C REATING N EW G OVERNMENT

W EAKNESSES Provided for a weak national government Gave Congress no power to tax or regulate trade among the states No common currency for the country Each state had one vote regardless of size No executive or judicial branch

W EAKNESSES There was a unicameral congress in which each state had 1 vote No national court system No executive branch Financial, diplomatic, and military affairs were managed by congressional committees The congress could request funds from states but could not tax the people directly or regulate interstate and foreign commerce

M AKING C ONNECTIONS Why did the founders decide to create their government like this? What parallels to the British can you draw? How did America’s pre- Revolutionary relationship with Britain influence the structure of the first national government?

P OLITICAL P ROBLEMS Each state functioned independently by pursing its own interests rather than those of the nation as a whole Each state, regardless of its population, had only one vote in Congress The political power of GA with 23,375 people=political power of MA with 235,308 Articles could not be amended without the consent of every state A single state could stall the amendment process, so changes were very difficult

E CONOMIC P ROBLEMS Huge debt that Congress had created during the American Revolution War had cost $190 million Continental Congress had borrowed from foreign countries and had printed its own paper money After the war, the American currency was worthless Lacking the power to tax, Congress requested the states’ approval to tax imported goods RI rejected the tax so it was not adopted

F OREIGN -R ELATIONS P ROBLEMS US couldn’t repay its debts to British merchants Loyalists not repaid for the property they lost during the war England refused to evacuate the Great Lakes Spain posed a threat to westward expansion beyond the Mississippi River

N ORTHWEST O RDINANCE 1787 Set a successful pattern for surveying, selling, and administering western lands Provided the way for territories to become states with the same powers and privileges as the original 13 states Northwest Ordinance for the 1st time banned slavery from a territory

B OTTOM L INE Americans’ fear of giving the national government too much power had resulted in a government that lacked sufficient power to deal with the nation’s problems

S HAYS ’ S R EBELLION Shay was a veteran of the Revolutionary War Fought in Saratoga Lived in MA Because of heavy debt, he was almost going to a debtor’s prison Wanted to close the courts so he would not lose his farm to creditors Farmers like Shay led a 1,200 man army through the snow to the storage of weapons in Springfield, MA State officials called the militia and 4 of the rebels were killed Caused panic, and the need for a change in the National Government Some Americans feared that the govt. was unable to protect even domestic law and order Producers wanted a stronger govt. to regulate interstate and foreign commerce

S HAYS ’ S R EBELLION

P HILADELPHIA C ONVENTION Spring and summer of delegates from every state besides RI The majority were wealthy, had legal training, and shared a nationalist rather than a local perspective Sessions were closed to the press and the public Decided to abandon the Articles and write a new constitution James Madison kept copious notes- called the “Father of the Constitution”

V IRGINIA P LAN “Virginia Plan” A national govt. Broad powers to tax, legislate, and use military force against the states 2 house congress Representation in both chambers based on population Small states worried that they would always be outvoted Objected to the VA Plan Created the “New Jersey Plan” “New Jersey Plan” Unicameral congress Each state, regardless of population, had an equal voice

G REAT C OMPROMISE & C ONSTITUTION The convention finally agreed to a compromise 2-chamber legislature Representation in the House based on population Representation in the Senate based on the principle of equality for each state The Constitution was finished in September 1787 The Constitution carefully balanced state and federal power, the interests of one social group against another, and the authority of one branch of the national govt. vs. another Federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances Federal govt. powers: Levy and collect taxes Conduct diplomacy Protect domestic order Authority to coin $$$$ Regulate interstate and foreign commerce

R ATIFICATION The delegates provided for ratification of the Constitution by special state conventions composed of delegated elected by the people Needed 9 conventions to approve the new Constitution During 1787 and 1788, the country divided into Federalists and Antifederalists Federalists supported the Constitution Antifederalists did NOT support it feared that the Constitution concentrated too much centralized power in the hands of a national elite that individuals’ freedoms would be trampled because the document contained no bill of rights

F EDERALISTS Favored a Strong Central Government Favored limiting states’ power. Argued that the Senate with 2 reps per state represented each state enough. Did not think we needed a Bill of Rights Did not like the Articles of Confederation Thought a large nation/republic was best for the country Supporters were large farmers, merchants, artisans

F EDERALISTS George Washington James Madison Wrote a series of papers called the Federalists papers to convince people to ratify the Constitution

A NTIFEDERALISTS Opposed/disagreed with a strong central government Supported strong power and influence of the states Thought a Bill of Rights was necessary Wanted to just change the Articles, not abandon them Thought only a small nation/republic could protect people’s rights Supporters were small famers, usually from rural areas Do no support the Constitution They thought it was dangerous for people’s natural rights and took too much power from the states. Ex. Patrick Henry, George Mason, Thomas Jefferson

F EDERALIST P APERS Read the Federalist #10 and #54 and answer the accompanying questions