Bellwork: 1/24  Journal- If you were creating a new government, what are the five most important rules that you would include? List and explain.  Have your Read to Discover Questions out on your desk

FORMATION OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

Essential Question:  What was our country’s first attempt at government, and why didn’t it work?

After the Revolution  After the Revolution  After the Patriots won the Revolution, the country had to change from 13 colonies pledging allegiance to Great Britain, to 13 states loosely united as a confederation.  Each state created new governing documents  Addressed citizens’ rights, religion, slavery, etc.  The states also moved from mercantilism, a trade based system, to 13 separate economics facing currency, banking, and trade issues.

Early Influences  English Influences  England limited the power of its king and queens in two documents Magna Carta: “Great Charter” Required king to follow the rule of law English Bill of Rights Kept the king or queen from passing new taxes or laws without Parliament’s approval Enlightenment People used reason to explain things logically Belief in human goodness John Locke- belief in social contract: the government had a duty to protect the people’s rights

During the Enlightenment, philosophers often discussed their ideas at elegant social gatherings.  How does the painting suggest the interest that the wealthy had in Enlightenment ideas?

State Constitutions  Constitution- set of basic principles and laws that state the powers and duties of the government  During/After the American Revolution, almost every colony wrote a new state constitution  These 13 states were loosely united, but each had their own forms of government  Constitutions showed belief in republicanism  Republicanism- support for a system of gov’t called a republic, where citizens elect representatives  Limited Government- kept leaders from gaining too much power, all leaders have to obey the law and no one has total control.

State Constitutions Cont’d  Most state constitutions protected the individual rights of citizens  Some rights included  Trial by jury, freedom of the press, private ownership of property  Separation of church and state  Suffrage – voting rights Varied from state to state

Articles of Confederation  For some colonial leaders, individual state governments were not enough  Other leaders feared that a central government would gain too much power, like in Britain  The Second Continental Congress appointed a Committee of Thirteen, one from each colony  This group was to create a national constitution  Met for a month and created the Articles of Confederation  Ratification – official approval

Under the Articles of Confederation  A new Confederation Congress would become the central national government  Each state would have one vote in the congress  No president or court system  Confederation had limited powers  Make coins/borrow money  Negotiate and make treaties  Settle conflicts between states  Could ASK for money and troops from states

Northwest Territory  Northwest Ordinance of 1787  Helped to form a political system of the region north of the Ohio River  Created the Northwest Territory Included present day Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin  Also created a system for bringing new states to the union  Also included a bill of rights  Required public education for all citizens of the region  Outlawed slavery in the territory

Problems in the New Nation  Congress could do little to protect citizens against foreign threats  Could not force states to provide soldiers for an army  No controlled army = difficulty enforcing treaties  Britain and Spain took advantage of the weakness of the U.S.; didn’t follow all the rules and agreements

Economic Problems  U.S. faced problems with G.B.  Britain closed many of its ports to American ships  U.S. merchants had to pay high duties on U.S. exports  British goods flowed freely into the U.S. British merchants could sell products cheaper than locally made goods  Loss of trade with the British shook the U.S. economy Good plus tax $ Goods for free!

 Continental Congress could not fix the problem because they did not have the power to pass tariffs-taxes on imports/exports  If one state passed a tariff, British could sell to another state who didn’t have any  No strong government hurt the U.S. economically

Economic Problems at home  Interstate commerce – trade between states  Congress had no power to regulate this trade  Trade laws differed between states, made trade difficult  Printing Money  States printed their own money  In order to pay off debts after the Revolution, states printed large amounts of money, resulting in inflation Inflation - increased prices for goods and services combined with the reduced value of money

Inflation continues  Debtors- people who owe money  Creditors- people who lend money  Depression- period of low economic activity combined with a rise in unemployment  Each state handled its problems differently  some refused to print paper $  Some taxed land to raise money When people could not pay the tax, courts began selling their property. Some had to spend time in debtors’ prison Some sold themselves as indentured servants

Shays’ Rebellion  September 1786, farmers in 3 Massachusetts counties began a revolt  Angry citizens w/pitchforks and other tools closed down courts in the western part of the state  With the courts shut down, no one’s property could be taken  Known as Shays’ Rebellion Farmer and war veteran Daniel Shays was the main leader  At a later uprising, the rebels were eventually defeated and arrested 14 leaders were sentenced to death State freed most of the rebels, including Shays due to popular opinion

Results of the rebellion  The rebellion helped to reveal the weakness of the Confederation government  Drew attention to the Articles of Confederation- they weren’t working  The national government could offer little help to the states when they asked  Citizens were calling for a stronger central gov’t  Many felt a change was needed

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation  No President or court system  Could not FORCE the states to provide money or troops Couldn’t create an army  Could not protect citizens from foreign threats  Difficult to enforce terms of international treaties