Chapter 7: A More Perfect Union Section 1: The Articles of Confederation

From Independent States to Republic • State Constitutions – By 1780, each state had its own constitution – All limited power of government

• Limiting Power – Elections gave the people control – Divided government functions – Bicameral Legislatures • Two houses to separate powers

Forming a Republic • Organizing power – Most wanted weak central government • Each state operates independently like small countries • Only working together to wage war and deal with other nations

Planning a New Government • 2nd Continental Congress • Articles of Confederation – America’s first constitution • “League of Friendship” • States kept most power • Congress could not raise taxes, control trade, or force citizens to join the army

– March 1, 1781 • Approved by all states and became U.S. Government

The Confederation Government • 1781 – 1789 – Critical time for the new republic – Articles of Confederation did not provide a strong enough government • Congress had little authority • 9 states had to agree to pass any law and all 13 had to agree to make changes to the Articles

New Land Policies • 1784 – Settlers move west – Congress divides lands west of Appalachians into self-governing districts – Districts could Petition to become a state • Population had to be at least equal to the smallest state in the current union

The Ordinance of 1785 • Divided territories North of the Ohio River – Created townships 6 miles long by 6 miles wide – Each township subdivided into 640 acre sections – Sections were sold at public auctions, starting at 1 dollar per acre

The Northwest Ordinance • 1787 – Created a single territory out of the lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi – This land split into smaller territories – Territories that had populations of at least 60,000 could petition for statehood

• Northwest Bill of Rights – Guaranteed settlers freedom of religion and trial by jury – Stated that “there shall be neither slavery or involuntary servitude in said territory” • First attempt to stop slavery in the United States

Trouble on Two Fronts • Financial Problems – Money printed during war depreciated – Congress and states printed new money • “Continentals” had no real value • Could not tax to pay debts

• Robert Morris - 1781 – Head of new Department of Finance – Proposed 5% on imported goods • 12 states approved • Rhode Island refused and situation became worse

Problems with Britain • British Troops – Continued to occupy American territories – Limited American merchants’ trade in West Indies

• John Adams – 1785 – Travels to London to discuss concerns – British claim Americans’ violated terms of the Treaty of Paris • States did not repay Loyalists for property taken from them during the war

Problems with Spain • Westward Expansion – Spain wanted to stop American expansion – Refused American access to lower Mississippi

• American/Spanish Agreement – Could not be reached because lower states refused – Government’s weakness made dealing with other nations difficult

Chapter 7: A More Perfect Union Section 2: Conventions and Compromise

A Call for Change • Post war depression troubles U.S. – Plantations damaged during war – Trade suffers from British restriction – Confederation government too weak to deal with nation’s problems – People call for change to the Articles of Confederation

Shays’s Rebellion • Farmers struggle – Difficult to pay debts and state taxes – State governments seized farmers’ land

• Daniel Shays – Former continental army captain – Led more than 1,000 Massachusetts farmers toward Springfield arsenal – Massachusetts militia killed four farmers – Uprising demonstrated the government’s failure to control unrest and prevent violence

Issue of Slavery • North and South Divide – Pennsylvania and North by 1804 • Eventually passed laws that gradually freed enslaved Africans • Free African Americans still faced discrimination

– States south of Pennsylvania • Relied on slave labor for plantation system • Some southern owners freed slaves after the war

The Constitutional Convention • May 1787-Proposed by Alexander Hamilton – Changes needed to be made to meet the adequate needs of the Union – G. Washington was not for convention until after Shays Rebellion – Washington’s and Benjamin Franklin’s participation gave the convention more credibility among the people

Convention (continued) • 55 delegates-all being white males • Many well educated – 26 had college degrees

• James Madison – Careful note-taking documenting – Earned him the title “Father of the Constitution”

• Gouverneur Morris wrote the final draft

Organization • George Washington – chosen to preside over the meetings.

