Experimenting with Confederation

Objectives  Define or Identify: Republic, Republicanism, Articles of Confederation, Confederation, Land Ordinance of 1785, Northwest Ordinance of 1787  Explain why the differences between the states caused problems of representation of the new government.  Compare and Contrast the differences and similarities of the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787

I. Americans Debate Republicanism  A. Colonies Become States  Each Colony began with it’s own government, while the Revolutionary War gave them a common goal, most colonies thought themselves independent of the other  The Challenge was the unite the states under a strong central government.  B. Unity Through a Republic  Most Americans believed that a direct democracy placed too much power in the hands of an uneducated people.  They decided to go with a Republic- A Government ruled through elected representatives.

 Republicanism: the idea that governments should be based on the consent of the people.  John Dickinson believed that the government would only succeed if people placed the good of the nation above personal interests  Adam Smith believed the Republic would benefit from Self- Interest. If people were able to do things for themselves, the whole nation would benefit.

 C. State Constitutions  Many State Constitutions had similar themes  Limited powers of government leaders  Specific Rights (Speech, Press, Religious freedoms)  State Constitutions emphasized liberty rather than equality and reflected a fear of centralized authority.  States varied widely on voting rights as well  Some said all white males could vote, some had property requirements  In NJ all free property owners were given the right to vote and neglected to specify men. So until 1807, NJ had given the right to vote to women.

 D. Political Precedents:  American’s justified their revolution with precedent s (previous examples).  They used Athens and Rome as examples.  Switzerland’s confederation  England’s short lived republic after the death of King Charles I.  None really could balance the concerns of state and local governments.

II. The Continental Congress Debates  A. Representation by Population or State?  Although states were equal as political entities, they were unequal in wealth, size and population.  For the time, the Continental Congress still gave the States each One Vote.  B. Supreme Power: Can It Be Divided?  Congress proposed a new type of government in a set of laws called the Articles of Confederation- One in which two levels of government shared fundamental powers.  State Governments were supreme in some matters while the Federal Government was supreme in others.  This new form of government was called a Confederation  The New National Government could make peace, declare war, sign treaties, borrow money, establish a post office, deal with Native Americans, etc. There was no separate executive branch to carry out the laws and no court system to interpret the meaning of the laws.

 C. Western Lands: Who Gets Them?  By 1779, 12 states agreed to accept the new government, but conflict over western lands delayed it for 2 years.  Some states had claims over the Appalachian Mountains, while states that did not have them feared that the other states would grow to overpower the smaller states.  Maryland refused to approve the Articles until all states turned over their western lands to the United States.

 D. Governing The Western Land:  The Congress now had to come up with an idea of how to govern these lands.  Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785, which surveyed the lands. Made the area into 36 sq mile townships  In the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Congress divided the lands into territories. It also set requirements of how to become a new state. There were three basic stages to becoming a state.

 1. Congress appointed a territorial governor and judges.  2. When the Territory had 5,000 voting residents they could write a temporary constitution and elect their own government  3. When the total population reached 60, 000 free inhabitants, the settlers constitution could then be approved by Congress and be granted statehood.

III. The Confederation Encounters Problems  A. Political and Economic Problems  Changes in Government were difficult to achieve.  Articles could not be amended without everyone’s vote.  A state of 20,000 people had the same power as those with 200,000.  The Confederation had to repay the war debt of the Revolutionary War and the Confederation lacked the power to tax.  Congress tried to approve a tariff on imported goods, but Rhode Island rejected the tax and it was not adopted.

 Borrowers vs. Lenders:  Wealthy people who lent money to the states favored high taxes to get paid back, but the farmers went into debt. Debtors wanted to increase paper money ot lessen the value of it while creditors wanted to keep the supply of the money low so they could keep its full value.

 C. Foreign Relations Problems:  Since the US could not repay its debts to British Merchants, Britain refused to evacuate their military bases.  Spain closed the Mississippi River to American trade. Northerners didn’t care, but Westerners and Southerners used the Mississippi River constantly.  The government was too weak to resolve the challenges between Britain and Spain.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation  Congress could not enact and collect taxes.  Congress could not regulate interstate or foreign trade.  Regardless of population each state got one vote in Congress  2/3 Majority (9 of 13 states) needed to agree to pass any law.  Articles could be amended only if all the states approved..  No executive branch to enforce laws of Congress  No National Court system to settle legal disputes  13 Separate States which lacked unity.