A New Nation

1. A New Nation Unit 3 Notes

2. The War Is Over, What’s Next? America was not an independent nation but what would the country and government look like?

3. Articles of Confederation

4. The Articles of Confederation • First Government of the U.S. • Set up as a republic • Weak on purpose • Accomplishments • Ran country during the war • Negotiated Treaty of Paris with Britain • Established the Northwest Ordinance of 1787

5. The Articles of Confederation Strengths Weaknesses No power to draft soldiers No Power to Enforce Treaties No Power to Collect Taxes from the States No national court system No Power to Regulate Interstate Commerce No national currency Difficult to pass laws (2/3 vote) • Declare War & Establish an Army/Navy • Make Peace and Sign Treaties • Borrow Money • Organize a Post Office

6. Why did the Founding Fathers choose a Confederation plan of government? They feared a strong central government would create tyranny and stamp out the peoples natural rights.

7. How did the Articles of Confederation lead to Shays’ Rebellion? Articles of confederation  Shays’ Rebellion  Constitution

8. Could I please have $1000? NO! NO! The Articles did not have the power to collect taxes. NO! NO!

9. What’s a government to do? Hmm… why don’t we just print more money?

10. PRINTING MONEY DOESN’T SOLVE PROBLEMS! Money is only worth what other people will give you for it!

11. Paper Money Represents Real Things. 1 Piece of Gold = $1 1 Can of Soda = $1 Therefore 1 Can of Soda = 1 Piece of Gold

12. NO!Paper money represents real things. You haven’t changed the number of real things, just the number of paper! What if you don’t have enough? What if someone won’t give you what you want for that piece of paper? Can you just print more money? Soda used to cost $1, now it costs $2!

13. PRINTING MONEY NEVER SOLVES A GOVERNMENTS PROBLEMS! Inflation was so out of control in Germany that in 1923 it cost 4 million of their dollars to buy a loaf of bread!

14. Uh oh…no money! • Congress could not tax the states… they could only ask for money • The states said no • So Congress couldn’t pay its’ bills! • So they printed more money! • So this caused inflationand made money worth less!

15. Daniel Shays • Captain in the Revolutionary War • Retired from the army • Wanted to be a farmer in Massachusetts • Why was he so upset? • Owed money for service in American Revolutionary War • Inflation – the money he did have was worthless • Taxes – the state of Massachusetts had placed hit the farmers very hard.

16. How can you be a farmer if you have no money? But what if the bank wants its money back NOW?

17. THE REPO MAN COMES! The bank repossess the farms and kicks the former soldiers out of their homes.

18. Who cares about having a farm? • No property, no food for your family. • Without property, you cannot vote. • Without property you cannot feed your family. • Without making money, you go to debtor’s prison.

19. Shays’ Rebellion • Farmer’s were in debt and go to courthouse to stop foreclosures on their homes and it worked. • The Articles didn’t give Congress power to raise a standing army, so they couldn’t stop the rebellion. • Massachusetts sets up an army and defeats the rebellion • Failure of federal government made people understand the Articles were too weak. • Called a Constitutional Convention to solve the problem.

20. Why did the Founding Fathers believe the Articles needed to be replaced by the US Constitution? The nation needed to function as one united country and not 13 small unorganized nations. Shays’ rebellion proved the need for a stronger central government.

21. The Constitutional Convention May 25, 1787 Independence hall, Philadelphia

22. Big Ideas in the Constitution • Limited Government • Rights • Rule of Law • Due Process • Self Government

23. Where did those ideas come from? • Magna Carta (1215) • Limited the power of the King of England and protect the rights of nobility • Mayflower Compact (1620) • Create a government that would provide order and protect the colonists • English Bill of Rights (1689) • Expand the power of Parliament and expand the rights of the people. • Further limited the power of the King • Two Treatises on Government (1689) – John Locke • People are born with certain rights, government must protect those rights, if they fail to do so, people should revolt and set up new government. • Montesquieu’s ideas on government • Separation of Powers • Republic • Common Sense (1776) • Convince Americans to support independence

24. The Constitutional ConventionWho was there? Who missed it? • Benjamin Franklin • 81, oldest delegate • George Washington and James Madison • Washington led the Convention • Both would become President • Thomas Jefferson and John Adams • Both were in Europe • Patrick Henry • Invited, but was against the convention

25. Procedures of the Convention • Each state was allowed only one vote • Majority votes (51%) from all states made decisions • All discussions were a secret! • Delegates could speak freely without worry about how the public would react.

