The Confederation & the Constitution 1776 – 1790 Mr. Love AP US HIS

Revolution v. Evolution “ What happened was accelerated evolution rather than outright revolution.”

Social Changes After the War Exodus of Loyalists – 80,000 Social democracy – States reduced property-holding requirements for voting Trade organizations for artisans & laborers Ended inheritance laws Separation of church & state

Social Democracy Abolish of slave trade 1775 – 1 st anti-slavery society/ Philadelphia Quakers “Republican motherhood ” – increased the role of women Cult of Domesticity

Constitution Making in the States Continental Congress called on colonies to make their own state constitutions Massachusetts – called a special convention to draft its constitution & then submitted the final draft to the people for ratification Once adopted, only changed by special constitutional convention

State Constitutions Represented fundamental law Bill of rights Annual election of legislators Deliberately weak executive & judicial branches Legislatures were given large powers

Economic Crosscurrents States seized control of former crown lands Forced to find new customers. Why? Much of English commerce was reserved for loyal colonies. Americans could now trade freely with foreign nations Runaway inflation

Hope for a New Union 13 Sovereign States Alike in governmental structure & function Similar constitutions Rich political inheritance Partly from England/ partly American Blessed with great political leaders: G. Washington, J. Madison, J. Adams, T. Jefferson, & A. Hamilton

Western Land Disputes Map p states were favored 6 states had NO land holdings beyond Allegheny Mountains Argued that all fought for land States with land could sell land & pay off debts States without land would have to tax their own constituents.

Articles of Confederation Adopted by Congress in 1777 Unanimous approval required Maryland held out until (debated on western lands) Congress promised to dispose of vast areas of land for the “common benefit”

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation were debated for almost as many years as they were in effect. Proposed in 1775, they were not ratified until Eight years later, the Constitution replaced them. Eighteenth-century citizens hotly debated the virtues and shortcomings of the Articles, and historians have continued to disagree over the merits of this blueprint for a first American government. (The National Archives of the United States published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Photograph by Jonathan Wallen.) Articles of Confederation Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Articles of Confederation “Articles of Confusion” Loose confederation of states/ “firm league of friendship” Congress –chief agency of gov’t No executive branch Judicial branch left almost exclusively to the states States were sovereign Each state had one vote Unanimous vote required to add an amendment

Weaknesses of Articles One vote for each state regardless of size Congress powerless to levy & collect taxes Congress powerless to regulate foreign & interstate commerce No executive to enforce acts of Congress No national court system Amendment only with consent of all of the states A 9/13 majority required to pass laws Articles only a “firm league of friendship”

New Government Could: advise, advocate, & appeal Could not: command, coerce, & control Example of weakness: 1783 – Pennsylvania soldiers demanded back pay Congress appealed to states for protection & eventually had to move to Princeton College, NJ

The Old Northwest Area of land northwest of the Ohio River, east of the Mississippi River, & south of the Great Lakes. Map Page – 172, 174

Land Ordinance of 1785 Provided that the acreage should be sold & proceeds used to pay off the national debt Land divided into townships 6 miles square – 36 sections, 1 mile square 16 th section set aside to be sold for the benefit of public schools

Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Related to governing of the Old Northwest Territorial stages – area subordinate to the federal government 60,000 inhabitants – could be admitted as a state Slavery forbade in the Old Northwest

Problems with Britain Declined to make a commercial treaty or to repeal the Navigation Law Shut off their profitable West Indian trade British agents active in northern frontier Still held trading post

Problems with Spain Controlled mouth of Mississippi 1784 – closed river to American commerce Spain & England together prevented America from exercising effective control over about ½ of its territory

Problems with France & Pirates France demanded repayments of money loaned during the war Restricted trade with their bustling West Indies Pirates of North African states US – too weak to fight & too poor to bribe

Anarchy- Shay’s Rebellion 1786 – Massachusetts Daniel Shay & other war veterans were losing their farms through mortgage foreclosures & tax delinquencies Demanded cheap paper money, lighter taxes, & a suspension of property takeovers

Shay’s Rebellion Congress had no power to stop the rebellion Result: Push to change the Articles

General Daniel Shays, Colonel Job Shattuck, artist unknown An anti-Shays cartoonist depicts Shays and a key supporter as bogus military officers who sought power and threatened the people's liberty. (National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution/Art Resource, New York) General Daniel Shays, Colonel Job Shattuck, artist unknown Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Convention of “Demigods” Convention called at Annapolis, Maryland 9 states appointed delegates, only 5 showed up Alexander Hamilton called for another convention to meet in Philadelphia the next year

Convention Purpose of convention - revise the Articles Every state chose representatives except Rhode Island May 25, 1787 – 55 delegates Meet in complete secrecy

First draft of the Constitution with wide margins for notes, August 6, 1787, folios 1 and 5 In August of 1787 a first draft of the Constitution was secretly printed in Philadelphia for the use of convention members. Wide margins left room for additions and amendments, such as those made on this copy by Pierce Butler, the South Carolina delegate. Note that in this early version the preamble does not yet read "We the people of the United States," but instead begins by listing the individual states. (The Gilder Lehman Collection, on deposit at the Pierpont Morgan Library/Art Resource, New York) First draft of the Constitution with wide margins for notes, August 6, 1787, folios 1 and 5 Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Who’s Who at Convention George Washington Benjamin Franklin James Madison Alexander Hamilton

Compromises Delegates decided to scrap Articles Virginia Plan – “the large-state plan” Representation should be based on population in both houses New Jersey Plan – “the small-state plan” Equal representation in an unicameral Congress by states, regardless of size or population

More Compromises The Great Compromise – bicameral House of Rep. – based on population Senate – equal representation (2 per state) Every tax bill must originate in the House

Goals of Constitution Establish a strong, independent executive in the presidency President Military commander in chief Wide appointments to domestic office, including judgeships Veto power over legislation

Compromises Within Electoral College indirect election of president Three-Fifths Compromise slaves would count 3/5 of a person for representation Slave trade would be abolished in 1807

Common Goals Economically sound money & protection of private property Politically Stronger gov’t with 3 branches & checks and balances Voting - Man-hood suffrage

Safeguards Federal judges were appointed for life President elected indirectly Senators – chosen indirectly by state legislatures House of Representatives – direct vote

Basic Principles Republicanism 1. Gov’t based on consent of governed 2. Limited gov’t – Constitution Convention May 25 to Sept. 17, states needed to ratify Constitution

Federalists v. Antifederalists Favored strong federal gov’t Cultured & propertied groups/ seaboard Many used to be Loyalists Opposed strong federal gov’t Poorer classes Wanted a bill of rights

Antifederalists Arguments No annual election for congress Erecting of a federal stronghold 10 miles squared Standing army Omission of any reference to God 2/3 states for ratification

The Great Debate in the States Special elections for members of the ratifying conventions included Federalists & Antifederalists Federalists assured Antifederalists that a bill of rights would be added with the 1 st Congress June 21, 1788 – 9 states had ratified Leaving VA, NY, NC, & RI

Map 9.4: The Struggle over Ratification

The Federalists Papers Authors: A. Hamilton, J. Madison, & J. Jay Articles written for NY newspapers to convince NY to ratify All states had ratified by May 29, 1790