Unit Two: Lesson Eight

1. Unit Two:Lesson Eight What were the Articles of Confederation, and why did some Founders want to change them?

2. Vocabulary • 1) Define the terms • 2) Use each term in a sentence to show your understanding. (Underline the vocabulary word) Antifederalists Ex Post Facto Proportional Representation Articles of Confederation Federal System Ratification Bill of Attainder Federalists Separated Powers Bill of Rights Great Compromise Shared Powers Constitutional Convention Majority Tyranny Supremacy Clause Electoral College Necessary & Proper Clause Tariff

3. How and Why the Articles of Confederation were created • The United States needed a federal government plan, a written constitution • A Union or “CONFEDERATION” was necessary to manage economic and political issues • The Founders wrote the “ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION which would form a political organization between sovereign states to give a central government powers to deal with specific purposes

4. Problems with the Articles of Confederation • Fear of a strong central government • To the people, their state was their country and all eligible voters could have a voice in their government • Their government was close enough that most citizens could participate in government activities • Most agreed, though, that to win the war, they needed a central government, but they feared it would be too powerful • People believed their government should be close to them • Their solution was to “create a firm league of friendship” rather than a central government • “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedoms, and independence and every power, jurisdiction and right, which is not expressly delegated to the United States.”

5. Congress was created • Article VI listed things that states could not do • Send and receive ambassadors to foreign nations • Lay imposts or duties • Maintain military forces beyond what Congress approves • Article IX listed things that Congress could do • Sole and exclusive right of determining on peace and war • Directing military forces • Conduct foreign policy • Determines the union’s expenses • Congress • Has no authority over any person in any state • Cannot collect taxes from states or their people directly. It can only request money from the states • Has no power to regulate trade between states

6. Problems with the Articles of Confederation • Fear that some states would dominate others in the central government • 3 Issues pitted one state against another • Representatives and Voting In Congress • ? 1 vote each state ? Based on Population ? Based on Wealth ? • Apportionment of War Expenses • ? Based on Wealth ? Based on Population ? Free/Slave Population • Territorial Claim • 5 states had fixed western borders • others wanted “sea to sea” borders • Would Congress be in charge of “new territories?”

7. Problems with the Articles of Confederation • Solutions to these problems emerged • Article V gave each state 1 vote regardless of population • Congress had to have 9 states agree on important matters like declaring war or admitting new states • The formula for requesting funds was based on the amount of land (settled, improved upon) which proved difficult to measure

8. Achievements of theArticles of Confederation • Won the Revolutionary War • Created Executive Departments of Finance, Foreign Relations, and Military Affairs • Precursor to the cabinet departments of treasury, state and war • Establish the first federal courts • Northwest Ordinance of 1787 • Defined the Northwest territory and created a plan for its government • NW Territory encompassed lands that would become Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota • Laid out the process by which a territory would become a state • Guaranteed new states would be equal to existing states • Slavery would be forever prohibited from the new territories • New states had to provide for education by setting aside lands that could be sold to fund schools

9. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation • The creation of a national government with VERY limited power reflected American’s fear of a strong central government (power that is not given cannot be abused) • Congress had no power to tax • Congress could make agreements with foreign powers but had not power to make states honor those agreements • Congress had no power to regulate trade between states • Congress had no power to make laws directly regulating the behavior of citizens • Localists v Cosmopolitans • State legislatures TOO democratic (majority rules over minority rights) • Saw this as another form of tyranny

10. Attempts made to solve problems • Founders recognized problems and moved to amend the Articles to give the national government more powers of enforcement and taxation • Base taxation on population rather than land value (5 slaves = 3 citizens) • Any changes required OK from every state • Some Founders looked outside national government for solutions • A special meeting/convention held to discuss changes (Annapolis Convention) • Only 5 showed – meeting rescheduled for Philadelphia • Delegates were authorized to propose amendments not develop an entirely new constitution

11. Shays’ Rebellion • Several hundred farmers faced financial hardship for many reasons • Some lost their farms, home and were sent to prison • Discontent grew, many gathered to prevent the courts from selling the property “Penny Auctions” • Shay and followers captured an arsenal, the governor called out troops to stop the rebellion. Quickly put down rebellion • The event scared many – land owners and government alike • The event spurred the Founder to push to create a stronger national government

12. Shays’ Rebellion Resulted in Support for Change The Revolutionary War had both positive and negative economic consequences in America

13. Three Plans Posters • In groups of 3-4, you will use your books to find out what was in each of the 3 plans considered at the Constitutional Convention. On the poster paper, create a visual that shows the key points of each plan • Virginia Plan p. 71 • New Jersey Plan p. 75 • Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise) p. 76

14. Review Questions • Why did the Articles of Confederation create only a legislative branch of the government? How did the A of C deal with the fears that some states would dominate others? • What were some of the achievements of the A of C? What were some of the weaknesses? • What was Shays’ Rebellion? Why did it occur? What was its historical importance? • What were the positive and negative consequences of a limited national government?