The Articles of Confederation
Section 1
State Constitutions
Each State drafted their own
Constitutions by 1777.
 These constitutions limited the power of
the government.


First state to replace governor with 12
council members
◦ Pennsylvania
How they limited Power

Divided Power
◦ Between governor and a legislature
Many set up a bicameral – two house
system to divide power further.
 This keeps power in the people’s hands.


All these legislators were popularly
elected.
Forming a Republic

They wanted a weak central government

They wanted to be small independent
countries

Only working together to wage war or
handle relationships with other countries.
New Government
The Articles of Confederation –adopted
in Nov. 1777.
 States – sovereignty, freedom and
independence
 Congress – conduct foreign affairs,
maintain armed forces, borrow money
and issue currency (money)
 Congress could not – regulate trade,
press citizens to join army, or impose
taxes

Cont…
No chief executive, business was handled
through congressional committees.
 How legislature worked

◦ Each state had 1 vote
◦ All states had to approve articles and all
amendments
◦ On March 1, 1781 the colonies became
known as the United States of America after
the articles were approved.
Cont…

Won their independence from Great
Britain

Expanded the foreign trade

Helped set up the settlements and
government of the western territories.
New Land Policies

How territories applied for statehood

Population had to reach the smallest states’
population at the time

Then they had to petition for statehood

This happened after western territories
control was handed over to the central
government
The Ordinance of 1785

This established a process
to survey and sell land
north of the Ohio River.

Divided into townships 6
miles by 6 miles then
divided into 36 sections.
Northwest Ordinance
Passed in 1787
 Area included land east of
the Mississippi River, north
of the Ohio River and West
of the Appalachian
Mountains
 Contained a bill of rights
 No slavery
 60,000 people to apply for
statehood

The Ordinance’s
Trouble occurs

Printed money – depreciated (dropped in
value)

Food prices rose and many were upset.

The debt from the Revolutionary War
became a huge problem.
Robert Morris’s Import Tax

1781 – Robert Morris was put in charge
to run the country’s finances
◦ Established a 5% sales tax on imported goods
◦ He wanted Congress to be in charge
 To levy taxes
 Rhode Island would not approve so the financial
crisis continued.
Great Britain



Spain
Kept forts in the Great
Lakes region
Trade problems prevented
with the West Indies
They were mad that
Loyalists did not get paid
for lost property during the
war.
Controlled Florida and
lands west of the
Mississippi River
 They closed the River to
the American settlers.
 An agreement was possible
but Southern states
blocked it from being
passed.

Problems
Convention and Compromise
Section 2
Articles

Wanted a stronger
government
Shay’s Rebellion




Pull the states out of the
depression
Money the government
collected went to paying
foreign debts



Farmers had trouble selling
products
State’s seized lands and
threw farmers in jail.
1786 – courts forced to
close to prevent losing land
1,000 men went to raid a
federal arsenal
4 men were killed during
the stand.
Changes need to be made
Slavery

1776 to 1786 – 11 states outlawed or
taxed the import of slaves
◦ South Carolina and Georgia did not
Quakers established an anti-slavery
movement
 By 1804 –Pennsylvania, Connecticut,
Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey
ended slavery.

Freed African Americans faced
Discrimination
 Being banned from public places
 Could not vote
 Children had to attend separate schools
 Attended their own churches and
established their own mutual-aid societies

The Constitutional Convention
James Madison and Alexander Hamilton
led the charge to change the Articles of
Confederation.
 When Washington decided to attend the
meeting it became more important.


They met in Philadelphia
Cont…

55 delegates attended

White males from the age of 80 to under
30 years old.

