Bell Work: 9.25.15 What were some problems with the Articles of Confederation? How do you think these problems influenced our changes to our government?

The American Revolution Unit 3 The American Revolution Part 7 America Under the Articles of Confederation

The Treaty of Paris of 1783 granted new territory to the U. S The Treaty of Paris of 1783 granted new territory to the U.S. Thomas Jefferson proposed dividing this land into new states rather than have existing states claim it. Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1784, which stated land in the northwestern territory would be divided into new states; however, the law did not provide specifics.

The Land Ordinance of 1785 stated how the Northwest Territory would be divided. It also allowed the government to sell land there to raise revenue, some of which would be used for public education. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 specified how the Northwest Territory would be governed by the U.S. & stated how new territories would become states.

The Northwest Ordinance also guaranteed certain rights, such as freedom of religion, property rights, & trial by jury. Controversy arose over a clause in the Northwest Ordinance that excluded slavery from the new territories. This ensured that the U.S. would be divided into free Northern states and slaveholding Southern states.

What does this foreshadow? What future problems will this create? Why were they problems?

Following the war, England restricted U. S. access to British markets Following the war, England restricted U.S. access to British markets. Congress responded by negotiating trade agreements w/ other European nations. By 1790 U.S. foreign trade was greater than it had been before the war. The Northwest Ordinances & the foreign trade agreements were the only positive achievements of Congress under the Articles of Confederation.

The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government that struggled to address economic & foreign policy issues. The government had no power to force Americans who owed money to British lenders to repay it. In retaliation, Britain refused to remove troops from the Northwest Territory. Spain, which controlled Louisiana, closed the Mississippi River to American farmers. This left them no way transport crops for export.

The Industrial Revolution had begun in England The Industrial Revolution had begun in England. British products could be shipped & sold in the U.S. for less cost than products made in America, which drove American manufacturers out of business.

Brainstorm… With no enforcement agencies and the Mississippi closed, not to mention that British good were cheaper to buy than make, what do you think the colonists needed to do to improve their economy?

To counter this, individual states imposed customs duties, or tariffs, which are taxes on imports, on British goods but at different rates. States also placed duties on goods from other states which hurt the economy of the entire country. States coined their own money, either in gold or paper currency. Since some states were more financially stable than others, money from one state was not always accepted in another. This also helped cripple the economy.

1786 – Virginia invited delegates from each state to a conference in Annapolis. The goal was to reach an agreement on economic issues such as tax policies and tariffs. However, only 5 states sent delegates. Many feared the union was in danger of dissolving into 13 completely independent countries.

1786 – In order to pay off debts from the war, Massachusetts chose to raise taxes rather than issue paper money. Taxation was especially damaging to farmers who did not have gold, & many risked losing their farms. 1787 – Daniel Shays led a group of farmers in a rebellion. The Massachusetts militia was called out after Shays seized an arsenal. The resulting violence left 4 farmers dead & several wounded.

The collapse of the U. S. seemed imminent The collapse of the U.S. seemed imminent. In particular, wealthy property owners believed Shay’s Rebellion would lead to more revolts if economic issues were not addressed on a national level. There was also fear that the lower classes might seize political power & use it to take property from the wealthy, leading prominent Americans to begin calling for governmental reform.

“Free” Talk Game! Puzzled People JOBS: Person #1: Get the team tub from the back counter.

How to Play Each team will have ONE piece of paper for the group. On the paper, draw some image or quote to fill the entire paper. You have 5 minutes to do this. Use the highlighters and markers provided.

And then… Tear your paper into equal parts for each team member. Each part should have a large enough piece of the image or quote on it. You’re creating “puzzle pieces” to your image 1 minute!

Move. Get up and walk around the room while the music plays. When the music stops find the closest person near you that’s not from your HOME TEAM. Trade pieces of your puzzle. Repeat.

Wait what…? Now that you’re all mixed up. Re-create the different puzzles around the room! Hold your piece in the air so others can see and find similar people with your pieces to re-create that group’s puzzle! First team to finish wins extra credit!

Shay’s Rebellion Activity 9.28.15