
 b. Closed off Mississippi
 c. West dependent on smuggling
Symptoms of Articles Weakness, 3:

I. I. Foreign diplomatic and economic problems
 3.British Caribbean markets dry up – imperial pressure
 4. Search for New Markets
 a. Spanish America, Caribbean, Mexico, and Peru
 i. Important into 1820s- Shortage of hard currency
 ii. Source of silver
 - Silver peso is default WORLD currency
 - Soon, American dollar will be pegged to
Mexican currency
 b. China and India are pursued as soon as 1780s
 i. Large New England merchant fleet and access to
Latin American coinage are keys to this access.
 c. US will enter Southern Europe and Mediterranean
 i. Barbary pirates
 ii. Opium trade
Symptoms of Articles Weakness, 4:

I. J. State problems
 a.
States agreed to give up western land claims to federal
government
 b.
States renege on this agreement
 c.
States disagree on latitude and therefore, extent of
claims.
 d.
States are also creating problems with foreign powers,
currency, debt, and Loyalist property
Symptoms of Articles Weakness, 5:

I. K. Shay’s Rebellion (Massachusetts Regulation)



1. MA banks and assembly begin to require payment of tax in hard currency (specie)

a. Remember those bonds and certificates?

a. Taxes used to pay national and state governments’ promises to fully redeem
bonds purchased by speculators.
2. Daniel Shays and others in MA, and greater New England call themselves regulators.

a. Legacy of protest

b. Where else have we heard this term?
3. Foreclosures due to failure to pay taxes

A. First, sheriffs dissuaded and courthouses closed by angry farmers/citizens.

B. Next, plan to seize Springfield armory

4. Rebellions not thwarted by underfunded national armies, but by local militias

5. Proves impotence of government to protect property


a. John Locke – What is relation of property and government?
6. Alarm of Alexander Hamilton, GW, but not Thomas Jefferson (TJ)
Creating a Stronger Government, 1:

II. Stronger Federal Government
 A.
Annapolis Convention (September 1786)
1.
Efforts to regulate interstate commerce
2.
Star discussion of threats of Shay’s
rebellions
3.
 B.
Poorly attended (5 states)
Convention in Philadelphia , May, 1787
1.
What do we do with Articles of
Confederation?
2.
Twelve states represented: 55 delegates

II. Stronger Federal Government, 2

C. New system needed, but how to ensure STATE representation (not
of people… see Shay’s)?



1. Virginia Plan proposed by James Madison and Randolph

a. Bicameral Legislature

b. Rep. by pop.

c. Big states favored
2. New Jersey Plan

a. Unicameral Legislature

b. All states have equal representation

c. Favors small states
3. ADOPTED – Connecticut Compromise

a. Bicameral Legislature

b. Upper house, by state; lower house, by population

c. Lower House (House of Reps.) would originate taxes

d. Big states not pleased, and smaller states not, either.

E. Protection of property foremost

II. Stronger Federal Government, 3

D. Legislatures alone inadequate, but still need checking of power



1. Executive introduced – Can pardon and veto legislature laws

a. Enforce laws

b. Commander-in-chief

c. Negotiator with foreign states

d. Agencies to execute laws.
2. New National Judiciary

a. Supreme Court to review laws, and execution of law

b. Subordinate courts to deal with local issues and national
law, adjudicated laws originating in:
3. Legislature – Can overturn vetoes and confirm judicial
appointments

a. Both houses pass laws, check president

b. Senate confirms appointments

c. Declares war

II. Creating a Stronger Government, 4:

E. States and National government share powers and have separate
responsibilities

1. National



a. Military and declare war

b. Postal system (First independent agency!)

c. Protect patents and set measures

d. Negotiator with foreign states

e. Agencies to execute laws.

F. Coin money
2. State powers

a. Create local govs.

b. Create schools (See land ordinances)

c. Regulations of commerce and charted companies (corporations)
3. Shared Powers

A. Justice systems, civil and criminal

B. taxes

C. Borrow, but not coin money

II. Creating a Stronger Government, 5:
 F.
“Property Rights” in the South
 1.
South wants greater representation than white
population
 a.
Do not want to pay taxes
 b.
Compromise: 3/5ths of slave population will
count for representation AND South has to pay
more taxes.
 2.
Lower South wants more slaves
 a.
Transatlantic slave trade preserved until
1808
 b.
“Fugitive property” must be returned
 3.
Slavery will be a bigger contention in formation
of party rhetoric than in drafting of Constitution
 A.
Stain

II. Creating a Stronger Government, 6:

G. Ratification
 1.
Logrolling
 a.
Worries about protection of people among reps. of
New England and Virginia lower orders (Shay’s)
 2.
State Legislatures do not want usurpation of role
(despotism)
 a.
Would not ratify (People, not states)
 b.
End-run: Special const. convention
 c.
9/13 votes necessary
 3.
Public Relations need to convince Americans of need for
Constitution
 a..
Federalist Papers – Mainly Hamilton and Madison, in
newspapers
 i.
Federalists vs. Antifederalists