A New Nation America After the Revolution

I. State Governments A.Adopted new constitutions B.Limited Government 1.Bicameral legislatures (except PA) 2.Few powers to state governors (people associated strong executive with abuses of the monarchy) 3.Yearly elections (“When annual elections end, there slavery begins” – John Adams) C.Individual Rights 1.Patterned after English Bill of Rights 2.Some voting restrictions removed or lessened 3.Five states allowed all white male taxpayers to vote 4.Native American, African-Americans, Women not allowed to vote

II. Articles of Confederation A.First National Government B.Government Under the Articles 1.Unicameral Congress – one vote per state no matter size or population 2.No president or executive branch 3.No court system 4.Congress settled disputes among states 5.Congress only had powers expressed in the Articles; All other powers belonged to the states C.Weaknesses 1.Congress did not have the power to levy or collect taxes 2.Congress did not have the power to regulate trade 3.Congress could not force anyone to obey laws it passed or to abide by the Articles of Confederation

II. Articles of Confederation C.Weaknesses (Cont.) 4.Laws needed approval of 9 of the 13 states 5.Changing the Articles required the consent of all states 6.Lack of an executive meant no unity in policy making 7.Lack of national court system made it difficult to settle disputes between states

III. Need for Stronger Government A.Growing Problems 1.Quarrels between states over boundary lines and tariffs 2.States dealt directly with foreign nations 3.Unpaid debt from Revolutionary War 4.Depression in 1786 left farmers and small merchants in debt and angry B.Shays’s Rebellion 1.Armed rebellion in western Massachusetts 2.Several hundred farmers marched on the Springfield arsenal to get weapons 3.Some farmers were jailed or had their property taken away from them when they were unable to pay their mortgages 4.Farmers wanted to prevent courts from foreclosing and taking their land 5.Massachusetts militia put down the rebellion

IV. Constitutional Convention A.Congress called for a meeting of the states in Philadelphia for May “For the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation” B.Delegates 1.55 from 12 states 2.Educated, white male professionals 3.Many had signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation C.Proceedings 1.Secret Meetings 2.Decided to draft a new plan of government 3.George Washington presided