U.S. History 5.1 Experimenting with Confederation

1. U.S. History 5.1 Experimenting with Confederation In creating a new gov't after D of I, what were 2 things "we weren't ever letting our gov't do?" Activities: Solve the problem

2. MAIN IDEA: Americans adopted the Articles of Confederation but found the new government too weak to solve the nation’s problems WHY IT MATTERS NOW: The reaction to the weak Articles of Confederation led to a stronger central government that has continued to expand its power

3. What is republicanism? What did the various states have in common? How were they different? What political precedents did the nation’s leaders examine in forming the new gov’t? What relics of the colonial period survived in the new system of gov’t? These are the lecture questions - You should know the answers as we go through the notes.

4. Like a player on a team sport who concentrates solely on setting an individual record, what would happen to the national government if each state pursued its own interests rather than those of the whole nation? STATE GOV’TS -each wrote a Constitution -guaranteed certain rights speech, religion, press ex.- Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom -Representative governments with weak executives • THE COLONIES HAD EACH FORMED SEPARATE , DISTINCT SYSTEMS OF SELF-GOVERNMENT • This makes people think of their colony as their primary political unit • People’s allegiance is to their colony • The Revolutionary War had given them a common goal, BUT once they were states, they were reluctant to unite under a strong central government. WHY? • CHALLENGE: develop a sys of govt that balances the interest of the state and those of the nation.

5. STATE GOV’TS • UNITY THROUGH A REPUBLIC – • 18TH c. Americans believed that a democracy gave too much power to the masses • - largely uneducated • REPUBLICis favored – citizens rule through their elected representatives • REPUBLICANISM– the idea that governments should be based on the consent of the people (not to be confused with the Republican party of today.) • People’s definition of republicanism was not all alike: • - John Dickinson • A republic requires virtuous people • The government will only survive if the people place the good of the nation • above their personal interests • - Others, encouraged by the writings of Adam Smith (philosopher and economist) • believed that self-interest would benefit the republic. • If individuals pursue their own economic and political interests, the whole • nation will benefit

6. STATE GOV’TS AND CONSTITUTIONS • How should we put republican values into practice? • SIMILARITIES among state constitutions: • o Limited power of government leaders • o Guaranteed specific rights for citizens • ｧFreedom of speech • ｧFreedom of religion • ｧFreedom of the press • o The emphasis was onliberty rather than on equality • This emphasis reflects their fear of centralized authority • DIFFERENCES among state constitutions • o The new states were more democratic than any other western nation at this time • o But the democracy was limited • ｧAfrican-Americans could not vote • ｧSome states granted voting rights to all white males while others • had property ownership as a requirement • ｧWomen were denied the right to vote, despite their role in the • revolution • ｧNJ had specific all free property owners as having the right to • vote – but forgot to mention that they must be male! A • loophole! Some NJ women had the right to vote until 1807, when • it was revoked!

7. POLITICAL PRECEDENTS • Most countries were ruled by kings, therefore few precedents • The founders’ searched history to find examples • o Short-lived republic in the 17th c. when King Charles I had been executed • o Middle Ages, city-states of Italy –Florence, Pisa, Genoa, Venice – had been self-governing • o Swiss communities had resisted royal control and formed alliances w/one another that became the Swiss Confederation • Ancient history – Greece and Rome • But, none of these exemplified the balance we needed between the concerns of state and national governments.

8. 5. What relics of the colonial period survived in the new system of gov’t? 6. In what way did the nation’s leaders disagree over the issue of representation? 7. What powers did the gov’t hold and lack under the Articles of Confederation (AOC)? 8. What is the significance of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787? 9. Why did the differences between the states cause problems of representation in the new gov’t? These are the lecture questions - You should know the answers as we go through the notes.

9. ARTICLES -unicameral Congress -1 vote per state -very limited powers -distrust of gov’t

10. REPRESENTATION BY POPULATION OR BY STATE? • States are political equals, but unequal in size, wealth, and population • o Should delegates represent a state or a number of people? • o Should each state elect the same number of reps regardless of their pop? • o Or should states with large pops have more reps than states with small pops? • Initially, the delegates saw themselves as representing states, therefore each state would have one vote regardless of population

11. SUPREME POWER: CAN IT BE DIVIDED? • Assumption: a govt could not share supreme power with smaller units, such as states or provinces • CC proposes a new type of government – a confederation – • ｧTwo levels of govt share fundamental powers. • ｧState govts were supreme in some areas, national was supreme in others - (Like what?) • ｧNATIONAL POWERS: • ｧDECLARE WAR • ｧMAKE PEACE • ｧSIGN TREATIES • ｧBORROW MONEY • ｧSET STANDARDS FOR COINS AND FOR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES • ｧESTABLISH A POSTAL SERVICE • ｧDEAL W/ NATIVE AMERICANS • ｧArticles fail to establish an executive department to carry out and enforce the acts of Congress and no judiciary to interpret the meaning of the laws!!!

