1. Creating a Republic 1776–1790 Chapter 7-Section 1
The American Nation
Chapter 7-Section 1
A Loose Confederation
Creating a Republic
1776–1790
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

2. A Loose Confederation Objectives to learn:
Chapter 7, Section 1
Objectives to learn:
Why did state governments write constitutions?
What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
What process did the Articles create for admitting new states?
Why did many Americans call for changes in the Articles?

3. America After Revolution

4. I. Most States Wrote Constitutions
Chapter 7, Section 1
Constitution—document that sets out the laws, principles, organization, and processes of a government
Bill of Rights—list of freedoms that the government promises to protect
Reasons for a written constitution:
1. It would spell out the rights of all citizens
2. It would limit the power of government
Power divided between executive and legislature
Granted white, 21 year old, males who owned property or paid taxes the right to vote

5. What it was like with the Articles of Confederation as a government???
You are given 30 minutes of free time on Fridays until the end of school.
You must decide as a group how you will use that time.
Condition – All must agree on the activity.
Activity must be school appropiate.
Activity must be realistic.
What problems/frustrations did you have???

6. What it was like with the Articles of Confederation as a government???
Now you must decide as a class on one activity to do for the 30 minutes of free time.
What problems/frustrations did you have???

7. How the Articles of Confederation Got Started…

8. Activity – What were the Articles of Confederation??
Honors Social Studies
Work as a group to read the “Articles of Confederation” worksheet and the excerpt.
Discuss and answer the questions that follow.
Social Studies
Work as a group to read the “Articles of Confederation” worksheet and the excerpt.
Discuss and answer the questions that follow.

9. II. The Articles of Confederation
Chapter 7, Section 1
A. Articles of Confederation—first American constitution; created a loose alliance of independent states in 1777
C. Congress’s powers were limited:
nine states had to approve a law before it could go into effect
could not regulate trade
had no power to tax; had to ask the states for money; states could not be forced to contribute
there was no president to execute, or carry out, the laws
there were no courts to settle conflicts
B. Congress could:
declare war
appoint military officers
coin money
take care of foreign affairs
D. Dispute over Western lands caused delay in ratification – Maryland refused to ratify the articles unless states ceded (gave up) their claims to lands west of the Appalachian Mountains.
E. Maryland finally ratified the Articles in 1781.

10. III. Weaknesses of the Confederation
Chapter 7, Section 1
A. Conflicts between states - The central government did not have power to resolve conflicts between states. (ex. New Hampshire and New York both claiming Vermont)
B. Money problems
1. The central government did not have power to raise taxes. States often refused to contribute money. The government could not pay its debts from the American Revolution.
2. Continental Congress had printed paper currency, or money. However it had little value because it was not backed by gold or silver.
3. Each state printed its own money, which caused confusion.
Foreign countries took advantage of the confederation
1. Britain refused to pull troops from the Ohio Valley.
2. Spain closed the port of New Orleans to Americans.

11. Why the Articles of Confederation Failed

12. The Articles of Confederation

13. IV. How Congress Admitted New States to the Union
Chapter 7, Section 1
Land Ordinance of 1785
1. It set up a survey system that divided the land into townships and sections
2. It set aside land to support public schools
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
1. It set up a government for the Northwest Territory
2. It guaranteed basic rights to settlers
3. It outlawed slavery in the territory provided for the region to be divided into separate territories; once a territory had 60,000 free settlers, it could ask Congress to be admitted as a new state, equal to the original states
Map in textbook on page 203.

14. IV. Land Ordinance of 1785
Chapter 7, Section 1

15. The United States in 1787

16. V. Why Americans Called for a Change in the Articles
Chapter 7, Section 1
The nation suffered a depression—a period when business activity slows, prices and wages fall, and unemployment rises.
Massachusetts raised taxes, and the courts seized the farms of those who could not pay. Many farmers took part in Shays’ Rebellion, led by Daniel Shays. They attacked courthouses and kept officials from seizing farms.
Many Americans saw Shays’ Rebellion as a sign that the Articles of Confederation did not work.

17. Shay’s Rebellion

18. VI. The Annapolis Convention in 1786
A meeting called to deal with commerical problems in the U.S.
Set the stage for the Constitution Convention in 1787
Called by John Tyler who was persuaded by James Madison
Alexander Hamilton suggested that the Annapolis Convention did not serve its purpose, so another meeting was called with representatives from all states to address the problems with the Articles of Confederation

19. Section 1 Assessment Under the Articles of Confederation,
Chapter 7, Section 1
Under the Articles of Confederation,
a) the President had the power to conduct foreign affairs.
b) Congress passed tax laws that were a burden on farmers.
c) the central government was too weak to enforce the laws passed by Congress.
d) the approval of all 13 states was needed to pass a law.
What was a major accomplishment of the Northwest Ordinance?
a) It provided a way to admit new states to the nation.
b) It settled disputes between the states over claims to western lands.
c) It demanded that the British remove troops from the Ohio Valley.
d) It set up a survey system for the Northwest Territory.
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