Articles of Confederation and New Challenges

I. Ideas about Government A. English 1. Colonists drew ideas from English Bill of Rights 2. Magna Carta - made the king (leader) subject to the law B. Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom 1. No person could be forced to attend a church or pay taxes for a church 2. Separation of church and state

I. Ideas about Government (cont.) C. Right to Vote 1. Suffrage - the right to vote 2. Any white man who paid taxes could vote. 3. Women and African Americans a) Some states originally allowed these groups to vote b) These rights were soon taken away

II. Articles of Confederation A. 2nd Continental Congress met to discuss a new national constitution B. Congress 1. Settle conflicts between states 2. Make coins (money) 3. Borrow money 4. Make treaties with other countries and Native Americans 5. States could refuse request for money and soldiers

II. Articles of Confederation (cont.) C. Ratification - official approval 1. Conflict over western lands slowed ratification by all 13 states 2. Maryland was last state to ratify the Articles 3. Thomas Jefferson assured Maryland that western lands would be made into new states D. The first national U.S. government is put into place!

III. Northwest Territory A. Land Ordinance of Set up a system for surveying and dividing up western lands 2. Divided land into townships (36 sq. mi.) a) One lot (sq. mi.) saved for education b) Four lots given to veterans c) Rest sold to the public

III. Northwest Territory (cont.) B. Northwest Ordinance of Determined how new states would join the Union a) Population had to reach 60,000 b) Territory had to draft a constitution 2. Other effects a) Protected civil liberties b) Required public education c) Banned slavery in future territories C. Five Territories - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin

IV. New Challenges A. Economic Problems 1. Trade with Britain a) Closed many ports to U.S. ships b) Forced American merchants to pay high tariffs (taxes) for goods imported to G.B. 2. Trade with Spain a) Closed the lower Mississippi to U.S. ships b) Hurt farmers and merchants because their goods could not be shipped out.

IV. New Challenges (cont.) A. Economic Problems (cont.) 3. Trade Among States a) Congress had no power to regulate interstate commerce b) States followed their own interests c) Made it hard to trade between states 4. Inflation a) States had hard time paying off debt b) Began printing large amounts of money that had no value c) Congress had no power to stop states from printing more money

IV. New Challenges (cont.) A. Economic Problems (cont.) 5. Weak economy a) All the above factors helped lead to a depression b) Low economic activity combined with high unemployment

IV. New Challenges (cont.) B. Shay’s Rebellion 1. MA tried collecting money by taxing land a) Hit farmers hardest b) August farmers revolt closing courts in western MA 2. Daniel Shay (Sept. 1786) a) Led a revolt to shut down the MA Supreme Court b) Defeated by state troops

IV. New Challenges (cont.) B. Shay’s Rebellion (cont.) 3. Showed the weakness of the Confederation government a) Most power held by states b) One branch of government c) No system of checks and balances C. Constitutional Convention 1. Philadelphia - May Delegates from all 13 States 3. Met to revise the Articles of Confederation