Post on 03-Jan-2016
transcript
SSUSH5
• A. Explain how weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and Daniel Shays’ Rebellion led to a call for a stronger central government.
What Were the Colonists afraid of?
- Strong Central Government (King)
- Taxes
- Judges controlled by a king
- Large standing armies
Main Points
• Legislative branch: Unicameral Congress – (single chamber)– One state, one vote, one representative
• No Execute branch, No President
• No Judicial branch, – states controlled the courts
• No federal court system
Congressional Powers
• Only those expressed in the Articles– Foreign affairs
• Makes treaties
– Defense• Declares War
– Prints Money, delivers mail
– The states had the rest
Weaknesses of the Articles
• Weak national government• Couldn’t levy taxes
– (they requested money from states)
• No regulation of trade• Couldn’t force anyone to obey the laws it
passed– …that was up to the states.
• Laws needed approval of 9 of the 13 states
Weaknesses of the Articles
• Votes of smaller states could block those of the larger states.
• 1 vote per state….no matter the size.
• Changing the Articles is difficult• 13 out of 13…..virtually impossible
• No executive branch• No court system• States have more power than Federal
Government
Achievements of Articles
• Established fair policy for development of land west of the Appalachians
• Peace Treaty with Great Britain in 1783
• Set up Foreign Affairs, War, and Treasury departments– Set precedent for creation of cabinet dept.’s
New Gov’t - What is it?• Articles of Confederation are first form of
U.S. constitution
- Articles split power between national body—Congress—and states
A New System of Government
• Congress passes Articles of Confederation in 1777; Articles go to states for approval
• By 1778 eight states ratify, or pass, Articles• Small states with no land west of Appalachians
refuse to sign
- want states with western lands to give land to Congress
• All states agree to turn over western lands by 1781; Articles ratified
The Northwest Ordinance
• Congress divides western land—Northwest Territory—for settlement
• Becomes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota
• Congress passes Northwest Ordinance in 1787- sets up process for territories to become states- establishes religious freedom, trial by jury;
outlaws slavery• Ordinance becomes blueprint for future territories
and states
National Gov’t Lacks Power
• Articles prohibit Congress from setting taxes; U.S. can’t pay war debt
• Congress cannot enforce laws or settle interstate trade problems
• U.S. has $42 million war debt; most owed to veterans
• Many soldiers receive Northwest Territory land as payment
• State taxes are high, citizens cannot pay; revolts in Massachusetts
Foreign-Relations Problems
• U.S. does not pay debts to British merchants or compensate Loyalists
• In retaliation, Britain refuses to evacuate forts on Great Lakes
• In 1784, Spain closes Mississippi River to American navigation
• Westerners unable to ship crops east through New Orleans
• Congress unable to resolve problems with foreign nations
Shay’s Article Questions
• How were veterans “rewarded” after the Revolution?
• Who were the regulators? How and Why did they use intimidation as a tactic?
• How did Shay’s Rebellion lead to a stronger central Government?
Shays’ Rebellion
• Daniel Shays—Massachusetts farmer, war veteran unable to pay taxes
• In January 1787 leads other angry farmers to seize guns in Springfield
• State troops stop rebellion; Congress lacks resources, power to help
• Congress calls meeting to revise Articles
Constitutional Convention - 1787
• Some want only to revise Articles; some hope to redesign government
• Goal is to balance individual rights with power of central government
• George Washington president of Convention• Discussions kept secret so all can speak freely• Democratic Republic:- democratic-government reflects people’s will -republic- representatives chosen by people to
govern
Compromises Resolve Disputes
• Balance of power between large, small states is greatest argument
• Under Articles, Congress has one house
• Decide Congress should be bicameral, or have two houses
- House of Representatives- votes based on state population
- Senate- same number of votes for each state
• Bicameral solution called Great Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise
• Great Compromise creates new issue of how to count people
• Southern states want slaves counted, but not taxed
• Northern states want slaves taxed but not counted
• Three-Fifths Compromise—counts five slaves as three people
- applies to taxation and Congressional representation
Other Compromises• Slavery creates new debate—Northern
states want it banned• South disagrees, especially South Carolina,
Georgia• Decide to reject Constitution if ban passes;
compromise reached- Congress will not ban importation of slaves
until 1808• Fourth compromise the Commerce Clause- allows Congress to collect taxes, control
interstate trade
Division of Powers
• Delegates divide power of national government into three branches:
- legislative branch makes laws
- judicial branch interprets laws
- executive branch enforces laws
• Each branch has power to check, or control, actions of other two
- called system of checks and balances
The Electoral College
• Voters in each state choose representatives called electors
• Number of state’s electors equal to number of Congress members
• Electors—in group called Electoral College—vote for president
Delegates Approve the Constitution
• Delegates sign Constitution after four months of debate
• Constitution now goes to state conventions for ratification
• Nine of 13 states must ratify to become law
Federalists and Anti-federalists
• People debate the Constitution prior to conventions
• Federalists—system in which state, national governments share power
• Antifederalists fear Constitution takes away state powers
- also want bill of rights to define rights of the people
• Constitution ratified by July 1788, but still need Virginia, New York
• - both states ratify on promise of bill of rights
The Bill of Rights
• James Madison writes the Bill of Rights; first act of new government
- protects citizens against government power- guarantees freedom of speech, religion, press;
trial by jury- does not limit rights not specifically mentioned in
Constitution- becomes first 10 amendments to the Constitution• Constitution sets up national government; states
govern themselves
Adoption of a Bill of Rights
• 1791, Bill of Rights, or first ten amendments, ratified by states
• First Amendment—freedom of religion, speech, press, politics
• Second, Third—right to bear arms, no quartering of soldiers
• Fourth through Eighth—fair treatment for persons accused of crimes
• Ninth—people’s rights not limited to those mentioned in Constitution
• Tenth—people, states have all rights not specifically assigned