Experimenting with the
Confederation
Chapter 5 Section 1
Mr. Clifford
US 1
S
Americans Debate Republicanism
Republic or Democracy
S
REPUBLIC: government in which
citizens rule through their elected
representatives.
S
DEMOCRACY: government
directly by the people
Unity Through A Republic
S Americans favored a republic over a democracy
WHY????
S 18th Century Americans believed that a democracy (government
of the people), placed too much power in the hands of the
uneducated masses.
S Republicanism: government should be based on the consent of
the people led to two different philosophies:
John Dickinson
Empower Virtuous Leaders
S John Dickinson and many
others believed that the United
States should be governed by
‘virtuous people’.
S These people would determine
what was best for the nation,
states, and people.
S States should be governed by a
select few.
Adam Smith
Promote Freedom & Self Interest
S Adam Smith, philosopher
& economist believed that
a republic would benefit
from self-interest.
S A government that allows
independent states/people
to pursue their own
economic & political
interests will succeed!
State Constitutions
(similarities)
S Many state constitutions shared
certain similarities.
S Limiting the power of government
leaders
S Guaranteed specific rights for
citizens like:
S
S
S
freedom of speech
freedom of religion
freedom of press
State Constitutions emphasized LIBERTY rather than
EQUALITY.
States FEARED a STRONG CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
State Constitutions
(differences)
S Voting Rights
S African Americans
S Non-property owners
S Women
Political Precedents
S Continental Congress could not base
their new government on any previous
government institution.
S During the Middle Ages, Italian cities like Florence, Pisa,
Genoa, & Venice became ‘self governing’ city states.
S Republics & various democratic systems had existed in
Greece & Rome.
Ancient Roman Senate
Continental Congress Debates
Representation by
Population or State
S States were unequal in size, wealth, and population.
S Should delegates to a new government represent people of
states?
S Should each state elect the same number of representatives
regardless of population?
S Should states with large populations have more
representatives that states with small populations?
Representation in Congress
1 state = 1 delegate
Virginia= 1 delegate in
Congress
New Jersey= 1 delegate in
Congress
National vs. State Powers
S state governments & federal government
would share fundamental powers.
S States were supreme in some matters, while
the national government was supreme in
others.
National vs. State
Powers
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
STATE GOVERNMENT
power to declare war
power to tax its citizens
make peace
trade with states and foreign
nations
sign treaties
borrow money
establish a postal service
deal with Native Americans
govern Western Lands
Western
Lands
By 1781, the states
gave up their western
claims to the
Confederation
Congress and the
Articles of
Confederation went
into effect in March
1781.
Governing
Western Lands
Land Ordinance of
1785:
- Established a plan for
surveying the land
Northwest Ordinance
of 1787
- Provided a
procedure for
dividing the land
into territories.
- Set requirements
for admission of
new states.
The Confederation Encounters Problems
Political & Economic Problems
Problem 1: The United States lacked ‘national unity’.
o States functioned ‘independently by pursuing their own interests.
(SECTIONALISM)
Problem 2: Confederation Congress did not recognize the differences
in population among the states.
o Each state, regardless of population had only one vote in Congress.
 Population of Georgia: 25,000 & Massachusetts population: 270,000
The Confederation Encounters Problems
Political & Economic Problems
Problem 3: Articles could not be amended without the consent of all the
states.(13 out of 13) Nearly impossible to amend government.
Problem 4: Congress was in enormous debt which was amassed during the
Revolutionary War. ($160 million) Continental money was worthless.
Problem 5: Congress had no control over interstate or foreign trade. States
taxed each other and made alliances with foreign nations.
Borrowers vs. Lenders
WEALTHY CREDITORS
POOR BORROWERS
S
Creditors: After the Revolution,
wealthy people who lent money
to the states favored high taxes
so the state governments could
pay back their loan.
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Debtors: High taxes sent many
citizens (farmers) into debt. If
farmers couldn’t pay back their
loan the state would seize their
land and animals and sell them at
auction.
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Creditors wanted to keep the
supply of money low so that it
would keep its full value.
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Debtors wanted the state to print
more paper money to lessen its
value and enable them to pay off
their debts with cheap currency.
Foreign-Relations
Problems
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1.) Britain refused to evacuate its military forts on the Great
Lakes.
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2.) Spain’s presence on the western boarder of US posed a
threat to US western expansion. Spain eventually closed the
Mississippi River to American navigation. (This paralyzed
western farmers from shipping crops to markets in the east.
American citizens fear of giving the national government too
much power had resulted in a government that lacked power
to deal with the nation’s problems.
WEAKNESSES OF
THE
ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
S Congress could not enact and collect taxes
S Congress could not regulate interstate or foreign trade
S Each state had only one vote in Congress, regardless of population
S One out of 13 states needed to agree to pass any law
S Articles could be amended only if all states approved
S There was no executive branch to enforce laws of Congress
S There were 13 separate states that lacked national unity
S There was no national court system to settle legal disputes