Chapter 5Creating A Constitution (1781-1789)

The Achievements of the Confederation Congress

Passed in Congress in November 1777

Officially called the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

Features:

weak central government

met once a year

Could declare war, raise an army and negotiate treaties

WeaknessesNo power to tax

No executive branch

No federal courts

Can’t regulate trade between the states, but could negotiate trade treaties with other countries

Sold land west of the Appalachian Mtns to raise money to pay the war debt

Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance to govern the new territory

Weaknesses of the Country under the AOC

Problems with TradeSome states had duties on imported goods, others didn’t.

States set up customs posts on their borders

States taxed trade with one another

What were the potential issues with this?

Weaknesses Continued

Problems with Diplomacy/Foreign PolicyCentral gov can’t tax, so can’t force states to pay off war debt to France

Loyalist property supposed to be returned (Treaty of Paris terms)

Britain refuses to vacate forts and remove all troops

Spain won’t let Americans deposit their goods at New Orleans

Weaknesses Continued

Severe recessionStates issued bonds to borrow from wealthy citizens

Issued paper money to pay off the bonds

Leads to inflation

Shays’ Rebellion (1786)

Why are the farmers upset?

What did they do? What was the outcome?

Why is this a turning point?

Section 2: A New Constitution

What did nationalists support? How is this connected to Shays’ Rebellion?

Key nationalists included Washington, Franklin, Madison and Hamilton

Delegates sent to Philadelphia in 1787 to correct “such defects as may be discovered to exist” in the AOC.

The Articles of Confederation

I. Government under the Articles

A. The nation’s first govt had a single chamber Congress with limited powers.

B. Each state had one vote in Congress; there was no executive branch or national court system.

II: weaknesses of the Articles

A. Congress depended on the states for money. It couldn’t collect taxes, regulate trade or enforce laws (no $)

B. Amending the Articles had to be unanimous.

No executive branch; the central govt carried out its work through congressional committees.

State courts enforced and interpreted national laws (why is this a problem?)

II: Decisions and Compromises

A. The Virginia Plan

Featured a strong executive, national judiciary, two-house legislature (bicameral), in which the people choose the lower house and the upper house members are chosen by the members of the lower house. The VA Plan favored states with large populations. (why?)

B. The New Jersey Plan

Featured a weak executive made up of three people elected by Congress, a national judiciary with limited power, and a unicameral (one-house) legislature in which each state got one vote. This plan favored small states. (why?)

The Convention Continued

A. What were the key points of debate at the Convention?

1. Representation

2. Election of the executive

3. Slavery and commerce

B. How were these debates resolved?

1. The “Great” Compromise a.k.a. the Connecticut Compromise.

2. The Three-Fifths Compromise

3. Set up the electoral college to select the executive & a 4 year term.

III: Ratifying the Constitution

A. The delegates returned home to the job of getting the new constitution adopted. Why would some people have been opposed to the Constitution?

B. Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

The Federalists supported a strong national government (hence the name) to solve the problems the country faced under the weak AOC.

C.The Anti-federalists opposed the new document because. . .

Anti-Federalists’ Objections

1. The new constitution had been written in secret and without approval of the Congress or the state legislatures who sent delegates.

2. They thought the stronger national government came at the expense of the states.

3. They wanted a Bill of Rights added to prevent the new stronger central government from having too much power. Remember that most of the colonial/state constitutions had bills of rights

Do You know the Preamble?

Be sure you can say or write the Preamble word-for-word! You will have a test on this!

Do You Know Your Amendments?

Learn the Bill of Rights!

Know what’s in each amendment!

You will have to correctly identify the amendment and be able to correctly apply the information!