The Confederation & the Constitution

1776-1790

State Constitutions• Features:

–Bill of rights–Annual elections–Weak executive & judicial–Strong legislative–Better representation for

western areas

1780’s Economy• Depression• National & state debts• No currency• Inflation• Loyalist holdings divided

Foreign Debt

$11,710,000

Federal Domestic Debt

$42,414,000

State Debt

$21,500,000

$80 Million$80 Million

We owed France, Spain and other countries who helped us with the Revolutionary

War.

US Govt. owed soldier’s for fighting in the war, debts to

British and Loyalists.

Individual states owed citizens who loaned money to their state.

• Manufacturing bolstered–Lost British markets–Gained new markets (Baltic

area/Asia)• Economic democracy came

before political democracy

• Britain–Navigation Laws remained–Frontier region problems

• Spain–Closed Mississippi River to US–Territory disputes in SW–Jay-Gardoqui Treaty (1786)

Foreign Policy Challenges

Jays

British were to remove their troops from US soil…..The National Government under the AOC was powerless to force Great Britain to honor the Treaty

of Paris, 1783

British forts on U.S. soil was threat

and a violation of

the Treaty of Paris, 1783

Disputed land claims with Spain

• France–Repayment of loans–Restricted trade with West

Indies• Mediterranean

–Sailors enslaved/kidnapped–Dey of Algiers

Ratifying the Articles• Adopted 1777• Western land claims delay

ratification• 1781: Land eventually

turned over to federal gov’t for creation of new states

Articles of Confederation• 13 states join to deal with

common problems• Congress was chief agency• No executive or judicial• One vote per state

• Bills - 2/3 vote• Amendments – unanimous• Intentionally weak• No power to regulate

commerce• No power to enforce taxes

• Vulnerable to challenges–Newburgh Conspiracy (1783)–PA Soldiers revolt (1783)

Government Structure• Congress – 1

branch• Confederation

Congress• No executive

branch or president

• No judicial system• One vote per state

regardless of size

State Responsibilitie

s• Obey Articles & acts

of Congress• Provide funds &

troops when “requested” by

Congress• States regulated own

trade & taxed each other

• States had their own currency

Powers of Congress• Make war &

peace• Make treaties• Build navy &

army• Settle disputes

among states• Set up monetary

system

Major Problem: Created a weak national gov’t that could not tax, regulate trade or enforce its laws because the states held more power than the National Government.

Land Laws• Land Ordinance of 1785

–Old Northwest sold to pay national debt

–Surveyed into townships•36 sq. mi. sections•16th for public schools

Plot #16 was set aside for public education

Public Land sold for $1.00 to $2.00 an acre = pay debt

Land Ordinance of 1785

• Northwest Ordinance of 1787–60,000 people = territories

could become state–Equal status with others–Ensures peace between East

& West–Forbade slavery in Old NW

Ohio

1ST STEP

WHEN PEOPLE FIRST SETTLE IN

THE AREA:

Congress appoints a governor and three judges to govern the

territory

2nd STEP

5,000 FREE ADULT MALES:

Landowners elect a congress to make laws

and raise taxes with approval of governor. 1 representative is elected to the US Congress who can debate but not vote.

3rd STEP60,000 SETTLERS:

Becomes a state, with its own government and

constitution. New states admitted with same rights as the original states. No

more than 5 states can carved out of this area.

The Northwest Ordinance encouraged ideals of the DOI and republicanism (representative democracy) religious freedom,

protection of liberty and property, encouraged education, admitted new states and no slavery.

Failures of Articles• No power to regulate

problems:–States: boundaries disputes,

tariffs, currency–Gov’t: debt, taxes

Major Problem

Could not tax, regulate trade or enforce its laws

because the states held more power than the National

Government.

Why?

Feared a government like

King George

• Shay’s Rebellion (1786)–Poor Massachusetts farmers

losing farms–Captain Daniel Shays led

march on several cities•Closed courthouses•Militia raised to put down

–Significance:•Propertied class feared that Revolution created a “mobocracy”

•Led to cries for stronger central gov’t

• Annapolis Convention (1786)–Purpose: improve interstate

commerce •5 states show up

–Results: Alexander Hamilton gained commitment to a constitutional convention the next year to overhaul the AOC

Constitutional Convention

• 12 of 13 states represented–55 delegates in May 1787–Conservative group

• Washington elected President

• Sessions held in secrecy• Purpose: “revise” Articles

Constitutional Convention

• James Madison–“Father of the

Constitution”–National

Principle–Separation of

Powers–“extended

republic”

• Scrap the Articles completely• Issue of Representation:

–Large-State Plan (Virginia)•Proportional representation•Bicameral Congress

–Small-State Plan (New Jersey)•Equal representation•Unicameral Congress

• Conflict threatened to end convention

• Great Compromise–Roger Sherman–House of Representatives–Senate–Tax bills come from House

CONGRESS

HOUSE OF REPESENTATIVES• Elected by the people

• Representatives based on population per state…..

