Ch 3.1 Nation’s 1 st Gov’t

State Constitutions – May, 1776, 2 nd Continental Congress urges colonies to form state gov’ts – Each state had a legislature most were bicameral Members were chosen differently – Each had a governor Elected by legislature or the people Carried out the laws

– Each had judges & courts Decided what laws meant & how to apply them – Many were based on ideals in Declaration of Independence Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness – Most had a bill of rights Protected citizens – Trial by jury, protection of personal property Rights found in the Magna Carta & English Bill of Rights

Articles of Confederation (AOC) – 1 st constitution of the US – US needed a large army Had to fight British Individual states could not do that – Established a league of friendship among states – Created a one-house legislature Each state had one vote

– Control over army – Dealt with other countries – Powers very limited No real power to enforce laws No real power to collect taxes – Remember how the royal gov’t treated them

– Accomplishments Ordinance of 1785 – Created a system of land surveying – Divided areas into townships – 1 st only applied to Northwest Territory » OH, IL, IN, MI, WI – System still used today Northwest Ordinance – Most significant achievement of congress – Set rules for governing territories – Created process for them to become states

– Weaknesses No power to collect taxes No power to regulate trade No power to enforce it’s laws No single leader No national court system Required 9 of 13 states to pass laws Required all 13 states to change the AOC – Strict requirements made it hard to get anything done

– Crisis Debt – War left country in debt » Could not collect taxes » Had to borrow money – States had debt » Taxed citizens heavily » Taxed trade between states Hurt economy Forced farmers out of business Many people resented the gov’t Seemed much like the one that just got rid of

Shays’s Rebellion – Daniel Shays fell into debt due to high state taxes – MA court was going to take his farm for payment – Shays and 1200 farmers attacked a federal arsenal – Wake up call » Fed gov’t could do nothing – May 1787, 55 delegates from 12 states arrived in Philadelphia to fix the AOC