Good day, ScholarsGrab your journal and the handout from the stool.

Articles of Confederation

The Confederation created a loose association of 13 independent states,

NOT 13 United States

Articles of ConfederationStrengths

Governed the nation during the American Revolution

Created Treaty of Paris 1783 at the end of the war

Created Northwest Ordinance 1787

Articles of ConfederationWeaknesses

NO power to enforce laws

NO power to tax, regulate trade, or settle disputed of land. (Only states has these powers.)

BOTH national government AND each state was allowed to coin (make) it’s own type money. That is 14 different

currencies!

Articles of ConfederationWeaknesses (cont’d.)

NO national court system

NO chief executive (president)

NO national army or navy

One State = One Vote in Congress

Required ALL 13 to pass amendments

Land Ordinance of 1785• Land given to America in the Treaty of Paris was

causing problems.• Settlers were moving onto land and disputes broke

out. These disputes clogged the courts.• Passed the Land Ordinance of 1785. It organized the

Northwest Territory into smaller territories.

It divided the land into townships.

Now the problem was what to do with them. Would they be colonies or states?

Northwest Ordinance• Created rules for the new territory to become future

states.

• Once a territory

had 5000 settlers,

they could form a

Government.

• 60,000 free citizens to become a state.

Shays Rebellion

Under the AOC, there were serious money problems.

• These problems were hardest on farmers.

• Judges ordered farmers in Massachusetts to sell their land and livestock to pay off debts.

Shays rebellion Daniel Shays led an uprising of debt ridden

Massachusetts farmers against the Mass. Govt. There was no national govt. or army to stop the

rebellion

Finally stopped by a militia.

The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to the realization that a new government must be created.

A monument erected in 1987 to commemorate Shay’s Rebellion bears the following line in its inscription:

"True Liberty and Justice may require resistance to law."

Why would this line be included in the monument’s inscription?

Closing

In your journal…Why would the idea of poor farmers rebelling be scary to many of the men working to create a new government for the United States?

Opening

Constitutional Convention After Shay’s Rebellion, a convention was called

to discuss “the situation of the United States” Issues to be debated

• Should we create a Strong or Weak Federal Government?

• Will the new government continue the “one state one vote” or will it be based upon population?

• What will we do about the Slavery issue…?

Constitutional Convention Pennsylvania

State House Independence

Hall When? May 25, 1787

Constitutional ConventionWho’s Who

Who? 55 delegates: federalists, antifederalists and James Madison.

What? Our founding fathers came together to write the Constitution.

Professional backgrounds About half were lawyers Others were farmers, merchants, and doctors

¾ had been representatives in the Constitutional Convention.

These delegates are what we call “The Founding Fathers” George Washington James Madison – called the Father of the Constitution

because of his preparation and participation in it’s creation.

New Jersey Plan

Legislative branch had two houses

House based on population

Supported by larger states

Three branches of government

Virginia Plan

Legislative branch has one houses

House has one state/one vote

Supported by smaller states

Great Compromise Unable to come to any sort of

agreement, a committee met and came up with a compromise.

It set the government up as follows: 3 branches of government 2 houses in Legislative branch House of Representatives based on

population Senate – 2 votes per state (equality)

North Slaves should NOT

count towards taxation.

Slaves should count for representation.

South

Slaves should count for taxation = property

Slaves should NOT count as citizens for Representation

How will slaves affect taxes and population?

3/5ths Compromise Because the issue of slavery was preventing the

ratification (approval) of the Constitution, the delegates came up with yet another compromise.

In the 3/5ths Compromise, slaves would count as 3/5 of a person for population counts when setting taxes and representation. 5 slaves = 3 people

Although they reach a compromise for the Constitution, the North and South still did not agree on the issue of slavery.

Slavery will continue to be a widely debated topic for many more years.

Federalist vs. AntifederalistFederalists

Debated for ratification They wanted:

Strong Central Government Powerful Executive Branch To ratify the document

(Constitution) AS WRITTEN Supporters include:

James Madison Alexander Hamilton John Jay

They wrote and published essays called the Federalist Papers to help support ratification.

Antifederalists Anti-Federalists – AGAINST RATIFICATION Wanted stronger states (state’s rights) More people’s rights DEMANDED BILL OF RIGHTS BE ADDED

TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT!!!

Thought the proposed constitution didn’t do enough to ensure people’s rights.

Patrick Henry and George Mason

Bill of Rights When? 1791 At the same time that seven of the states

ratified the Constitution, they asked that it be amended to include a bill of rights.

Why? They believed it was needed to protect people against the power of the national government.

What? These amendments gave certain rights (unalienable rights) specifically to the people of the US and to the states.

Bill of Rights1st: Freedom of speech, press, religion,

assembly, and petition.2nd: Right to bear arms3rd: No quartering of troops!4th: Protects from unreasonable

searches and seizures5th: Right to due process of law and

freedom from double jeopardy and self incrimination.

Bill of Rights (cont’d)6th: Right to a speedy trial7th: Right to a trial by jury in all civil cases8th: No excessive bail and no cruel or unusual

punishment.9th: People have unnamed rights like the right

to privacy.10th: Individual states and the people are given

powers not granted to the federal government. (SETS UP FEDERALISM)

Ratifying the Constitution The states each hold conventions to vote

on whether or not to ratify (approve) the Constitution.

The first states ratify it in December 1787. The last state doesn’t ratify the

constitution until 1790!

Now, the British Colonies are officiallyThe UNITED States of America!

How the grievances in the DOI were addressed in the new government…

Grievance Constitution Bill of Rights

Taxation w/out representation

Both Houses of Congress must pass taxes. (Article 1)

Quartering of troops 3rd Amendment

King James refused to have a judicial branch

Established an independent judicial branch (Article 3)

Denied Trial by Jury 7th Amendment

On the back of your notes In your own words, explain why you

think that the Antifederalists felt that it was absolutely necessary for the Bill of Rights to be added to the Constitution? If you had to live during this time, what would your stance have been? Why?