ush quiz shays reb, forming a new nation

THE BEGINNINGS OF A NEW NATION

• As early as 1775, British rule had become ineffective in many of the colonies

• By 1777 nearly all colonies had state constitutions

• States realized that they needed a central government

  • Main goal was to prevent a tyranny

  • New nation would be a republic - a country in which the people choose representatives to govern them. 

  • Disagreed about who should control the Northwest Territory - lands west of the Appalachians

  • Disagreed about whether each state should have one vote or if voting should be based on populations

The Articles of Confederation

• In November 1777, the Continental Congress wrote their first plan for government in a document titled The Articles of Confederation

  • Each state was independent and had its own government

  • Each state sent representatives to the “Congress of the Confederation”

  • Congress was the only central government; there was no president

  • In Congress, each state got one vote

  • Congress would not levy taxes; each state would levy taxes

The Articles of Confederation (cont’d)

• Strengths of the Articles of Confederation 

  • The Land Ordinance of 1785 - law that established a plan for surveying, selling, and settling the land

    • Remember: Congress had no power to tax the inhabitants of the US

    • Goals: to raise money through the sale of land, pay off war debts, and organize new territories gained under the Treaty of Paris of 1783

  • The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 - law that addressed political needs; set a procedure for dividing land into territories; set requirements for the admission of new states

The Articles of Confederation (cont’d)

• Strengths of the Articles of Confederation (cont’d)  

  • States got to keep their power and independence

    • States could set taxes, enforce natural laws, and be in control of lands west of the Appalachian Mountains

    • No central government could tell the states what to do 

  • Congress had limited powers

    • Congress could create a military to protect all the states, wage war, make peace, sign treaties

The Articles of Confederation (cont’d)

• Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation 

  • Native Americans were not considered in land ordinances

  • Congress had no way to enforce its laws, which meant that states could ignore laws

  • Congress did not have the power to collect taxes to pay for the military

  • The Articles of Confederation could only be changed if all states agreed

  • Faced challenges with other nations: 

    • Britain prevented American-owned ships from entering British waters in the Caribbean

    • Spain refused to allow Americans to use the Mississippi River or to deposit goods in New Orleans (port city)

    • Spain and Congress argued over boundary of Florida

  • With American trade weakened, the nation was facing an economic crisis

    • Congress did not have the power to levy taxes

    • Paper money was useless; no gold or silver to make coins

    • Each state started making their own money

  • The Articles of Confederation caused conflicts between the states because there was no strong central government

    • States had different needs (fishing vs growing crops)

    • States had different sizes (population)

    • States had different opinions on a strong central government

Shays’ Rebellion

• Farmers suffered from a shortage of money

• In Massachusetts, judges ordered farmers to sell land and livestock to pay of debts

• Between August 1786 - February 1787, Daniel Shays and his “Army” (about 1,200 of his followers) closed down courthouses and attempted to seize weapons from the Springfield, MA, arsenal 

• Local militiamen were sent to restore order

• Caused Congress to consider the situation of the United States, and a call was made for state delegates to meet in May 1787

  • This event revealed the weakness of the Articles to provide military protection across state lines

CREATING THE CONSTITUTION

Constitutional Convention

• Lasted from May 14, 1787-September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia, PA

• Delegates decided not to revise the Articles of Confederation, but to create a new plan

• 55 delegates who are called the Founding Fathers 

  • No Native Americans, African Americans, or women

  • Thomas Jefferson and John Adams unable to attend

    • Ministers to France and Great Britain at the time

  • Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Patrick Henry did not attend

Constitutional Convention (cont’d)

• James Madison

  • Took detailed notes about what happened during the constitutional convention

  • Researched the histories of other confederacies that failed 

  • Realized that without a strong central government, states focused too much on their individual interests and not enough on the common good

  • Wrote the Virginia Plan - power was shared between the central government and the states; each state’s vote based on state’s population or wealth 

    • 3 Branches of government - executive, legislative, and judicial

    • Checks and balances - no one branch is stronger than the others