S

Experimenting with the Confederation

Chapter 5 Section 1Mr. Clifford

US 1

Americans Debate RepublicanismRepublic or Democracy

REPUBLIC: government in which citizens rule through their elected representatives.

DEMOCRACY: government directly by the people

Unity Through A Republic

Americans favored a republic over a democracy

WHY????

18th Century Americans believed that a democracy (government of the people), placed too much power in the hands of the uneducated masses.

Republicanism: government should be based on the consent of the people led to two different philosophies:

John DickinsonEmpower Virtuous Leaders

John Dickinson and many others believed that the United States should be governed by ‘virtuous people’.

These people would determine what was best for the nation, states, and people.

States should be governed by a select few.

Adam SmithPromote Freedom & Self Interest

Adam Smith, philosopher & economist believed that a republic would benefit from self-interest.

A government that allows independent states/people to pursue their own economic & political interests will succeed!

State Constitutions(similarities)

Many state constitutions shared certain similarities. Limiting the power of

government leaders Guaranteed specific rights for

citizens like: freedom of speech freedom of religion freedom of press

State Constitutions emphasized LIBERTY rather than EQUALITY.

States FEARED a STRONG CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

State Constitutions(differences)

Voting Rights African Americans Non-property owners Women

Political Precedents

Continental Congress could not base their new government on any previous government institution. During the Middle Ages, Italian cities like

Florence, Pisa, Genoa, & Venice became ‘self governing’ city states.

Republics & various democratic systems had existed in Greece & Rome.

Ancient Roman Senate

Continental Congress DebatesRepresentation by Population or State

States were unequal in size, wealth, and population.

Should delegates to a new government represent people of states?

Should each state elect the same number of representatives regardless of population?

Should states with large populations have more representatives that states with small populations?

Representation in Congress1 state = 1 delegate

Virginia= 1 delegate in Congress

New Jersey= 1 delegate in Congress

National vs. State Powers

state governments & federal government would share fundamental powers.

States were supreme in some matters, while the national government was supreme in others.

National vs. StatePowers

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

power to declare war

make peace

sign treaties

borrow money

establish a postal service

deal with Native Americans

govern Western Lands

STATE GOVERNMENT

power to tax its citizens

trade with states and foreign nations

Western Lands

By 1781, the states gave up their western claims to the

Confederation Congress and the Articles of Confederation

went into effect in March 1781.

Governing Western Lands

Land Ordinance of 1785:

- Established a plan for surveying the land

Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Provided a

procedure for dividing the land into territories.

Set requirements for admission of new states.

The Confederation Encounters Problems Political & Economic Problems

Problem 1: The United States lacked ‘national unity’.o States functioned ‘independently by pursuing their own interests.

(SECTIONALISM)

Problem 2: Confederation Congress did not recognize the differences in population among the states.

o Each state, regardless of population had only one vote in Congress. Population of Georgia: 25,000 & Massachusetts population: 270,000

The Confederation Encounters Problems Political & Economic Problems

Problem 3: Articles could not be amended without the consent of all the states.(13 out of 13) Nearly impossible to amend government.

Problem 4: Congress was in enormous debt which was amassed during the Revolutionary War. ($160 million) Continental money was worthless.

Problem 5: Congress had no control over interstate or foreign trade. States taxed each other and made alliances with foreign nations.

Borrowers vs. Lenders

WEALTHY CREDITORS

Creditors: After the Revolution, wealthy people who lent money to the states favored high taxes so the state governments could pay back their loan.

Creditors wanted to keep the supply of money low so that it would keep its full value.

POOR BORROWERS

Debtors: High taxes sent many citizens (farmers) into debt. If farmers couldn’t pay back their loan the state would seize their land and animals and sell them at auction.

Debtors wanted the state to print more paper money to lessen its value and enable them to pay off their debts with cheap currency.

Foreign-Relations Problems

- 1.) Britain refused to evacuate its military forts on the Great Lakes.

- 2.) Spain’s presence on the western boarder of US posed a threat to US western expansion. Spain eventually closed the Mississippi River to American navigation. (This paralyzed western farmers from shipping crops to markets in the east.

American citizens fear of giving the national government too much power had resulted in a government that lacked power to

deal with the nation’s problems.

WEAKNESSES OF THE

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

Congress could not enact and collect taxes

Congress could not regulate interstate or foreign trade

Each state had only one vote in Congress, regardless of population

One out of 13 states needed to agree to pass any law

Articles could be amended only if all states approved

There was no executive branch to enforce laws of Congress

There were 13 separate states that lacked national unity

There was no national court system to settle legal disputes