Women, Native Americans, African
Americans were not in attendance or
permitted to attend.
Important Members/Info
James Madison – Author (note taker)
 George Washington – Presided over the
meetings (chairman)

Each state only received 1 vote
 7 of the 13 states had to be in attendance
at the meeting
 Meetings were closed door

Virginia Plan

Strong National Government

2 house legislature
◦ Lower house – elected by the
people
◦ Upper house – chosen by
members of the lower house
◦ Members would be proportional
to the population of each state

Chief executive chosen by the
legislature

Court system
New Jersey Plan
One house legislature
 One vote for each state
 Congress could set taxes
and regulate trade
 Congress could elect a
weak executive branch of
more than one person

Possible Plans for Government
The Great Compromise


Roger Sherman’s suggestion
2 house legislature
◦ Lower House – House of
Representatives – based on
states population
◦ Upper House – Senate – 2
members per state
The Three-Fifths Compromise

How to count enslaved
people.
Argument

North – Slaves were property

South – wanted them counted
into population for more
representatives

To be counted only for taxes

Solution: A slave is to be
counted as 3/5 a person
The Compromise
Slave Trade

Northern states banned
slave trade

Southern states thought
slaves were essential to
their economies

They agreed Congress
would not interfere in the
slave trade.
Bill of Rights

Believed the new
government would abuse
its power

They believed it wasn’t
needed because the powers
were defined in the
Constitution.
Constitution Approved

September 17, 1787 it was signed

All delegates signed in Philadelphia

3 delegates refused to sign
◦ Elbridge Gerry
◦ Edmund Randolph
◦ George Mason

Only 9 of the 13 states needed to approve
the Constitution.
A New Plan of Government
Section 3
Roots of the Constitution
Framework for a strong central
government.
 Other governments were studied in the
process of building our government.

◦ Ancient Greece
◦ British
◦ Documents that influenced
 English Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights
 Enlightenment
John Locke
Baron de Montesquieu
English philosopher
 Belief – all people had
natural rights


◦ To include life, liberty and
property

He believed that
government was an
agreement between the
people and the ruler.
French philosopher
 Belief – powers of
government should be
separated and balanced
 He believed that it would
prevent any single person
or group from gaining too
much power.
Enlightenment Philosophers
Federal System

Powers divided between –
National and States
◦ National (Federal) – regulate
trade, control currency, raise
an army, and declare war
◦ State – regulate trade within
their borders, establish – local
government, schools, and set
laws for marriage and divorce.
◦ Both could set taxes and
administer criminal justice.
Supreme Law of the Land

The Constitution and laws

No state could make or
take actions against the
federal government.

Any argument between the
two would be settled in the
federal court system.
Ideas to the Constitution
Legislative Branch – Article 1

What makes up this branch?
Executive Branch – Article II

What makes up this branch?
◦ House of Representatives
◦ President
◦ Senate
◦ Vice President
◦ Powers of Congress
◦ Job
 Collecting taxes
 To carry out the laws and policies
 Coining money
 Regulating trade
 Commander and chief of the
armed forces
 Can declare war
 Foreign policy leader
 Raise and support armies
 Elected by the Electoral College
 Make all the laws in Government
New Government
Electoral College



Each state has their own
number of Electoral
College voters
Number = House of
Representative and Senate
members.
The member elected to the
office of President and Vice
President will serve a 4
year term.
Judicial Branch – Article III

What makes up this
branch?
◦ The Court System
◦ Job
 Hear cases involving the
Constitution
 Laws passed by Congress
 And disputes between states
System of Checks and Balances

Means no one branch can have more power
than the other.

Congress passes a bill – President can sign it
or veto it – Congress can override a veto by
2/3 of both houses

President appoints Supreme Court Justices –
Senate Approves the appointments – The
Court checks the constitutionality of laws
and the presidential acts.
Federalists


Anti-federalists
Supporters of the
Constitution

Opposed the Constitution

Argument – that a strong
national government would
take away liberties they
fought for in the war.

Supporters
Supporters
◦ George Washington
◦ Benjamin Franklin
◦ James Madison
◦ Alexander Hamilton
◦ John Jay
◦ Patrick Henry
Picking Sides
Protecting Rights

They wanted a Bill of Rights

The only way Antifederalists would support
the Constitution if they
provided a Bill of Rights to
protect individual
freedoms.
Adopting the Constitution

First state to approve
Delaware in 1787

Virginia or New York states
were key to making sure
the documents survival

Bill of Rights was added in
1791
Finally becoming a united
country