1. Concepts: Governance Rule of Law
SS8H3d Analyze the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explain how those weaknesses led to the writing of a new federal Constitution.
Concepts:
Governance
Rule of Law

2. GEORGIA STATEHOOD and the U.S. CONSTITUTION
PAGE 30 IN GEORGIA JOURNAL SS8H4a
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

4. Articles of Confederation
It was basically the first U.S. Constitution.
After the Declaration of Independence, it formally united the colonies against Britain.
It created Congress which had authority over all the colonies.
All thirteen colonies would be represented in Congress.

5. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION (1776-1789)
STRENGTHS
Federalism – power divided between central (national) gov’t and individual state gov’t
Congress could:
Declare war
Send and recall Ambassadors
Deliver mail
Create money
WEAKNESSES
Weak central gov’t
State gov’t too strong
Uni-cameral legislature (Congress)
States only had 1 representative and 1 vote in Congress
No executive branch or president
No national court system
Could not tax the states to raise money
Could not regulate (control) trade
All 13 states had to approve a law for it to pass
Each state had its own currency Too difficult to amend (change) the Articles
No military

9. Constitutional Convention of 1787
Why did our Founding Fathers need to revise the Articles of Confederation?
To create a stronger Federal (national / central) government that would UNITE the young country together.
What happened to the Articles of Confederation?
The Founding Fathers wrote a new constitution

10. Constitutional Convention of 1787
New Constitution (same as our current constitution)
Included:
3/5ths Compromise – allowed slaves to count towards a state’s overall population by counting slaves as “3/5 of a person”
Great Compromise – created a bicameral legislature where each state had 2 members in the Senate but representatives in the House of Representatives was based on the state’s population

12. Abraham Baldwin Signed the U.S. Constitution
Helped get the Great Compromise passed
Originally from Connecticut
Lawyer
5 terms as a U.S. Congressman and 2 terms as a U.S. Senator
Helped create UGA; first UGA president

13. William Few Signed the U.S. Constitution
Originally from North Carolina
Judge
Georgia State Senator, Georgia State Representative
New York State Representative

14. WILLIAM FEW HELPED WRITE THE CONSTITUTION
BOTH MEN WERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM GEORGIA WHO HELPED CREATE AND SIGN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.
ABRAHAM BALDWIN PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN THE GREAT COMPROMISE THAT HELPED CREATE A BI-CAMERAL LEGISLATURE
WILLIAM FEW HELPED WRITE THE CONSTITUTION
ABRAHAM BALDWIN
WILLIAM FEW

15. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION of 1787

16. Constitutional Convention
CAUSE
EFFECT
ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
Constitutional Convention of
1787
Federal government
becomes more powerful
Separation of Powers
- Legislative branch
makes laws
- Executive branch
enforce laws
- Judicial branch
interpret laws
Bi-cameral legislature
House of Representatives
based on state population
Senate – 2 representatives
from each state
State governments had too much power
National government could not levy taxes, enforce laws, or control trade
No executive branch (President)
No judicial branch (no federal courts to settle disputes between the states)
Great Compromise: Bi-cameral legislature benefits both big and small states (population)
3/5ths Compromise:
3 out of 5 slaves counted toward population and were also taxed
Bill of Rights: 1st ten amendments to the Constitution guaranteeing rights for citizens

17. 2 REPRESENTATIIVES FROM EACH STATE
BI-CAMERAL
2 REPRESENTATIIVES FROM EACH STATE
REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH STATE BASED ON POPULATION

18. RATIFYING THE US CONSTITUTION
Why did Georgia ratify the new U.S. Constitution?
Wanted federal gov’t to have power to unite the country
Needed federal gov’t to help fight Native Americans in order for Georgians to move westward onto new lands
4th state to ratify on January 2nd, 1788