Creating a New Nation

1. Creating a New Nation Articles of Confederation

2. Become 1 country or 13 little countries? • Why not unify? • Strong loyalty to the individual states • Individual governments • Communication • Not economically interdependent • Traded more with England than with each other • Why unify? • Common language, culture • No tradition of hostility to each other • Had a common effort to beat England

3. State Constitutions • Continental Congress in 1776 called upon the states to draft new state constitutions where authority rests with the people • Theory of Republicanism • Most of these constitutions had: • Bill of Rights • Annual elections of legislatures • Weak executive and judicial branches • Still need a central government to work with the states

4. Articles of Confederation • First framework for US government • Established a Confederation- loose alliance of states with a weak central gov’t and strong state gov’ts • State gov’ts were supreme and national gov’t existed with Congress only

6. What it did: • Each state had 1 vote in Congress • Gave Congress the power to: • declare war • make peace • sign treaties • borrow money • set standards for coins • establish a postal service • deal with Native Americans

7. What it didn’t do • Did not create a separate executive department to carry out and enforce the acts of Congress • No national court system to interpret the meaning of laws • Could not collect taxes • All other powers belonged to individual states

8. Conflicts over Western Land • By 1779, 12 states agreed to accept the new gov’t (all but Maryland) • MD feared that states with land claims west of the Appalachian Mtns would overpower smaller states and refused to ratify (accept). • Extra land forfeited to national gov’t • Jefferson comes up with 2 land plans

10. Land Ordinance of 1785 • Established a procedure for surveying the land • Established a grid system • Divided land into townships of 36 square miles, then divided into 36 sections of 1 square mile • One section set aside for public education

11. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 • Established a procedure for dividing the land into 5 territories: • Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin • Established a system for those territories to become states • Territory could apply for statehood when population reached 60,000 • Banned slavery from Northwest Territory • SIG: Western Lands- 1 of the few successes of AoC

12. Articles of Confederation Ratified! • Went into effect in March 1781 • Big question is, Will it work? • No! • 2 big problems show how Articles of Confederation cannot control the new country

13. Shays’ Rebellion • Winter 1786- Taxes very high, farmers can’t pay-losing their farms • Springfield, Massachusetts- Daniel Shays leads rebellion • Put down but scared people • Questions over whether the central gov’t can step in.

14. Interstate Commerce • Trade between states • New York was taxing New Jersey goods high • Virginia and Maryland were fighting over the Potomac River • Can central gov’t do anything?

15. Political Problems of the AoC • Lacked national unity- each state considered completely independent • Each state had 1 vote- regardless of population • 2/3 majority needed (9/13 states) to pass a law • Unanimous vote needed to amend • No executive branch to enforce laws • No court system to interpret the laws

16. Economic Problems • Huge debt from Revolutionary War owed to foreign nations (France) • Congress had no power to tax • Congress printed it’s own money- “Continentals”=worthless • No power to regulate interstate commerce

17. Foreign Policy Problems • With debts unpaid, GB refused to evacuate soldiers from forts around the Great Lakes • Congress had no power to regulate foreign trade • Spain closed the Mississippi River to American trade- hurt western farmers

18. Need to Revise • Decided to meet May 25, 1787 in Philadelphia • 55 delegates from 12 states (RI didn’t make it) • George Washington Elected chairman- no outsiders allowed • Decided to scrap the Articles of Confederation and begin anew

19. Creating a New Nation Constitutional Convention and Bill of Rights

20. Words of George Washington • “The consequences of.. [an] inefficient government are too obvious to be dwelt upon. Thirteen sovereignties pulling against each other, and all tugging at the federal head will soon bring ruin on the whole… Let us have [government] by which our lives, liberty, and property will be secured or let us know the worst at once.” • Need to revise Articles of Confederation

21. Constitutional Convention • Held in Philadelphia, May 1787- State House (Independence Hall) • Window shut tight to prevent eaves droppers • Purpose was to revise the Articles of Confederation • 12/13 States (all but Rhode Island) represented • Key Players: Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, James Madison

22. Key Conflicts and Compromises of the Convention:

23. Strong central gov’t v. strong state gov’ts • Strong Central: Authority from the people; central/national/federal government should have more power • Strong state: Authority derives from the state; States should remain stronger than nat’l gov’t. • Compromise: Federalism- divide power between the states and central gov’t

