Problems Facing the New Nation • Debt; colonies owed money to:

– Banks– Other nations– British merchants

• Small Army; facing threats from:– Spain, who blockaded the Mississippi– Britain, who refused to leave their forts until

debt was paid

• What do the colonies need? Money

Articles of Confederation• America’s first “constitution”; 1781;

document saying how America was to be governed

• Problems:– Congress couldn’t adopt or collect taxes– 9 out of 13 colonies must approve new laws– 13 out of 13 colonies must approve changes to

the articles– Conflicting trade laws and currencies between

states• Result: States try to tax individuals

Crisis: Shays’ Rebellion• Farmers in trouble

– Can’t pay taxes– Can’t afford equipment for their farms– Trouble selling their crops (Spain - Mississippi)

• 1,200 Farmers violently rebel – Shays’ Rebellion

• Political leaders decide we need: – Strong Central Government– Law and Order– Control the Mobs – Less Democracy

Constitutional Convention• Delegates attend convention to change Articles of

Confederation• Decide to scrap the articles and start over• New Constitution calls for a new strong federal

government, supreme over states• But, must convince those who don’t want a strong

federal government

• Result: COMPROMISE

Compromises in the Constitution

• Strong federal government vs. weak federal government– Result: Multiple branches, checks and balances, Bill of

Rights

• Big States vs. Small States– Result: 2 House of Congress, one with equal

representatives/state, one based on population

• Government by the People vs. Law and Order– Result: Electoral College, no direct election of

President or Senators