Chapter 8 Confederation to Constitution Ch 8 Section 1 Moving West Daniel Boone & many others cut a path through the Appalachian Mountains to.
Download ReportTranscript Chapter 8 Confederation to Constitution Ch 8 Section 1 Moving West Daniel Boone & many others cut a path through the Appalachian Mountains to.
Chapter 8
Confederation to Constitution
Ch 8
Section 1
Moving West
Daniel Boone & many others cut a path through the Appalachian Mountains to get to Kentucky
They called this path
Wilderness Road – it opened Kentucky to settlement
The road was not easy to travel – It was narrow for carts & wagons Some western lands were inhabited by Native Americans but this did not stop settlers from going West
By the early 1790s, about 100,000 Americans lived west of the Appalachian Mountains.
New State Governments
Once the states had independence, they set out to create their own state governments.
The states did not want to destroy the political systems they had in the colonies.
All states had formed a republican form of government.
In a republic, the PEOPLE choose representatives to govern them
The Articles of Confederation
While the states set up their government, Americans discussed having a national government.
In 1776, the Continental Congress began to develop a plan for national government. WHY?
The final plan they arrived at was called the Articles of Confederation.
This was the FIRST national Constitution in the Americas.
The Articles of Confederation
The STATES have MOST of the power
The National Government
has
LITTLE
power
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles gave the
national government state governments only a few powers important powers National government
Wage war Make peace Sign treaties Issue money NO President – states had a vote
State governments
Set taxes Enforce national laws States controlled lands west of the Appalachian Mountains
Moving West
This was America in 1787
With all the new land, people wanted to move West
When we won the Revolutionary war, we gained the lands in orange Soon people began to move there.
What To Do With the Western
Land Claims?
Smaller states needed this issue to be settled before they would agree to the Articles of Confederation
?
The Articles of Confederation
Pictured here is the FIRST Constitution in America… the 1 st official government
What to do with the land?
Congress passed laws on how to divide & govern these lands. (Northwest Territory) ?
Land Ordinance of 1785 – surveyors would take out six-square-mile plots, called territories
These lands later became known as the Northwest Territory
The Land Ordinance of 1785
What to do with the land?
Northwest Ordinance described how the Northwest territories would be governed.
(how states could be formed) – ?
Formed states such as Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois & Wisconsin If there were 60,000 free males in a territory, they could apply for statehood Slavery was outlawed Freedom of religion & trial by jury were guaranteed
Weaknesses of the Articles
1.
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT WAS TOO WEAK!
National government has few powers 2.
Could not levy taxes to pay soldiers from Revolutionary War
The country was in debt! People in the nation began to face hard times
Shay’s Rebellion
People in Massachusetts had little money, like many others in the states
Farmers from Massachusetts demanded money from the state Legislature The state refused The farmers, led by Daniel Shays, rebelled The farmers marched on a federal building ready to attack.
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Lacked power to enforce laws Lacked power to levy taxes Lacked power to regulate and promote trade Required all 13 states to approve changes in the Articles
Shay’s Rebellion
America’s leaders realized that the farmers’ uprising was trouble for the government.
Feared rebellion may spread
Shay’s Rebellion proved the Articles of Confederation WOULD NOT WORK! It led to the Constitutional Convention.
These Problems Led Up to the Constitutional Convention
The need to promote trade among the states Shay’s Rebellion The rising number of debtors NOT the Land Ordinance of 1785
Ch 8
Section 2
Writing a Constitution
Leaders realized the Articles of Confederation would need to be changed.
55 delegates were called to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .
The 1 st plan was to re-write the Articles.
The result was writing a whole new Constitution.
Some delegates included James Madison, George Washington & Ben Franklin.
Thomas Jefferson & Patrick Henry were not there.
The Convention’s Delegates
The convention did not reflect the diverse U.S. population of the 1780’s
There were NO Native Americans, African Americans, or women among the delegates
The Constitutional Convention
Writing a Constitution - Plans
The work for a new plan of a National government began
Virginia Plan – Government would have 3 branches:
executive, legislative & judiciary 2 houses – both have representatives based on population – these reps would make decisions in government.
Small states did NOT like it!
Large states LIKED this!
Three Branches of Government Legislative: includes Congress Executive: includes President & Vice President Judicial: includes Courts
New Jersey Plan
Small states had a response to the Virginia Plan – they proposed an alternative plan.
New Jersey Plan –
1 house – each state would have only 1 representative (1 vote)
The Great Compromise –
3 branches of government: executive, legislative, judicial
2 houses –
House of Representatives –
representatives based on population Senate – 2 representatives for each state
The Great Compromise 3 Branches of Government 2 Houses - Senate & House of Representatives House of Representatives number of representatives based on population Good for big states Senate 2 representatives per state no matter the population Good for small states
Three-Fifths Compromise
Three-Fifths Compromise - Three-Fifths (3/5) of the slave population would be counted as part of the population when determining representatives for the House and would be used for setting direct taxes on states.
3 out of every 5 slaves would count
For example: On Mr. Smith’s Plantation, 6 slaves would count towards the population count in Texas
Ch 8
Section 3
Debate over Constitution
The Constitution caused disagreements between Americans. The writers suspected people might be afraid of the power of the National government.
Constitution was based on federalism
Federalism – system of government in which power is shared between the national government and the states.
Federalism
Supporters of Constitution
People who supported the Constitution were called Federalists
People who opposed (didn’t support) the Constitution and would OPPOSE ratification were called Anti-federalists
Thought the national government had too much power. (remember the King of England?)
The Federalist Papers
Federalists wrote essays to answer the Anti-federalists’ attacks on the Constitution.
Federalists published
The Federalist
papers Written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay & James Madison
The Federalist Papers
Alexander
Hamilton, author of Federalist The papers
Federalists vs. Antifederalists
Federalists Stronger national government Both Different branches of government One person to head the executive branch (Pres.) Supported a bill of rights Anti-Federalists Stronger state governments Feared a strong executive (Pres.)
The Bill of Rights
The Constitution had to be
amended
changed People wanted their rights spelled out for them in the Constitution
Bill of Rights amendments (changes) to the Constitution – the first 10
The Bill of Rights
Many states wouldn’t sign the Constitution without a bill of rights.
The writers of the Constitution wanted to protect people’s personal rights and freedoms.
Many people believed it was needed to limit the power of the national government.
Visual Summary 1777 Continental Congress passes the Articles of Confederation.
1777 –1781 States debate ratification of the Articles of Confederation.
1786 Annapolis Convention is held.
1786 –1787 Shay’s Rebellion occurs.
1787 Constitutional Convention is held in Philadelphia.
1789 Government created by the new Constitution takes power.
1791 Bill of Rights is added to the Constitution.
1781 Articles of Confederation go into effect.
1788 U.S. Constitution is ratified.