24. Federalism • Enumerated Powers (Federal): • Foreign Affairs • Providing national defense • Regulating trade between states (INTERstate commerce) • Coining money • Implied Powers: Article 1, Section 8- necessary and proper clause, aka the elastic clause • Congress can stretch the powers of federal gov’t whenever its necessary and proper • Reserved Powers (States) • Education • Marriage Laws • Regulating trade within the state (INTRAstate commerce)

25. Stop and Think! • How is this different from the Articles of Confederation?

26. Separation of Powers • 3 Branches of government created to protect against an abuse of power • Legislative Branch- makes laws • Congress • Executive Branch- enforces the laws • President, VP, Cabinet • Judicial Branch- interpret laws • Courts • Checks and Balances- in order to ensure that 1 branch doesn’t get too powerful, each branch “looks over the shoulder” of the others

27. Large States v. Small States • Deals with representation in Congress- how is it going to be determined? • Large States (VA PLAN)-James Madison • Congress should be split into 2 houses (bicameral) • Delegates assigned based on population • Small States (NJ PLAN)- William Patterson • 1 house for Congress (unicameral) • Each state gets 1 vote • Compromise: “The Great Compromise” • Bicameral Legislature • Senate (Upper House)- equal representation (2 per state) • House of Representatives (lower House)- based on population

28. Northern States v. Southern States • Dealing with how slaves should be counted in regards to population and taxes • North: slaves should not be counted for population but should be when levying taxes • South: slaves should be counted for population but should not be when levying taxes • Compromise: “3/5 Compromise” • Each slave counted 3/5 of a person for both taxation and representation

29. Southern Plantation Owners v. Northern Businessmen • Tariff: Tax imposed on goods (imported or exported • Northerners wanted tariffs to protect their industries from foreign competition • Southerners opposed b/c they felt it would hurt their trade • Compromise: tax imports not exports

30. Electing the President- Upper class v. lower class • Upper class people worry that lower class could out vote them in an election • Solution- Electoral College • Each state chooses a number of electors (# of Senators + # of Congressmen) • Electors cast presidential votes for the people

31. The Constitution • George Washington presided over the convention- didn’t really do much • James Madison- “Father of the Constitution”- kept detailed notes, authors plans, led debates • After 4 months the convention created a constitution with an amendment process • Needed 9 states to ratify- approve it • Issue is no “Bill of Rights”

32. Document • Consists of the Preamble: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense,promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” • Article I- Legislative Branch • Article II-Executive Branch • Article III- Judicial Branch • Article IV- Relations among states • Article V:Provisions for Amendments • Article VI:Public Debts, Supremacy of Nat’l Law, Oath • Article VII: Ratification of the Constitution

33. Ratifying the Constitution • Each state met to decide to ratify or not • Framers had an opportunity to campaign for ratification • People are unsure of whether the Constitution will protect their individual rights • Does not specifically do that

34. Federalists v. Anti-Federalists • Federalist- Supported new Constitution • Believed checks and balances would protect American’s rights • Believed a strong gov’t was needed • Support from urban area • Wrote the Federalist Papers- essays defending the Constitution AS IS • Anti-Federalists- did not support Constitution as is • Opposed strong central gov’t, felt the need for a Bill of Rights

35. Important Federalists and Anti-Federalists • Federalists- George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton • Anti-Federalists- Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson

36. Documents that influenced the Bill of Rights • Virginia Declaration of Rights ( George Mason) • Reiterated the notion that basic human rights should not be violated by governments • Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom • By Thomas Jefferson • Outlawed the established church- that is, the practice of government support for one favored church

37. Ratification of the Constitution • Virginia and New York refused to sign the new constitution • In September 1789 congress submitted 12 amendments • Key Person- James Madison • By December 1791, 10 had been passed

38. U.S. Bill of Rights First 10 Amendments to the Constitution

39. 1st Amendment • Religious and Political freedom • Press • Speech • Religion • Assembly • Petition

40. 2nd Amendment • Right to bear arms

41. 3rd Amendment • Freedom from quartering troops

42. 4th Amendment • Freedom against unreasonable search and seizure

43. 5th Amendment • Rights of the accused

44. 6th Amendment • Right to a speedy and public trial

45. 7th Amendment • Right to trial by jury

46. 8th Amendment • Limits on fines and punishments

47. 9th Amendment • Rights of the people

48. 10th Amendment • Power of the States and the people

49. Creating a New Nation Washington and Adams Administrations

50. A New Government • President: George Washington • Unanimous choice for the first president • Strong national leader • Hero of the Revolution • Encouraged nationalism- pride in one’s country • Washington created executive departments which became his first cabinet