Problems discovered under the AoC ISS Mon. Sept. 19, 2016

What do you recall about the AoC? What was it? When was it created? When did it become effective? Who was involved in it? What was its PURPOSE?

What did the AoC create that did not already exist?

What did the AoC create that did not already exist? What kind of relationship among the member States?

What did the AoC create that did not already exist? What kind of relationship among the member States? “a firm league of friendship” Meaning what?

What did the AoC create that did not already exist? “a firm league of friendship” (a strong alliance between the 13 independent States) What kind of governmental institution (place where power could be exercised) did it create?

What did the AoC create that did not already exist? “a firm league of friendship” (a strong alliance between the 13 independent States) What kind of governmental institution did it create?  ONLY a Congress (a legislative body)

ONLY a Congress (a legislative body)? Then what was missing at this level?

ONLY a Congress (a legislative body)? NO EXECUTIVE power – to carry out the laws passed by this Congress NO JUDICIAL power – to resolve conflicts over the laws passed by this Congress or to interpret those laws

WHO was supposed to do these jobs? EXECUTIVE power – to carry out the laws passed by this Congress JUDICIAL power – to resolve conflicts over the laws passed by this Congress or to interpret those laws

WHO was supposed to do these jobs? The 13 independent States… How well do you think that worked? Why?

Governing under the AoC (Congress) plus the 13 State governments WHO had what POWERS or authority to rule over different aspects of governing?

Governing under the AoC (Congress) plus the 13 State governments Who could…? pass laws? raise taxes? declare war and sustain a military force? engage in diplomacy with other countries? coin its own currency?  These are what we mean by POWERS of government!

Governing under the AoC (Congress) plus the 13 State governments Who could…? pass laws? Congress could. So could each State. States also had the power to carry out (or not) the laws passed by Congress. raise taxes? Congress could ASK States for funds, but not require them to donate. Each State could collect taxes from its citizens. declare war and sustain a military force? engage in diplomacy with other countries? coin its own currency?

Governing under the AoC (Congress) plus the 13 State governments Who could…? pass laws? Congress could. So could each State. raise taxes? Congress could ASK States for funds, but not require them to donate. Each State could collect taxes from its citizens. declare war and sustain a military force? Congress could in theory, but without any tax revenue, this was next to impossible. Each State could and did. engage in diplomacy with other countries? coin its own currency?

Governing under the AoC (Congress) plus the 13 State governments Who could…? pass laws? Congress could. So could each State. raise taxes? Congress could ASK States for funds, but not require them to donate. Each State could collect taxes from its citizens. declare war and sustain a military force? Congress could in theory, but without any tax revenue, this was next to impossible. Each State could and did. engage in diplomacy with other countries? coin its own currency? Congress could and did: Continental dollars. But they were seen as worthless. Each State had its own currency. This made it harder to trade across state lines.

So what does this say about the government created by the AoC?

the government created by the AoC? The AoC created a limited government (only “Congress”) that was too weak to function effectively. The State governments had all of the effective power. But if the States couldn’t agree with each other or couldn’t handle a crisis, then what?

What would happen without an effective central government? Conflict between states? Further attacks by outside enemies? Threats to individual rights? Anarchy?

Shays’ Rebellion In Massachusetts, in 1786: -- a series of conflicts between poor farmers and the state government which had raised taxes to pay off its war-related debts. -- The state gov’t responded to farmers’ protests by seizing their property and detaining them without a formal charge. This scared everyone into thinking that chaos was imminent: if even the (progressive) government of Massachusetts was disregarding its citizens’ rights!

What should they do? By 1786, the people of the “united” States of America had: Established their independence Created State governments Created a Congress under the A o C but also….

What should they do? By 1786, the people of the “united” States of America had: Established their independence Created State governments Created a Congress under the A o C They had also realized that this was not enough to face the problems of governing themselves and protecting their rights.

What did they do?

What did they do? They called for each State to send a group of delegates to a special convention (a meeting) in Philadelphia, in the summer of 1787, to figure out how to “fix” the A o C.

What did they do? Called a convention in Philadelphia, in the summer of 1787, to “fix” the A o C. What came of that meeting?

What did they do? The representatives of the States at the 1787 convention in Philadelphia quickly gave up on the project of “fixing” the A o C…

What did they do? CONSTITUTION for the U.S.A.! The representatives of the States at the 1787 convention in Philadelphia gave up on the AoC and instead drafted a NEW CONSTITUTION for the U.S.A.!

The constitution created in 1787 is the one we call “the U. S The constitution created in 1787 is the one we call “the U.S. Constitution” today. A “living document,” it is made up of the 1787 document plus the 27 amendments that have been added since then.

Creating constitutions Step 1: State constitutions (13!) Step 2: the Articles of Confederation Step 3: the Constitution of the United States of America, the first truly NATIONAL constitution, designed to create “a more perfect union” among states