The Critical Period 1781- 1787

1. The Critical Period 1781- 1787

2. 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

4. 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.

6. Northwest Territory Land Ordinance of 1785 – land to be sold to pay off debt Townships 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!

8. 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

9. 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

11. 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.

12. 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?

13. 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

14. 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.