The Critical Period 1781- 1787

The Good!A more egalitarian society

Many states reduced property requirements for voting Trade organizations flourished Inheritance laws upgraded to eliminate primogeniture The Anglican Church was de-Anglicanized - Protestant

Episcopal Church Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom by TJ outlawed the established church (Anglican) in Virginia Slavery challenged – abolitionist movement started• Large loyalists lands were taken & divided up

*Economic democracy came before political democracy Women republican motherhood – mothers would teach

their kids civic virtue – democracy depended on the public to do their part

Expansion of Democracy – New State Constitutions

Continental Congress asked states to draft new Constitutions State Constitutions increased republican virtues Massachusetts used a special convention & the people would ratify

the new constitution – became the basis for the national Constitutional

Created contracts Outlined the governments’ powers Authority from the people Bill of Rights - Why? Legislature had most of the power Weak executive & judicial branches

Why? State capitals move to the west is proof that what group of people

started to have more political power.

Northwest Territory

Land Ordinance of 1785 – land to be sold to pay off debtTownships of 6 sq,.miles with each to have school. It brought order to land ownership of the west. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Territories can b/c states with 60,000 people No slavery!

The Bad – Economic Problems

• Nonimportation agreements caused manufacturing to increase before the war

• Still mainly agricultural• No longer trading with Britain, but could trade

with all other nations• Inflation• High debt

Foreign Affairs

• Great Britain should complete disdain for America – Why?

• No ambassador• No trade with GB or its colonies in the West

Indies• GB still had trading posts on US Soil• Spain controlled entry to the Miss River &

Florida• France wanted its debt repayed and cut off trade

with its west indies islands• Pirate problems in North Africa

Articles of Confederation• Only one branch – legislative• 1 vote per state• ¾ of states needed to pass a bill• Unanimous for amending• Congress had no control over commerce• Congress could not tax, but they could ask the

ask the states for money• As bad as it was, it was important b/c it kept

the union of states together.

• Shay’s Rebellion– Farmers in Massachusetts upset

about new state taxes. Take up arms led by Daniel Shays. Tax collectors are attacked. Banks and courthouses are targeted to stop farm foreclosures.

– Massachusetts puts down the rebellion with its own militia

– Then Massachusetts repeals the taxes.

– Who should be running the government, the elected or the mob? Who knows what’s best for the country?

Constitutional ConventionSummer 1787

A. Causes• States passed tariffs on

commerce from other states

• States, on their own, made trade agreements with other countries

• States issued paper money causing inflation

Attendees• 55 delegates from 12 colonies – No RI• George Washington – President of the Convention• Very Conservative group – many of the liberal leaders of the

revolution (Jefferson, Adamses, Paine) are absent. Patrick Henry refused to go – “I smell a rat!”

• Not one delegate was from the poor or even lower middle class. • Concerned with the economy of the “nation”, not some much

with democracy, but they desperately wanted to safeguard the nation.

• To do that they knew they needed to make changes. Stronger national leadership was needed, and the “mob” would not be leading the country.

• Universal manhood suffrage was something to be feared.