US Articles of Confederation and Early State Constitutions: Key Concepts and Reforms

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States that created a weak national government and gave most power to the states

Year Articles were adopted

November 1777

When Articles went into effect

March 1, 1781

Type of government under the Articles

Confederation or "firm league of friendship"

Power of states under the Articles

States kept sovereignty, freedom, and independence

Voting rights in early America

White men age 21+ who owned property or paid taxes

African American voting rights

Some states allowed free African American men to vote

Most powerful branch of government

Legislative branch

Type of government Americans wanted

A republic

Early belief about states

States would act independently

First state constitutions adopted

May 1776

New York and Georgia constitutions

1777

Massachusetts constitution

1780

Connecticut and Rhode Island constitutions

Used colonial charters

Pennsylvania government structure

12-person elected council

Congress met in Philadelphia

May 10, 1775 - December 12, 1776

Congress met in Baltimore

December 20, 1776 - February 27, 1777

Capital in Washington, D.C.

November 17, 1800 - present

Main weakness of the Articles

Government was too weak

Tax power under the Articles

Congress could not collect taxes

Trade power under the Articles

Congress could not regulate foreign trade

Law enforcement under the Articles

Congress could not force states to obey laws

Amending the Articles

Required approval of all 13 states

Western land claims

States claimed land west of the Appalachians

Maryland's objection

Refused to ratify until land claims were given up

Land Ordinance of 1785

Set rules to survey and sell western land

Minimum land price (1785)

$1 per acre

Northwest Ordinance

Created process for territories to become states

Population needed for statehood

60,000 people

Rights in Northwest Ordinance

Freedom of religion and trial by jury

Slavery in Northwest Territory

Banned slavery

Importance of Northwest Ordinance

First attempt to limit slavery

Mississippi Territory

Allowed slavery

Land Act of 1800

Made land easier to buy

Land requirement (1800)

320 acres at $2 per acre

Cause of financial problems

Overprinting paper money

Value of Continental money

Became nearly worthless

1778 exchange rate

40 Continentals = 1 Spanish dollar

1781 exchange rate

146 Continentals = 1 Spanish dollar

How Congress paid soldiers

Borrowed money

Robert Morris's plan

5% tax to pay national debt

Spain's action in 1784

Closed lower Mississippi River

Effect of Spain's action

Limited American trade and expansion

Shays' Rebellion leader

Daniel Shays

Location of Shays' Rebellion

Massachusetts

Cause of Shays' Rebellion

High taxes and debt

What rebels did

Closed courts

Why Shays' Rebellion mattered

Showed government weakness

First antislavery society

Founded by Quakers in 1774

Pennsylvania slavery law

Gradual emancipation

States ending slavery gradually

Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey

Constitutional Convention began

May 1787

Number of delegates

55

Who was not represented

Women, Native Americans, African Americans

Oldest delegate

Benjamin Franklin

Convention leader

George Washington

Virginia Plan proposer

Edmund Randolph

Virginia Plan idea

Three branches, representation by population

New Jersey Plan proposer

William Paterson

New Jersey Plan idea

One-house legislature, equal representation

Great Compromise

Two-house Congress

Three-Fifths Compromise

5 enslaved people counted as 3 persons

Constitution signed

September 17, 1787

Delegates who refused to sign

Gerry, Randolph, Mason

States needed to ratify

9

First state to ratify

Delaware

Constitution ratified

June 21, 1788

supported the constitution

federalist

people the opposed the Constitution

Anti-federalist