Chapter 7.1

13 Independent States

• Britain ignored the Treaty of Paris and kept troops at frontier posts in American territory

• Why? They believed the new American government was weak and ineffective.

State ConstitutionsConstitution: plan of government• Adopt a State Constitution• Connecticut and Rhode Island kept their

colonial charters• Their experience with British rule made

Americans cautious about placing too much power in the hands of one ruler

• Adopted constitutions limited power of the governor

Limiting Power• Most states established a

two-house or Bicameral legislature

• Wanted to keep the power in the hands of the people

Voting• State legislators were popularly

elected (Popular vote wins) and• Elections were held frequently (Vote

often)• Who can vote?–21 yr old white males who owned land–Some states allowed free African Americans to vote

The Legislative was the most powerful branch of government

Republic• They agreed the country should be a Republic: a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives•Weak central government• States act independently•Work together to wage war and handle relations with other nations

New Government•During the RevolutionThe 2nd Continental Congress met to write a plan for a central government• Articles of Confederation was adopted in November 1777

Articles of Confederation

• 1st Constitution• new central government Was WEAK - states gave up little of their power

What could the Congress do?Could:

–Conduct foreign affairs–Maintain armed forces–Borrow money–Issue currency

Could NOT:–Regulate trade–Force citizens to

join the army– Impose taxes

Under the new plan

• Each state had one vote in Congressregardless of population

All states had to approve the Articles as well as any amendments

On March 1, 1781, the Confederation formally became the government of the United States

– Add: No chief executive

Articles of ConfederationDid some good, not all bad

•Won independence• Expanded foreign trade• Helped settle and govern western areas

• Extend its national authority over the frontier and bring order to the territory• Thomas Jefferson’s plan divided

the western territories into self-governing districts• They could Petition, or apply to, Congress for statehood

New Land Polices

Ordinance - law• Established a procedure for

Surveying and selling the western lands north of the Ohio River• The new law divided this territory

into townships six miles long and six miles wide.Townships were further divided into 36 sections – section 16 reserved for schools

Ordinance of 1785

• Passed in 1787• Created a single Northwest

Territory out of lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River• Once the population reached

60,000 could petition for statehood• Once entered they would have the

same rights as the original 13 states• Stopped the spread of Slavery in

the west

Northwest Ordinance

1.Financial Problems

2.Problems with Britain

3.Problems with Spain

So Many Problems

• Money printed during the Revolution depreciated

-Depreciate: fall in value• No gold or silver to back the

money• Value of the money plummeted• Caused Riots

Financial Problems

• British troops still in America

• Never withdrew after Treaty of Paris

• British kept America out of the West Indies and other profitable British markets

Problems with Britain

• John Adams went to London to discuss the problems

• England angry because we never repaid the Loyalists

Problems with Britain

• Closed the lower Mississippi River to American shipping

• Western settlers depended on this for commerce

Problems with Spain

Many Americans began to agree the country needed a

stronger government