The Articles of
Confederation
- In 1776,
Continental
Congress asks
states to
organize their
own state
constitutions
- States divide
government
between a governor
and a bicameral
legislature = (2 parts)
(12 man council in PA)
Voting
= 21 year
old white,
male,
property
owners
(New Jersey; women landowners vote till 1800)
QUESTION:
Where /
with whom
should
power be
held?
ANSWER:
- Power with
people
- Republic =
citizens who
rule through
elected
representatives
Local, State, or Federal?
QUESTION:
What level
should hold
the most
power?
ANSWER:
-Most want
state level
power
- Concern is
having too
much National
power (King)
The Rebels needed a
government to help
fight the war so…
the Articles allow the
Federal Government to:
1) Conduct foreign affairs
2) Maintain Armed Forces
3) Issue Currency
Pennsylvania Money
Delaware Money
4) Borrow Money
THE ARTICLES CANNOT:
1) Regulate Trade
….. Didn’t like Navigation Acts
THE ARTICLES CANNOT:
2) Draft soldiers
THE ARTICLES CANNOT:
3) Impose Taxes
…. Didn’t like British Acts
THE ARTICLES CANNOT:
4) Have a President
… Don’t like having a King
Speed bumps to Approval!
Speed bumps to Approval!
a. All 13 states had
to approve them
Speed bumps to Approval!
b) Each state receives
one vote (major
Should Virginia get the
argument)
same number of
votes as Delaware?
Why or why not?
Speed bumps to Approval!
c) Rights to the western
lands are up for grabs
(Maryland)
Speed bumps to Approval!
-States stake
claim!! Then they
give it up!
Speed bumps to Approval!
- Finally Ratified
March 1, 1781 -
Articles have success!
1)It helped
the United
States
win the
Revolution
2) It
helped
the U. S.
plan the
west
(1780’s)
- Population west
of Appalachians
grows! (1,000’s to
100,000)
- Jefferson proposes
10 self governing
districts (petition to
join)
THE ORDINANCE OF 1785
Ordinance =
law (for
surveying,
selling land)
Townships - 6 mile by 6 miles
Sections –
640 acres
(36 total)
at least a
dollar
(cheap!!!)
-Government must
protect settlers
rights
The Northwest Ordinance July 13, 1787, in which this invention was
embodied, also consecrated the region to freedom both of conscience and
of labor. It provided the model for all subsequent territories. As a
political document, it ranks in our history second only to the
Constitution of the Untied States.
At Marietta, Ohio, on July 13, the government of the territory northwest
of the Ohio was formally inaugurated. Winthrop Sargent, secretary of the
territory, read the Northwest Ordinance to the New Englanders of the
Ohio Company, who, at the junction of the Muskingum and the Ohio, had
founded the first American City in the new region. Back of him in the
mural stands Governor Arthur St. Clair, the English army officer, who had
come to America to fight the French, and stayed here to fight against
the English for independence. Friend of Washington, soldier and statesman
of ability - in spite of his own defeat by Indians - his administration,
begun on the day represented by the mural, merits everlasting
remembrance.
The Northwest Ordinance -
Lands north of the Ohio River and
east of the Mississippi River
The Northwest
Ordinance - Wanted 3 to 5
smaller territories
- 60,000 people
= application for
statehood
THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY
The Ordinance of July 13, 1787 provided "...there shall be
formed in said territory, not less than three nor more than
five states..." The original boundaries were defined as:
Eastern State (numbers 1,2,3,4); Middle State (numbers
5,6,7,8,9) and Western State (numbers 10,11,12,13,14,15).
These divisions are marked by broken lines on the map.
Congress later decided to divide the Northwest Territory
into the states of Ohio (1803), Indiana (1816), Illinois (1818),
Michigan (1837), Wisconsin (1848) and Minnesota (1858); as
shown by the heavy solid lines on the map.
-New states have “equal
footing” with old
Wait….There
is good fur
trading out
there…. Why
not just use
that land to
trade, or tax
the valued
trade heavily
to pay off war
debts?
-Free religion,
trial by jury,
and NO
SLAVERY!!!
Even if the state was not
here during the revolution,
it will receive the same
treatment as those original
states. This map shows the
5 states that were created
out of the Northwest
Territory.
ARTICLES HAVE PROBLEMS!!!
1) 9 of 13 states
must approve to PASS
NEW LAWS in the
Articles
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina, Delaware and Virginia may all
want a law, but the 5 other states can stop them from getting it!
ARTICLES HAVE PROBLEMS!!!
2) 13 of 13 states
must approve to
CHANGE AN OLD LAW
in the Articles
For Rhode Island, the
Hope on the flag really
meant nope in this
case!
12 States can want a law CHANGED, one state (like R.I.) an stop it from happening! Change becomes a challenge!
3) FINANCIAL
ISSUES:
- Printed money falls
in value =
depreciation
- Congress prints $
with no backing
(gold or silver)
Imagine if everyone could print money…
would it be worth anything???
- Food Riots!!!!!
- States give 1/6 of the money
needed (Govt can’t tax)
-Robert Morris’ (PA) 5% Import tax shot down (RI won’t accept)
4) PROBLEMS WITH BRITAIN
- Britain won’t withdraw
troops in west
- George Rogers Clark keeps
fighting
- John Adams tries to discuss
this, Britain won’t talk
-Colonist have not paid
loyalists for land vacated
(T of P)
5) PROBLEMS WITH SPAIN
Spain closes lower Mississippi to America (1784)
5) PROBLEMS WITH SPAIN
- Spanish Florida / Georgia border is accepted in
return for limiting American shipping
6) ECONOMIC DEPRESSION
Depression =
economic activity slows,
unemployment rises
"Leaders of the Continental Congress" by Augustus
Tholey. From left to right, John Adams, Robert Morris,
Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson. As
weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation became
apparent, serious debate began on the benefits of a
stronger national government.
6) ECONOMIC DEPRESSION
- Trade slows (Britain closes West Indies to U.S.)