Cornwallis’ Surrender at Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:Yorktown:

Painted by John Trumbull, 1797

““The World Turned Upside The World Turned Upside Down!” Down!”

The AftermathThe Aftermath

• Treaty of ParisTreaty of Paris

– Brits acknowledge Amer IndepBrits acknowledge Amer Indep

– New borders:New borders:

• S: FloridaS: Florida

• W: Miss RW: Miss R

• N: CanadaN: Canada

– Amers agreed to protect Amers agreed to protect Loyalists property and British Loyalists property and British creditors.creditors.

North America After theNorth America After theTreaty of Paris, 1783Treaty of Paris, 1783

What is a Republic?What is a Republic?

• A gov’t in which citizens rule A gov’t in which citizens rule through elected officialsthrough elected officials

• Why choose this over a direct Why choose this over a direct democracy?democracy?– Concern over too much power in Concern over too much power in

the hands of an uneducated peoplethe hands of an uneducated people

• Two thoughts on republicanism:Two thoughts on republicanism:– Place the nation above the selfPlace the nation above the self– self-interest will benefit the wholeself-interest will benefit the whole

State ConstitutionsState Constitutions

Most had strong governors with veto power.

Most had bicameral legislatures.

Property required for voting.

Some had universal white male suffrage.

Most had bills of rights.

Many had a continuation of state-established religions while others disestablished religion.

ConfederationConfederation

• Confederation: loose Confederation: loose agreementagreement

–League of friendshipLeague of friendship

• Allowed the states to Allowed the states to maintain their power BUT maintain their power BUT share some power with a share some power with a national gov’tnational gov’t

Articles of ConfederationArticles of Confederation

• New gov’t system with shared New gov’t system with shared powers between states and powers between states and national gov’tnational gov’t– One-house legislature with one vote per One-house legislature with one vote per

statestate– National gov’t primarily deal with its National gov’t primarily deal with its

debt and foreign relationsdebt and foreign relations

Powers of the National GovPowers of the National Gov

• Declare warDeclare war

• Make peaceMake peace

• Sign treatiesSign treaties

• Borrow moneyBorrow money

• Set standards for coins, weights, Set standards for coins, weights, measuresmeasures

• Est post officeEst post office

• Deal with NA’sDeal with NA’s

Powers denied to the Nat GovPowers denied to the Nat Gov

• No Separate executive deptNo Separate executive dept

• No national court system to No national court system to interpret lawsinterpret laws

Weaknesses of theWeaknesses of theArticles of Articles of

ConfederationConfederationPolitical:

No president

Too hard to pass laws

No court system

Economic:

No power to collect taxes

No power to regulate trade

No power to coin money

Weaknesses of theWeaknesses of theArticles of Articles of

ConfederationConfederationForeign relations problems

American gov’t could not repay its debts and would not compensate loyalists for property destruction

Debt problemsDebt problems

• Why did the gov’t seize farms?Why did the gov’t seize farms?

–States raised taxes to pay States raised taxes to pay off creditorsoff creditors

– farmers could not pay farmers could not pay taxestaxes

–farmers in farmers in debtdebt get sued get sued and lose landand lose land

Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-77

Uprising led by Daniel Shays in Western Mass.

Small farmers angered by crushing debts, taxes, and lost land.

Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-77

Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-77

There could be no stronger evidence of the want of energy in our governments than these disorders.

-- George Washington-- George Washington

Settling Western Settling Western LandLand

Indian Land Cessions:Indian Land Cessions:1768-17991768-1799

Disputed Territorial ClaimsDisputed Territorial ClaimsBetween Spain & the U. S.:Between Spain & the U. S.:

1783-17961783-1796

State Claims to Western State Claims to Western LandsLands

The United States in The United States in 17871787

Northwest Ordinance of Northwest Ordinance of 17871787

One of the major accomplishments of the Confederation Congress!

Statehood achievd in three stages:

1. Congress appointed 3 judges & a governor to govern the territory.

2. When population reached 5,000 adult male landowners elect territorial legislature.

3. When population reached 60,000 elect delegates to a state constitutional convention.

Land Ordinance of 1785Land Ordinance of 1785

Creation of a system for surveying land in order for the gov’t to sell it.

Remember Shays’ Remember Shays’ Rebellion?Rebellion?

What was it evidence of?

Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-77

There could be no stronger evidence of the want of energy in our governments than these disorders.

-- George Washington-- George Washington

Annapolis Convention Annapolis Convention (1786)(1786)

12 reps from 5 statesmeet to talk about trade problems.

Realized that delegates needed to meet in Philadelphia to discuss the whole sorry mess.