Founding a Nation 1783-1791

AMERICA UNDER THE CONFEDERATION

  • The Second Continental Congress served as the de facto government (1775-1781), creating the Continental Army, managing supplies, and conducting diplomacy.

THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

  • The first U.S. constitution, ratified in 1781, established a weak national government with limited powers.

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES ASSEMBLED

  • Structure: Only one branch (Congress).

  • Legislative requirements: A two-thirds majority for legislation; unanimous approval for amendments.

  • Limitations: No national court, could not levy taxes, or regulate interstate/international trade. Could declare war but not raise an army.

SUCCESSES UNDER THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

  • States managed internal affairs effectively, and economic issues post-Revolutionary War were largely resolved by 1785.

CONGRESS AND THE WEST

  • The U.S. acquired lands east of the Mississippi River via the Treaty of Paris (1783), leading to state claims.

LANDS CEDED TO THE CONGRESS BY THE STATES

  • Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Southern states ceded their western land claims to Congress between 1785 and 1802.

LAND ORDINANCE OF 1785

  • Facilitated western settlement: land sold in 640-acre lots for 1.001.00 per acre (cash), with one acre per township reserved for public education.

NORTHWEST ORDINANCE OF 1787

  • Divided the Northwest Territory into five territories (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan).

  • Requirements for statehood: 60,000 population.

  • Prohibited slavery north of the Ohio River.

THE CONFEDERATION WEAKNESSES

  • Structural deficiencies: Congress couldn't raise taxes, regulate commerce, or levy tariffs; relied on states for finances.

  • Strained foreign relations: British troops remained in the Northwest Territory, and pre-Revolution debts were unpaid.

  • Financial struggles: Devalued currency and inability to control trade.

SHAY’S REBELLION

  • Massachusetts farmers, unable to pay taxes in coin, faced foreclosures. Daniel Shays led an uprising which was quelled by the militia.

  • Significance: Highlighted the need for stronger national leadership.

A NEW CONSTITUTION

  • Concerns from figures like Washington, Hamilton, and Madison led to a meeting in Annapolis, then a larger Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

  • Convened May 7, 1787, to revise the Articles.

  • Key decisions: George Washington as President, James Madison as Secretary; all proceedings held in secret.

MAJOR PLANS PROPOSED
VIRGINIA PLAN

  • Proposed by James Madison: Three branches of government, two legislative houses based on state population/tax percentages, three-person executive.

NEW JERSEY PLAN

  • Proposed by James Patterson: Single legislative house with one vote per state, single executive, national judiciary.

COMPROMISE ACHIEVED

  • The Connecticut (Great) Compromise established a bicameral legislature:

    1. Lower House (House of Representatives): Proportional representation, elected by voters for two-year terms.

    2. Upper House (Senate): Two members per state chosen by state legislatures for six-year terms.

  • Also established a single executive (President) elected by Electoral College for four years, and a national judiciary with lifetime appointments.

FURTHER COMPROMISES

  • The Three-Fifth Compromise: Enslaved individuals counted as three-fifths of a person for representation and direct taxation, boosting Southern states' power.

THE CONSTITUTION

  • Principles: Supremacy of law, delegated/limited powers, separation of powers, republican government, political regularity, federal system.

SLAVERY AND THE CONSTITUTION

  • Though not using the term "slave," the Constitution acknowledged and permitted slavery, using terms like "others" to refer to enslaved people.

THE FINAL DOCUMENT

  • Established a stronger federal government capable of levying taxes, imposing tariffs, and regulating commerce. States handled internal affairs.

RATIFICATION

  • Required ratification by two-thirds of states (nine). Debate split into Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

  • Thomas Jefferson (Anti-Federalist) supported ratification after assurances of a Bill of Rights from Federalists like Hamilton, Madison, and Jay (who wrote the Federalist Papers).

  • New York's ratification, persuaded by the Federalist Papers, was crucial for national viability.