What next?

The Declaration of Independence created a new nation made up of 13 independent states. Few colonists saw themselves as citizens of one nation…. Instead they felt loyalty to their own state.

What problems do you think the new United States will experience as they try to work together to win the war for independence & to continue to grow and prosper?

After declaring independence in 1776, Congress wrote a constitution ~ the Articles of Confederation setting up a loose alliance of the original 13 states. Most states also wrote their own constitutions!

1. A constitution is the document that sets up the laws and principles of a government.

2. Why did Americans want a written constitution? Americans wanted a written constitution: To spell out the rights of all citizens To set limits on the power of government

What should government look like? Most states created state governments similar to their old colonial legislatures: They divided power between a legislature and an executive: Legislature: officials elected by the voters Executive: a governor or an official that executes (carries out) the laws

3. Bill of Rights Some states included a Bill of Rights: A document that lists the freedoms the government promises to protect

4. What rights? The Virginia Bill of Rights included Freedom of religion Freedom of press Right to trial by jury

5. The states created a weak central government! States did not want to give up power to a central, or national government. States were fearful of replacing one tyrannical government with another Where have you heard that before?

6. The 1 st American Constitution The 1 st American Constitution was known as the Articles of Confederation

7. What’s a confederation? A confederation is an alliance, or a union of independent states. ( remember the Iroquois?)

8. How many votes in Congress did each state get? Each state got one vote. Why is this a problem? ( remember Congress makes the laws for the country!)

9. What powers did Congress get in this government? Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress got the powers to declare war appoint military officers coin (make) money handle foreign affairs (relations with other nations)

10. How many states had to approve laws passed by Congress? 9 of the 13 states had to approve laws passed by Congress Why might this be a problem?

11.What powers did Congress NOT get in this Government? Remember the states created a weak central government with the Articles: Congress had little economic power Congress could not regulate trade or settle disputes between the states or between the states & foreign nations Congress could not pass tax laws

12. Why was raising money a problem? Congress did not have the power to pass taxes. Congress had to ask states for $$$ States could not be forced to contribute!

13. How did foreign nations take advantage of the U.S.? Britain refused to withdraw troops from the Ohio Valley Spain refused to allow the U.S. to use its port of New Orleans which hurt western farmers who depended on it to ship farm goods east.

The Northwest Ordinance Despite its weaknesses, Congress passed important ordinances, or laws, concerning new territories: Congress divided the new land into townships & sold land parcels 1 mile square. When a territory reached 60,000 free settlers, it could be admitted as a new state with equal status as the original 13 states Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois,& Wisconsin were added as new states

Economic Depression! After the American Revolution, Congress was unable to fix the nation’s economic problems and an economic depression hit hard! Economic depression: a period when business activity slows, prices & wages drop & unemployment rises.

19: A farmer’s rebellion sounds the alarm Shay & the rebel farmers, with muskets on shoulders, seized the courthouse & refused to let judges in. Daniel Shay was a war veteran Who fought bravely for liberty. Like thousands of war veterans, Shay had not been paid for his service & he fell deep into debt. Shay led a revolt of 2,000 farmers to stop the state from seizing the land & property they fought for.

20. The message is clear! Shay’s Rebellion lasted nearly 6 months before the Massachusetts militia ended it. It showed that the new government was not strong enough to be effective! State leaders, fearing a national crisis at hand, agreed to meet in May, 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation.

Although the Articles of Confederation held the states together during the Revolution, it was ineffective in running the country.

Trouble, Trouble, Everywhere! Weak national government Articles of Confederation did not give congress the power to with little power to be effective Conflicts between the states as they argue over land claims & trade Money trouble explodes without the power to tax and confusion with currency Foreign nations take advantage as Britain, Spain & Barbary states challenge the U.S Economic Depression hits farmers hard & leads to rebellion

Back to the drawing board! By 1787, the Constitutional Convention had ratified a new Constitution that is still in effect today, more that 200 years later! It is the longest working Constitution in the world.

“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”