26. What was the big issue? How representation in congress would be decided. Larger States wanted more power, smaller states wanted equal power

27. Two Opposing Plans Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan William Patterson 3 Branches of Government Unicameral Legislature (1 house) with equal representation Favored smaller states • James Madison • 3 Branches of Government • Bicameral legislature (2 houses) • Determined by population • Favored big states

28. The Great Compromise

29. The Great Compromise Lower House Upper House Senate Equal representation 6 year terms Favored smaller states • House of Representatives • Determined by population • 2 year terms • Favored larger states

30. More Arguing? What now? • Controversy over counting slaves as a part of the population… • At this time there were 550,00 enslaved African Americans, mostly in the South • Southern States – part of population = more representatives for south • Northern States – slaves cannot vote or participate in government, they should not give the south more representatives

31. TheThree-FifthsCompromise

32. The Three-Fifths Compromise • Every 5 enslaved persons would count as 3 free people • Used for representation in Congress and figuring out taxes

33. Electoral College • A group of people would be chosen by each state to choose the President. • Each state given a certain number of votes determined by their representation in Congress.

34. One last compromise… • Conflicts over commerce and the slave trade • Congress could regulate (control) trade between states and other countries. • They could NOT tax exports or interfere with the slave trade for 20 years.

35. Finally Finished… • September 17, 1787 finished writing the Constitution • Delegates signed it, said it would become law of the land when 9/13 states ratified (approved) it

36. So everyone in the entire United States of America loved the Constitution and every state ratified it immediately and we all had a big party and we all lived happily ever after, right…? WRONG!

37. A Divided Public • Federalists – supporters of the new constitution and a strong federal government • Federalism– a form of government in which power is divided between the federal (national) government and the states. • Some Federalists wrote papers to rally support for the Constitution. They were called the Federalist Papers • Written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, & James Madison • Anti-Federalists- People opposed to the Constitution and a strong federal government. • Wanted States’ Rights • Wanted to add a Bill of Rights

38. Anti Federalists v. Federalists Anti-federalists Federalists Strong national government 3 Branches of government President to lead executive branch No Bill of Rights • States should have most power • Legislative branch should be strongest branch • Feared a strong President • Bill of Rights would protect citizens

39. Federalism

40. The Bill of Rights • The first ten amendmentsto the Constitution. • Guarantee individual freedoms, protection from government power, rights of the accused • Freedom of speech, religion, the press • Right to a speedy trial • Right to bear arms

41. The Bill of Rights

42. Other Important Amendments • 13th – Abolished “involuntary servitude” • 14th – Citizenship for minorities • 15th – Minority Suffrage • 19th – Women’s suffrage • 24th – Eliminates poll taxes • 26th – Lowers voting age from 21 to 18

43. Three Branches of Government

44. Legislative Branch (Congress) House of Representatives Senate 100 Seats 2 per state “Upper House” Vice President is the President of the Senate Cannot vote unless there is a tie Power to try impeachment in court 2/3rd vote Must approve any bills to raise taxes • 435 Seats • Determined by population • “Lower House” • Leader is called the Speaker of the House • Power to impeach the president • Any bill to raise money (taxes) must come from the House

45. Legislative Branch (Congress) • Make laws, treaties, coin money and regulate trade • Two houses: Senate and the House of Representatives • Approves/Disapproves of Presidents appointments • Declares war • Approves/Disapproves of treaties

46. Executive Branch • Includes the President and Vice President • Enforce laws • Approves or disapproves of laws • Appoints government leaders

47. Executive Branch - President • Must be a natural born citizen • Must be at least 35 years old • Must be 14 years a resident within the U.S. • Term is for 4 years – only 2 in a row • Must give state of the union to Congress

48. Executive Branch – President’s Powers • Commander and Chief of the Army and Navy • Can grant pardons and vetolaws • Can call Congress into session • Make treaties, appoint Supreme Court Justices and Ambassadors with Senate approval

49. Executive Branch – Impeachment • Treason • Bribery • Other high crimes and misdemeanors

50. Judicial Branch • National Court System • Supreme Court is highest court in country • Supreme Court decides if a law in question agrees with Constitution • Explains the meaning of laws • Currently 9 Justices • James Iredell was appointed to the first Supreme Court