• Each state would have one vote – A simple majority vote would win – Had to be at least 7 of 13 states present

• Not open to the public

The Virginia Plan • Called for a two- house legislature – Lower house elected by the people – Upper house elected by the lower house

• A chief executive chosen by the legislature • Would have a court system • Number of representatives is proportional to a states population – Small states opposed this plan

The New Jersey Plan • William Patterson’s alternative to Virginia Plan – One-house legislature – One vote for each state – Congress could set taxes and regulate trade – Designed to improve on the current Articles of the Confederation

Compromise Wins Out • The Great Compromise – Suggested by Roger Sherman to satisfy both large and small states – Lower House – House of Representatives • Number of seats depend on states population

– Upper House – The Senate • Each state would have 2 members regardless of population

• The Three-Fifths Compromise – Enslaved people would count for 3/5 of a person for taxes and House representation

Slave Trade • Southern States – Slavery essential to economy

• Northern States – Banned slavery in their states – Wanted to prohibit slavery nation-wide – To keep Southern states in the Union, agreed that Congress should not interfere with slave trade in South

Bill of Rights • Proposed by George Mason – Some delegates worried that the new government could abuse power – Most delegates believed constitution provided adequate protection of rights – Mason’s proposal was initially defeated

Approving the Constitution • September 17, 1787 – Delegates met to sign document – Elbridge Gerry, Edmund Randolph, and George Mason refused to sign – Approved draft sent to states for consideration – 9 of the 13 states had to approve for the new government to go into effect

Chapter 7: A More Perfect Union Section 3: A New Plan of Government

Roots of the Constitution • Studying History – Wanted to avoid mistakes made by past European civilizations – Used ideas from British Parliamentary system – Learned from experience in colonial and state assemblies

European Influences • The English Magna Carta (1215) – Limited kings power – Gave the elected parliament authority

• English Bill of Rights (1689) • Enlightenment Thinkers – John Locke – Baron de Montesquieu

The Federal System • Divided power between Nation and States • Federal Government – Regulate trade, control currency, raise an army, and declare war

• State Governments – Establish local governments and schools, and set marriage and divorce laws

• Shared Powers – Power to tax and handle criminal justice

The Supreme Law of the Land • Constitution – Became “supreme authority” – No state could make laws or take actions that went against the constitution

• Federal Courts – Settled any dispute between federal and state government based on the constitution

The New Government • Branches of Government – Article I – Creates Legislative Branch • Congress: Law-making Branch • House of Representative and Senate • Tax, print money, regulate trade, declare war and raise an army, and makes laws

– Article II – Establishes Executive Branch • Headed by President and V.P. • Carries out nations laws and handles foreign relations • Elected by Electoral College

Branches (cont.) • Branches of Government – Article III – Judicial Branch • Federal Court System: “Supreme Court” • Hear and rule on cases involving the constitution, laws passed by congress, and disputes between states

System of Checks and Balances • Built in by Framers to Balance Power – Each branch has ways to restrict other branches – No single branch can dominate – Examples • President can Veto a bill form congress, congress can vote to override presidential veto • Supreme Court can rule acts of Congress and the Executive branch unconstitutional

National Citizens • Federal Officials – Answer to the people rather than the states – Protected the personal freedoms of the people

• The World Watches – New American Government demonstrated that positive change could be made through discussion and choice, rather than by force

Debate and Adoption • Federalists and Anti-Federalists – Federalists • Supported the new Constitution • George Washington and Benjamin Franklin • Federalist Papers

– Anti-Federalists • Opposed the Constitution • Worried that central government would be too strong • Antifederalist Papers

Protecting Rights • Complaints About the Constitution – Did not include Bill of Rights – Many states would not ratify without one

Adopting the Constitution • Delaware approves first (Dec. 7, 1787) – By Jun. 2, 1788, 9 states had ratified

• Virginia and New York – Two largest states had not yet approved – Worried that it did not limit government enough – All remaining states finally approve by 1790, hoping for Amendments

• Bill of Rights added in 1791