Formation of United States Government: Articles of Confederation & State Constitutions

1. The United States 1781-1789

2. A. Articles of Confederation

3. Structure of the Government • Loose union of autonomous states • Unicameral Congress • Each state has 1 vote • Congress has the power to • Conduct Foreign Affairs • Declare War • Maintain Armed Forces • Raise Loans, Issue Credit, est. Coinage • Regulate Trade with Indians

4. Ratification • All 13 states must ratify for the Articles to go into effect • Maryland will not ratify because of Western land claims • 1781: 8 states w/ land claims cede the land to Congress • Articles finally ratified & go into effect

5. Strengths of the Articles of Confederation • States retained the majority of the power • Successfully won the Revolution & negotiated a peace • Won large amounts of land

6. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation • 9 of 13 votes to pass a law • 13 out of 13 to amend the Articles • Representatives were frequently absent • Could not tax • Could not raise an army • No executive or judicial branches

7. B. The State Constitutions

8. Local vs. National Identification • Americans did not see themselves as “Americans” • Identified themselves by their states • ex: Virginians or New Yorkers • Saw the country as “these” United States • Wanted the states to have the majority of the power

9. State Constitutions • Ideals of Republicanism • Most had strong governors with veto power • Most had bicameral legislatures • Established Judicial branches • Property required for voting • Some had universal white male suffrage • Most had bills of rights guaranteeing basic rights to all citizens

10. C. Achievements of the New Government

11. The United States in 1783

13. Established a system for the Northwest Territory to be surveyed and sold Land to be sold cheaply since gov’t needed $ The Land Ordinance of 1785

14. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 • Established how statehood could be achieved in the Northwest Territory • 3-5 states would be created • NO SLAVERY IN THIS TERRITORY • Things necessary for statehood: • When population reached 5,000 adult male landowners  elect territorial legislature. • When population reached 60,000  elect delegates to a state constitutional convention.

15. D. Problems for the New Government

16. Problems in the West • After the Revolution, Americans moved out west • Indian conflicts! • Squatters: no governments out west to buy land from • People just moved and took over land

17. British: still occupied forts in the Northwest • Would not leave until ALL British debts paid

18. Spanish: worried Americans were going to take their land Closed port of New Orleans effectively killing ALL trade west of Appalachian Mtns. Disputed Territorial ClaimsBetween Spain & the U. S.:1783-1796

19. The Economy • The U.S. owed $50 million to foreign nations • Over printing of money led to inflation, then a depression

20. Had a huge trade deficit with Britain Each state had it’s own solution Tariffs placed on each other States began to tax heavily to deal with problems

21. Shays’ Rebellion (1786-87) • Farmers in Western MA upset about taxes and increasing debt • They were losing land or were put into prison • Were owed a pension since most fought in the Revolution

22. Daniel Shays leads these men in a rebellion against MA government • Attack the courts of MA in Springfield • MA militia forced to act to put down rebellion • National gov’t unable to do anything

23. Problems between the States • States are fighting amongst themselves • Territory • Tariffs • Commerce • Money • National government is supposed to solve these problems, but the representatives only argue and 9 states never form a consensus

24. E. Fixing the Government

25. Annapolis Convention (1786) • Major problems under the Articles • Virginia called for a meeting to discuss fixing the problems • Meeting held in Annapolis, MD • Only 5 states showed up • NY, NJ, PA, DE, VA • Decided to meet again in May 1787 in Philadelphia