Chapter 7.1

13 Independent States Britain ignored the Treaty of Paris and kept troops at frontier posts in American territory Why? They believed the new American government was weak and ineffective.

State Constitutions Constitution: plan of government Adopt a State Constitution Connecticut and Rhode Island kept their colonial charters Their experience with British rule made Americans cautious about placing too much power in the hands of one ruler Adopted constitutions limited power of the governor

Limiting Power Most states established a two- house or Bicameral legislature Wanted to keep the power in the hands of the people

Voting State legislators were popularly elected (Popular vote wins) and Elections were held frequently (Vote often) Who can vote? – 21 yr old white males who owned land – Some states allowed free African Americans to vote The Legislative was the most powerful branch of government

Republic They agreed the country should be a Republic: a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives Weak central government States act independently Work together to wage war and handle relations with other nations

New Government During the Revolution The 2 nd Continental Congress met to write a plan for a central government Articles of Confederation was adopted in November 1777

Articles of Confederation 1 st Constitution new central government Was WEAK - states gave up little of their power

What could the Congress do? Could: – Conduct foreign affairs – Maintain armed forces – Borrow money – Issue currency Could NOT: – Regulate trade – Force citizens to join the army – Impose taxes

Under the new plan Each state had one vote in Congress regardless of population All states had to approve the Articles as well as any amendments On March 1, 1781, the Confederation formally became the government of the United States – Add: No chief executive

Articles of Confederation Did some good, not all bad Won independence Expanded foreign trade Helped settle and govern western areas

Extend its national authority over the frontier and bring order to the territory Thomas Jefferson’s plan divided the western territories into self-governing districts They could Petition, or apply to, Congress for statehood New Land Polices

Ordinance - law Established a procedure for Surveying and selling the western lands north of the Ohio River The new law divided this territory into townships six miles long and six miles wide.Townships were further divided into 36 sections – section 16 reserved for schools Ordinance of 1785

Passed in 1787 Created a single Northwest Territory out of lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River Once the population reached 60,000 could petition for statehood Once entered they would have the same rights as the original 13 states Stopped the spread of Slavery in the west Northwest Ordinance

1.Financial Problems 2.Problems with Britain 3.Problems with Spain So Many Problems

Money printed during the Revolution depreciated -Depreciate: fall in value No gold or silver to back the money Value of the money plummeted Caused Riots Financial Problems

British troops still in America Never withdrew after Treaty of Paris British kept America out of the West Indies and other profitable British markets Problems with Britain

John Adams went to London to discuss the problems England angry because we never repaid the Loyalists Problems with Britain

Closed the lower Mississippi River to American shipping Western settlers depended on this for commerce Problems with Spain

Many Americans began to agree the country needed a stronger government