Formation of American Government: Articles of Confederation

1. Formation of American Government: Articles of Confederation

2. Bellwork: • Journal- If you were creating a new government, what are the five most important rules that you would include? List and explain.

3. Class work • Read pages 222-227 in your text book • Answer the 4 read to discover questions on page 222 • Define the 5 key terms on page 227. Also define the term Social Contract • Put in your NOTES section of your binder

4. Read to Discover • What ideas and documents shaped American beliefs about government? • How did state constitutions contribute to the development of representative government? • What powers did the central government have under the Articles of Confederation? • What did the Northwest Ordinance accomplish?

5. Read to Discover • What ideas and documents shaped American beliefs about government? • English Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, Enlightenment • How did state constitutions contribute to the development of representative government? • They all believed in the idea of representation and limited government power • What powers did the central government have under the Articles of Confederation? • Make coins/borrow money • Negotiate and make treaties • Settle conflicts between states • What did the Northwest Ordinance accomplish? • Helped to form a political system of the region north of the Ohio River • Created the Northwest Territory • Included present day Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin • Also created a system for bringing new states to the union

6. Define • Constitution • A set of basic principles that determines the powers and duties of a government. • Republicanism • Support for a system of representative government known as a republic. • limited government • A political principle which holds that government should be bound by laws that limit its power. • Suffrage • Voting Rights • Ratification • Formal approval • Social Contract • Agreement between the government and the people

7. Formation of American Government

8. Early Influences • English Influences • England limited the power of its king and queens in two documents • Magna Carta: “Great Charter” • Required king to follow the rule of law • English Bill of Rights • Kept the king or queen from passing new taxes or laws without Parliament’ approval • Enlightenment • People used reason to explain things logically • Belief in human goodness • John Locke- belief in social contract: the government had a duty to protect the people’s rights

9. During the Enlightenment, philosophers often discussed their ideas at elegant social gatherings. • How does the painting suggest the interest that the wealthy had in Enlightenment ideas?

10. State Constitutions • Constitution- set of basic principles and laws that state the powers and duties of the government • During/After the American Revolution, almost every colony wrote a new state constitution • Constitutions showed belief in republicanism • Republicanism- support for a system of gov’t called a republic, where citizens elect representatives • Limited Government- kept leaders from gaining too much power, all leaders have to obey the law and no one has total control.

11. State Constitutions Cont’d • Most state constitutions protected the individual rights of citizens • Some rights included • Trial by jury, freedom of the press, private ownership of property • Separation of church and state • Suffrage – voting rights • Varied from state to state

12. Articles of Confederation • For some colonial leaders, individual state governments were not enough • Other leaders feared that a central government would gain too much power, like in Britain • The Second Continental Congress appointed a Committee of Thirteen, one from each colony • This group was to create a national constitution • Met for a month and created the Articles of Confederation • Ratification – official approval

13. Under the Articles of Confederation • A new Confederation Congress would become the central national government • Each state would have one vote in the congress • No president or court system • Confederation had limited powers • Make coins/borrow money • Negotiate and make treaties • Settle conflicts between states • Could ASK for money and troops from states

14. Northwest Territory • Northwest Ordinance of 1787 • Helped to form a political system of the region north of the Ohio River • Created the Northwest Territory • Included present day Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin • Also created a system for bringing new states to the union • Also included a bill of rights • Required public education for all citizens of the region • Outlawed slavery in the territory

16. Bellwork • What makes a government weak? List as many things as possible.

17. Problems in the New Nation • Congress could do little to protect citizens against foreign threats • Could not force states to provide soldiers for an army • No controlled army = difficulty enforcing treaties • Britain and Spain took advantage of the weakness of the U.S.; didn’t follow all the rules and agreements

18. Economic Problems • U.S. faced problems with G.B. • Britain closed many of its ports to American ships • U.S. merchants had to pay high duties on U.S. exports • British goods flowed freely into the U.S. • British merchants could sell products cheaper than locally made goods • Loss of trade with the British shook the U.S. economy G.B. G.B. Goods for free! Good plus tax $ U.S. U.S.

19. Continental Congress could not fix the problem because they did not have the power to pass tariffs-taxes on imports/exports • If one state passed a tariff, British could sell to another state who didn’t have any • No strong government hurt the U.S. economically

20. Economic Problems at home • Interstate commerce – trade between states • Congress had no power to regulate this trade • Trade laws differed between states, made trade difficult • Printing Money • States printed their own money • In order to pay off debts after the Revolution, states printed large amounts of money, resulting in inflation • Inflation - increased prices for goods and services combined with the reduced value of money

21. Inflation continues • Debtors- people who owe money • Creditors- people who lend money • Depression- period of low economic activity combined with a rise in unemployment • Each state handled its problems differently • some refused to print paper $ • Some taxed land to raise money • When people could not pay the tax, courts began selling their property. • Some had to spend time in debtors’ prison • Some sold themselves as indentured servants

22. Shays’ Rebellion • September 1786, farmers in 3 Massachusetts counties began a revolt • Angry citizens w/pitchforks and other tools closed down courts in the western part of the state • With the courts shut down, no one’s property could be taken • Known as Shays’ Rebellion • Farmer and war veteran Daniel Shays was the main leader • At a later uprising , the rebels were eventually defeated and arrested • 14 leaders were sentenced to death • State freed most of the rebels, including Shays due to popular opinion

23. Results of the rebellion • The rebellion helped to reveal the weakness of the Confederation government • Drew attention to the Articles of Confederation- they weren’t working • The national government could offer little help to the states when they asked • Citizens were calling for a stronger central gov’t • Many felt a change was needed

24. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation • No President or court system • Could not FORCE the states to provide money or troops • Couldn’t create an army • Could not protect citizens from foreign threats • Difficult to enforce terms of international treaties