Unit 3 | The Early Government USVA

Treaty of Paris 1783

Treaty of Paris 1783

• Ended Revolutionary War

• Affirmed US Independence

  • Main negotiators/writers = John Adams, Ben Franklin, John Jay

• —> Spain retaking lots of territory they lost after F/I War

Impact of War on Loyalists

Loyalists:

• Mob violence & laws prevented their return home after the war was over

• 90,000 became refugees

  • many moved to canada

• Loyalist slaves/NA’s fled

Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)

• Original constitution of US

• Drafted 1777 during Revolutionary War

• Created by John Dickinson of PA

Article 1

• Confederation = union of sovereign groups/states united for common action

• Sovereignty = ability of a state to govern itself

• Congress (legislative branch) = sole body of gov

  • Unicameral, presiding officer = leader of congress

Strengths of AOC

• make war/peace

• send/receive ambassadors

• make treaties

• borrow money

• build navy

• raise an army by ASKING STATES to send troops

• Appoint civil officers (ex: gov. job that is appointed and not elected)

• LAND ORDINANCES!!

  • Basically set up land for people to live on and for them to become states

Weaknesses of AOC

• No power to tax —> inflation

• Needed unanimous approval of all 13 states

• Tariff wars between states

  • States start imposing taxes on each other

  • US is such a new country so states must ensure they can sustain each other

• States create their own currencies

• Sovereignty = each state is eager to run their own affairs

• Foreign Powers are hesitant to deal with a new and weak government

• US owed DEBT to foreign countries during war

Tariff

Taxes on imported/foreign goods

Land Ordinance (1785)

• Cutting up land for people to life off of

  • Process where settlers could develop land in Midwest

  • Grid system - hundreds of townships, each 6 miles²

    • 1 acre = 1$ (expensive —> favored wealthy)

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

• Puts them on the path to statehood

  • System for creating towns/territories

  • BANNED slavese from NW territory

  • Guaranteed natural rights

  • Removed ~100k NAs from their land

Shays Rebellion (1786)

• Led to realizing they needed a stronger/new constitution

• State government has to fund federal government —> crazy taxing in MA —> angry citizens

• Government didn’t have enough money to fund an army

  • Random rich guy in MA has to fund an army to put down rebellion

  • Highlighted major weakness in AOC

Constitutional Convention (may-sept 1787)

• Delegates from all states (EXCEPT RI (declined)) meet in PA to discuss government + constitution

• Goal: reform AOC + restructure government

  • Almost unanimous agreement to allow interstate & international commerce regulation

  • “fix trade issues”

    • —> taxes on imported goods to fix trading issues & not having enough $ to fund federal army

Compromises/Results of Constitutional Convention

• Representation in Legislation

• Slavery & Representation

• Bill of Rights