Ch 7 New system of government

Questions facing the new country

At the conclusion of the American Revolution the 13 colonies were faced with the task of creating some form of government.

Where would they start? What form would it take? What role would individual states play? Would they have a central government? Who would lead the new government?

The Continental Congress asked States to form new governments and draft new constitutions that included many principles that they had fought to keep.

States were cautious not to place too much power in the hands of a single ruler

( Like the King)

How to Limit Power in the states

Power divided between Congress and the Governor

Bicameral legislatures to divide power further

Legislator elected by the people a. White males at least 21 years old

voted b. Property owners or tax payers

II. Federal Government

1. Most wanted a weak central government Why?

2. Keep the power in the states 3. Federal government would wage war

and deal with foreign nations

Republic – a government where citizens rule through elected officials

Articles of Confederation-plans for a new government

Articles of Confederation

Congress could Maintain an Army and

Navy Declare war and Make

Peace Make treaties and

alliances Borrow money Establish a post office

Congress Could not Levy taxes on states Prevent states from

issuing their own money

Elect a president Amend the article

without the consent of all 13 states

Congress could/ could not

Regulate Coinage manage affairs with

Native Americans

Require states provide money to run the Government

Regulate trade and commerce

Enforce a law in any state that did not accept that law

Other rules

A. Laws required a vote of 9 states to pass

B. Each state had one vote (regardless of population or size)

C. unanimous vote to change the articles

States give up their lands in the West to the Federal Government

No provisions for the sale of lands or addition of new states

The Land Ordinance of 1785

The Land Ordinance of 1785 was adopted by the United States Congress on May 20, 1785. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress did not have the power to raise revenue by direct taxation of the inhabitants of the United States. Therefore, the immediate goal of the ordinance was to raise money through the sale of land in the largely unmapped territory west of the original states acquired at the 1783 Treaty of Paris after the end of the Revolutionary War. Over three-fourths of the area of the continental United States ultimately came under the rectangular survey. This was important because it provided easily recognized land descriptions, which in turn contributed enormously to the orderly and largely peaceful occupation of the land. The rectangular survey also provided the units within which economic, political, and social development took place.

Land Ordinance of 1785

Townships – 6 miles square 36 sectionsSections – 1 square mile – 640 acresSell for not less than $1 per acreSection 16 reserved for schoolsMust buy at least 1 section

Seven Ranges

Northwest territory

Northwest ordinance 1787

Northwest ordinance 1787

1. Ruled by a governor and judges appointed by the Congress.

2. When this territory had 5,000 free male inhabitants of voting age, it was to be entitled to a legislature of two chambers, itself electing the lower house. In addition, it could at that time send a non-voting delegate to Congress.

Articles

Art 1. Freedom of religionArt 2. Writ of Habeus Corpus 4,5,6

amendment type rightsArt 3. encouraged education and fair

treatment of IndiansArt 4.Remain part of US confederation

admitted as an equal, equal taxation

Cont’

Art 5. Not less than 3 or more than 5 states Population of 60000 Write a constitution and apply for admission

Art 6. Prohibition of slavery

Significance

Arguably the single most important piece of legislation passed by members of the earlier Continental Congresses other than the Declaration of Independence, it established the precedent by which the United States would expand westward across North America by the admission of new State, rather than by the expansion of existing states.

More significance

Further, the banning of slavery in the territory had the effect of establishing the Ohio River as the boundary between free and slave territory in the region between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. This division helped set the stage for the balancing act between Free and slave states that was the basis of a critical political question in American politics in the 19th century until the Civil War.

Financial problems and problems with Foreign nations lead to the need for change

Depreciated dollars ( printing of money with no backing)

Government could not pay its debts without taxes

Robert Morris proposes import tax but since it required changing the Articles of Confederation all states would have to agree.

British do not remove troops from the west Spain closes Mississippi to trade