• More population the more representatives you have

• 2 year term• Satisfied larger states

SENATE• Elected by each state’s

congress• Equal representatives

• 2 representatives per state• 6 year term

• Satisfied smaller states

• Great Compromise or Connecticut Compromise• New Jersey Plan• Virginia Plan

• People to elect their representatives.

• 2 houses of Congress• Bicameral

• Strong executive branch created–Commander-in-chief–Appoints officials and judges–Veto power–Elected by Electoral College

Historical Background 1. Why was the Electoral College created by the Framers?

Created as an alternative to either popular election or Congress electing the President.

Each state chose electors---based on the number of representatives each states has in Congress.

2. Electoral vote was state to state---each elector voted for two candidates…. One vote per candidate. Electors vote with the “will” of the people from the

state they represented…but not required. Candidate with the most votes became President;

runner-up became Vice President.3. In case of a tie, the House of Representatives elected the

President.

electoral college

• North-South Issues:–“Three-Fifths Compromise”

•Slaves count as 3/5 a person for representation in House

–Slave Trade to end in 1808

–Fugitive slaves could be reclaimed by southerners (“Fugitive Slave Law”)

–Commerce Compromise•Congress could tax imports but not exports

–Irony of North-South Issues:•South thought they would become dominant through pop.

•North thought slavery would die out

•Both wrong

Mason-Dixon Line

Slavery in the New Nation

Ohio River

• Separation of Powers–“checks & balances”–Executive = enforce the law–Legislative = make the law–Judicial = interpret the law–3 are separate (have different

powers) & co-equal –check and balance one another to

make sure one branch does not get to powerful

• Elastic Clause–“necessary and proper”–Gives broader power to

federal gov’t• Supremacy Clause

–“supreme law of the land”–Federal power above state

power

• Attempt to check “mob”–All delegates feared manhood-

suffrage democracy–Only House chosen by direct

vote• Only legitimate gov’t was one

based on consent of governed–“We the people…”

• No Bill of Rights because…–Hypocritical of southerners–States already had them–Very delicate agreement

already

Ratification Debate• Federalists vs. antifederalists

–Propertied groups vs. Poorer classes

Art. 5, 6, 7

A strong national gov’t over the states was needed to protect “life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness”

Constitution was a “sound” document which “limited” the power of the national gov’t

Gave it power to settle problems within the country

Representative democracy is what the constitution was built on and stated in the Preamble, “We the People”

Appealed to more the wealthy, business owners, and educated

Notables:• Alexander

Hamilton • George

Washington• Ben Franklin• John Adams

• James Madison

Federalists

Art. 5, 6, 7

The national gov’t was too powerful and it would take away your right to “life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness”

The constitution was a threat to the “rights” we fought for in the Revolution

States” should have more authority than the national gov’t

Feared representative democracy was threatened because our rights were not protected

Appealed to the common man, farmers, and less educated

Notables:• ThomasJefferson

• Patrick Henry • Sam Adams

Anti-Federalists

• Small states ratify quickly–DE, NJ, GA, CT

• PA first large state• MA wanted bill of rights• MD, SC, NH ratify next

• Last 4 ratify out of necessity:–Officially adopted June 21,

1788–Virginia did not want to be an

isolated state

–New York had to be convinced•Federalist Papers written by Hamilton, Jay & Madison

•Could not survive alone–NC & RI ratify after already

in effect• Essentially peaceful

transition of power

1. Delaware 30 – 02. Pennsylvania 46 – 233. New Jersey 38 – 04. Georgia 26 – 05. Connecticut 128 – 406. Massachusetts 187–1687. Maryland 63 – 118. South Carolina 149 – 739. New Hampshire 57 – 4710. Virginia 89 – 7911. New York 30 – 2712. North Carolina 194 – 7713. Rhode Island 34 - 22

A.O.C. DBQ• Read the DBQ prompt.

1. Brainstorm your ideas

2. Write a thesis

3. Read the docs and identify:•the main idea(s)•the significance or inferences