12. WESTERN LANDS: WHO GETS THEM? • By 1779, 12 states had agreed to the new government • ｧConflict over western lands delayed the final approval • for 2 more years. • ｧSome states had claimed land west of the • Appalachians • ｧMaryland had not gotten any of this land • ｷFear: states with land claims will expand and overpower smaller states! • ｷRefused to approve the Articles until states turn over their western lands to national government • ｷBy 1781, land reverts to national, and articles are approved (March 1781)

13. WESTERN LANDS -how to settle new lands? -ownership of land -landed ceded to the union for all -Land Ordinance, 1785 -N.W. Ordinance, 1787 -statehood -banned slavery in territories

14. GOVERNING THE WESTERN LANDS • Confederate Congress faces the problem of how to govern this land –north of the Ohio and west of the Appalachians • ｧLand Ordinance of 1785, establishes a plan for surveying the land • ｧNorthwest Ordinance of 1787 – provides a plan for dividing the land into • territories • ｧIt also set up a requirements for admitting new states (Oops what about the • Native Americans?! – this land was theirs!!) • TO BECOME A STATE: • o CONGRESS would appoint a territorial governor and judges • o When pop = 5,000 voters, settlers could write a temporary constitution and elect their own governor. • o When pop = 60,000 free inhabitants, settlers could write a state constitution, which had to be approved by Congress before statehood was granted. • LAND ORDINANCE OF 1785 AND NORTHWEST ORDINANCE OF 1787were the • greatest accomplishments of the Confederation – provide a blueprint (plan) for the • future growth of the nation.

15. 10. What are some of the political and economic problems the country encountered under the AOC? 11. What foreign-relations problems did the new country encounter? 12. What weaknesses in the Confederation were highlighted by the actions of Rhode Island? These are the lecture questions - You should know the answers as we go through the notes.

16. STATE CONFLICTS -weak national gov’t -different currencies -trade barriers -border disputes -war debts

17. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS • COUNTRY LACKS UNITY UNDER confederation • o Each state acted independently, pursuing its own interests rather than the common goals • o Confederation does not recognize pop differences bet states • -Political power in Georgia w 23,000 people = that in Mass. W 235,000! • o Articles cannot be amended w/o the consent of every state! • ｧConsequently changes in govt were difficult if not impossible to achieve! • o Huge debt Congress has amassed during revolutionary war • ｧDebt was $190 m – lots for then • ｷCC had borrowed money from foreign govt • ｷHad printed Continentals – these were worthless after the war • o No power to tax, so asks the states for approval of a tariff (tax on imported goods) • ｧPlans to repay foreign debt w/ this money • ｧRhode Island turns down the idea; no tariff! • o Confederation also has no power over interstate or foreign trade

18. Borrowers versus lenders • As a result of revolutionary war debt, borrowers and lenders are in a struggle with each other • Wealthy people favored high taxes so they could get their money • back • O High taxes mean debt for many farmers • O Creditors could sue in court and if they won, the farmers land would be confiscated! And sold at auction • Debtors and creditors also disagreed on paper money • Debtors wanted to increase the supply, and decrease the value of paper money to pay off their debts with cheap currency • O Creditors wanted to keep the supply of money limited, so that money would maintain its full value • PROBLEMS FOR BOTH GROUPS!

19. Foreign Relations Problems • Lack of states’ concern for national matters causes problems for Congress • o Since US could not pay its war debts to British merchants, and was unable to compensate Loyalists for their lost property, Britain refuses to vacate the military forts on the great Lakes. • o Spain’s presence of our western frontier is a threat to western expansion. • ｧ1784, Spain closes the Mississippi River to American navigation. • ｧWestern farmers are unable to ship their crops to eastern markets • through New Orleans • ｷNortherners are willing to give up rights to navigate the Mississippi, • but westerners and southerners are not! • ｷNortherners want trade concessions • ｷW and S want access to the Mississippi • o Congress is too weak to resolve either issue • The problems Congress encountered when dealing w/ foreign nations showed the • basic weaknesses of the Confederation government. • Our fear of having a national govt with too much power, resulted in a govt w/o enough • power to deal w/ nation’s problems. • The Constitution must come to our rescue!

20. WEAKNESSES OF THE ARTICLES -could not tax -hard to enforce laws -could not regulate trade -no executive -no court system

21. Articles of Confederation National Gov’t Declare war War and Defense Declare war Make peace Financial matters Native Americans Sign treaties Power to Deal w/ NA Borrow money Set up Postal service Set up standards For coins & wts. & measurements

22. Homework Articles of Confederation Matrix Complete guided reading workbook 5.2 in detail (define terms at end of worksheet)