Chapter 8: Confederation to Constitution 1776-1791 US History

Moving West Wilderness Road- The main road into Kentucky. Settlers were drawn to Kentucky’s rich river valleys- the “wild frontier” A few conflicts with Natives By 1790s, about 100,000 Americans lived there. While people headed west, people in the eastern states began to create new state governments. Also, had to figure out how to govern western lands

New State Governments Those framers, or creators, of state constitutions did not want to destroy the political systems they had as colonies. They simply wanted to make those systems more democratic. Ways to keep governments under control Creating separate branches of government Including a bill of rights in their constitutions …all states did have a republic In a republic, the people choose representatives to govern them.

The Articles of Confederation While states were discussing their governments, Americans also discussed the form of their national government. “United we stand, divided we fall.” –Silas Dean Continental Congress created the Articles of Confederation In the Articles… National government had few powers. The national government was run by the Confederation Congress. Each state had only one vote in congress. The national government had the power to wage war, make peace, sign treaties, and issue money. **The Articles left most important powers to the state. These powers included the authority to set taxes and enforce national laws.

The Continental Congress passed the Articles of Confederation in November 1777 It then sent the Articles to the states for ratification, or approval. By July 1778, eight states had ratified the Articles, but some of the small states that did not have Western land claims refused to sign. The Problem? States with land in the west could sell the land to pay debts, states without land would be at a disadvantage. 1781 the United States had an official government

The Northwest Ordinance What to do with the Western lands the Confederation Congress now controlled? Land Ordinance of 1785- called for surveyors to stake out six-mile-square plots, called townships, in Western lands. These lands later became known as the Northwest Territory. Included lands that formed the states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota. The Northwest Ordinance (1787) described how the Northwest Territory would be governed. When there were at least 5,000 free males in an area that owned 50 acres of land: they could elect an assembly. When there were 60,000 people, they could apply to become a new state. Slavery was outlawed in these territories Rivers open for navigation to all Freedom of religion and trial by jury were guaranteed

Weaknesses of the Articles Debt was a critical problem for the government Did not have the power to levy taxes, depended on the states to levy taxes. Depended on the states to send money to congress.

Shays’s Rebellion Mid-1780s Massachusetts Economic problems People had little money, but the state placed high taxes People often owed more money in taxes than they made in a year Massachusetts farmers fell into debt, and the laws were strict. If you couldn’t pay your debt, property was auctioned off. If the auction didn’t raise enough money, the debtor could be put in jail. In western Massachusetts, many jails were packed with debtors. Farmers asked for debt relief, but the legislature refused- and the farmers rebelled.

Shays’s Rebellion January 1787 Daniel Shays- a revolutionary war veteran and farmer led 1,500 men to a federal arsenal that was defended by 900 soldiers from the state militia. The rebellion was put down America’s leaders realized that an armed uprising of common farmers spelled danger for the nation